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Having a screen protector for privacy always strikes me as a somewhat paranoid measure, however Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra My thinking has changed.
Over the past couple of days, the new S26 Ultra has appeared View privacy The setup has quickly become one of my favorite features due to its practicality and creativity. With the setting enabled, anyone looking over your shoulder won’t be able to see what’s on your screen. Crucially, unlike $10 Screen protector you can buy onlineThis built-in hardware feature is customizable, so you can turn it on for specific apps like your bank account or email. It works whether you hold your phone vertically or horizontally.
You can also set a privacy display for pop-up notifications only, so only that part of your screen is obscured to anyone snooping around. This flexibility results in a more realistic approach, rather than the all-or-nothing privacy screen protectors you can put on any phone. (There’s no need to be secretive all the time, in my humble opinion.)
I was especially grateful for the privacy view setting during my trip to Mobile World Congress In Barcelona. As I wrestled with this article in the Notes app, I didn’t have to worry about anyone watching me go through half-baked ideas. I browsed through my gallery without feeling like I was giving a presentation to any bored onlooker. I could essentially prevent people from engaging in the same second-hand entertainment I was indulging in as I glanced at the movies playing on the seatback screens around me. (There’s a lot to look at during an 8 hour flight).
The Privacy Display is one of the few features that helps the S26 Ultra feel like a noticeable step up from last year Galaxy S25 Ultra. This year’s model has a slightly thinner and lighter build, measuring 7.9mm thick and weighing 214g (versus 8.2mm and 218g last year). It’s a slight trim that helps the phone feel less heavy and more comfortable to hold. Other upgrades, including faster charging, new camera capabilities, and more Seamless AI integrationshelped the S26 Ultra stand out from older versions. Fortunately, the S26 Ultra retains its $1,300 price tag — a relief amid the RAM shortage. Hiking costs in the phone and Laptop markets. the S26 Base and S26 Plus They each received a $100 price increase.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 200MP wide-angle, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle, a 10MP 3x telephoto lens and a 50MP 5x telephoto lens.
S26 Ultra camera tested in Barcelona
I took photos with the S26 Ultra while exploring Barcelona’s ancient alleyways and colorful architecture, and so far it’s certainly done the city justice.
The S26 Ultra has the same camera specs as last year: a 200MP wide-angle, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle, a 10MP 3x telephoto lens and a 50MP 5x telephoto lens on the back, plus a 12MP selfie camera. Many of the improvements come in the form of software and AI upgrades, most notably landscape lock and photo assistant. Horizontal lock allows you to tilt and turn your phone as much as you want while keeping the horizon stable. I can rotate the S26 Ultra fully, and my shots still turn out flat.
I tried this while walking on the many slopes in Park Güell, and even when I exaggerated my arm movement, I still got fairly stable shots, except for a few minor movements. I even rotated the camera 180 degrees when recording, but the footage was not flipped in the final video. It’s still a mind-blowing thing to see after days of using this phone. Horizontal locking is also available on Baseline S26 and S26 Plus.
Photo Assist is built into the Gallery app, and lets you change what you want in the photo using natural language voice prompts. I decided I needed to break the social media rule of “the camera eats first” and took a bite of the burrito I bought at La Boqueria Market. Then I used the Photo Assist tool to “fill the burrito,” and suddenly the photo was whole again, replacing the missing bite I had taken. This is a nice feature, but I don’t realistically plan to use it every day. I’m not one to Create or share images generated by artificial intelligencebut observing the technology on its own, it’s impressive what Photo Assist can manage. This AI feature is also available across the S26 lineup.
Here are some of my favorite photos I’ve taken with the S26 Ultra so far.
I’m impressed with how vibrant all these colors are, and how clear this portrait shot is.
What better way to see how colors look on the S26 Ultra than to visit the Sagrada Familia?
This low-light photo turned out nice and clear, and the colors in the cocktail still pop.
Even at 10x zoom, the details in this mosaic remain clear.
Selfies are designed to best capture natural skin tones and texture in a variety of lighting.
What I’m looking forward to testing next
Since I travel internationally and use data roaming, I wasn’t able to really test the S26 Ultra’s battery in an everyday environment. The Ultra retains last year’s 5,000 mAh capacity, but an upgrade to the efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a redesigned vapor chamber should help the phone last longer. With improved 60W charging, Samsung says the battery can go from 0% to 75% in half an hour. I look forward to experiencing all of this once I return home.
But for now, it’s all about taking pictures of the appetizers and continuing to use my new secret persona in the privacy display.