(Image credit: Future)

Samsung is thought to be adding a privacy display to the front of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, its new flagship phone that's expected to launch towards the end of February 2026.

The privacy display will mean that those to the sides of the phone won't be able to see what's on the display, so when in public places, it's a lot less likely that a bystander can see what you're doing.

Instead, only those looking head-on to the screen will be able to see the content clearly. This sort of technology is common on laptops, with many users choosing to add an additional filter layer to protect privacy. But Samsung might be doing something slightly different.

According to Universe Ice – sharing the details on X – this won't be on all the time. The user will have the option to turn it on or off as required. That makes it more flexible than current options, which often use either polarisation or micro louver technology to limit the viewing points for the display.

However, if this isn't a static option but something that can be user controlled, then it suggests that Samsung is going to use a smart glass solution instead.

Called Flex Magic Pixel, the tech was shown off by Samsung at MWC 2024 and is said to use AI to control when it's on and when it's off.

The idea is that AI can detect when the phone's owner opens a sensitive app – like a banking app – and the phone can then turn on the privacy feature of the display.

Exactly why it's billed as AI isn't clear, it's not clear whether it would be able to detect that you're having a private conversation that should be obscured, or if you're looking at sensitive content that you might want to keep to yourself.

Samsung is expected to launch the new phone powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 hardware, with changes to the cameras to boost the aperture for better low light photography, faster wired and wireless charging, and a brighter display – possibly with a neat privacy display.

We should find out more details on the Unpacked event soon.