Samsung’s Privacy Screen is the standout feature for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but don’t expect Apple to implement it until it’s perfect.

Having a privacy screen that can be customized to include certain fields (password entry) or even certain parts of the screen is really cool and I hope the iPhone gets it sooner than later.

Andy Boxall from AndroidPolice:

The Privacy Display is the top reason to consider buying the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and contrary to what you may initially think, it’s not a gimmick. It’s enabled through both hardware and software, and operates at a pixel level, meaning it has been engineered into the S26 Ultra and not just a cheap add-on.

It works by dimming pixels on the sides of the screen and boosting them in the center, with the result being at anything other than a mostly face-on angle, the screen appears black. Anyone looking at the screen from the side, no matter the angle, can’t see what’s on the screen.

It works fullscreen, but can also be tuned for partial screen use, meaning it only obscures notification popups. It’s not always active, and has to be manually enabled in the Quick Settings menu, plus it can be customized to only operate for certain apps.

Privacy Display is shockingly effective, and if you’ve ever wondered if someone sitting next to you is looking at your screen, it’ll stop them in their pixel-peeping tracks.

Why Apple won’t implement it just yet (Andy continues):

However, it comes with one downside: screen brightness.

Turn Privacy Display on, and the screen brightness instantly dims. Never to the point where you can’t see, but you will notice it. You can still manually adjust the brightness, and I don’t think you’ll have a problem seeing the screen in sunlight, but if you want the screen’s maximum brightness for games or videos, Privacy Display should probably be turned off.

Still a very impressive feature, but Apple likes to perfect a technology before it becomes a staple in its lineup. Samsung released their first major smartphone with an OLED display with the Galaxy S back in 2010, 7 years before Apple introduced their first OLED iPhone with the iPhone X.

It won’t be 7 years before iPhones get this feature, but I’m guessing whatever flagship iPhone comes out in 2027 will be the first.