Samsung announced the Galaxy S26 Ultra with built-in side-view restrictions at its February 2026 launch.
Display controls
- Privacy Display controls the direction in which pixels distribute light.
- Restricted viewing works in portrait and landscape orientations.
- A partial-screen option covers notification pop-ups; a stronger setting further obscures side views.
Samsung's announcement cautioned that viewing angle and brightness could still leave information visible to others. It also noted possible image-quality changes outside the viewing range. The feature is not a guarantee of complete concealment.
Development before the announcement
In a 28 January preview, Samsung said the technology followed more than five years of engineering, testing and refinement. Its research considered how people use phones and what information they regard as private. The manufacturer described a combination of hardware and software, rather than a software-only addition.
The preview outlined selective activation for particular applications or password entry, adjustable visibility and the ability to switch protection off entirely. It placed this development within Samsung's existing Knox programme, alongside dedicated security hardware and protection across connected devices. The company had not yet named the S26 Ultra in that preview.
Pricing and planned availability
Reuters reported that the series would begin rolling out on 11 March. In the United States, the base S26 was priced at $899 and the Plus at $1,099, while Ultra pricing was unchanged. The base model also became more expensive in South Korea.
The announcement came amid rising memory costs as suppliers prioritised data-centre components. Samsung's own Exynos processors returned in some S26 models after the preceding series used Qualcomm chips. Reuters also reported integration of Perplexity, Google's Gemini and an upgraded Bixby in the new line-up.
Company and press contact
Samsung Electronics. Current United Kingdom media enquiries: seuk.pr@samsung.com. This is a press contact, not customer support. Website: https://www.samsung.com/uk/.