Samsung has confirmed to TechRadar that the Galaxy S26 Ultra features slightly lower brightness when compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The South Korean consumer electronics maker indicated that this trade-off in brightness is linked to the new Privacy Display, which prevents people from looking at your screen from a side angle.
Samsung compromises brightness for Privacy Display
As per the report, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra was showing slightly lower brightness levels compared to its predecessor when viewed from certain angles. Benchmark tests and side-by-side comparisons suggested that the newer model’s 6.9-inch display appears dimmer than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra under specific conditions, when both devices are set to maximum brightness and viewed from a side angle. Minor variations in peak brightness and colour density have also been noticed. When TechRadar reached out to Samsung regarding this, the company did not respond initially.
After the publication of the report, here’s what Samsung said: “Privacy Display is designed to protect users’ privacy by providing a vivid visual experience for using the phone in normal use cases. Some variation will be seen when the phone is held at certain angles and when set to maximum brightness; however, any impact on actual usage when holding the phone should be negligible.”
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has an 8-bit display
In related news, when the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra launched, it was communicated that the latest flagship sports a 10-bit display panel, as compared to the 8-bit panel present in its predecessor. However, as per a report by SamMobile, later, the South Korean consumer electronics maker confirmed that the display features an 8-bit display panel. It added that the “10-bit” referred to 10-bit mDNIe colour processing, not the panel’s native bit depth. For the uninitiated, a display with 10-bit colour depth offers 1.07 billion colours, as opposed to a display with 8-bit colour depth, which offers 16.7 million colours. This results in reduced banding and better colour accuracy.
First Published: Mar 30 2026 | 10:47 AM IST
