One of the coolest features of Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series, likely reserved for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, is Privacy Display. Using directional OLED pixels and clever software implementation, the feature can hide the entire screen (or specific parts) when viewed from an angle, preventing shoulder surfing in public areas.
We’ve also seen the feature in a couple of hands-on pictures so far, and it looks, well, impressive.
Chinese brands are quite impressed from Samsung’s Privacy Display
Turns out it wasn’t just me who was impressed with the feature. Renowned Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station claims that “domestic manufacturers” (referring to Chinese smartphone makers) are testing a “spy screen.”
It is basically a “hardware-level” privacy screen solution that sounds suspiciously similar to Samsung’s approach. The tipster also shares a picture that shows how the technology would work in real life (clear from the front, extremely dull from an angle).
By domestic manufacturers, the tipster likely means brands like Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, or OnePlus, some of which also sell their smartphones outside the Chinese market.
Could privacy screens be a new flagship trend?
“Spy screen” seems an oversimplification of the technology that hides the screen from bad eyes, but it’s really the “hardware level” phrasing that I’m the most curious about.
Samsung’s version of the feature includes both hardware- and software-level implementation. Rumors indicate that the feature can detect when the user is entering sensitive information, such as passwords or OTPs, and automatically dim the relevant portion of the screen.
However, whether the Chinese version of the “hardware-level” solution is simply an in-built privacy screen protector (in which case it could affect the smartphone’s viewing angles), or includes an on/off switch (controlled by the software), is something we’re yet to find out.
What’s clear, however, is that privacy screens could become a flagship trend in the coming years, at least for Android smartphones first, and maybe we’ll see Apple implement it on an iPhone two to three years from now.