Samsung’s first-ever Privacy Display feature on the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a catch: the screen is actually dimmer than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, even with the privacy tech turned off.

Tom’s Guide just put the Galaxy S26 Ultra through lab testing, and the results reveal that the Privacy Display upgrade has made the screen actually dimmer than last year’s model.

The test revealed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra hits 1,806 nits at peak brightness, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra hits 1,860 nits. Samsung rates the 6.9-inch AMOLED panel at 2,600 nits, but real-world testing shows it falls short.

Tom’s Guide noticed the S26 Ultra looks visibly dimmer from the sides compared to the S25 Ultra, even with Privacy Display completely disabled.

Since the Flex Magic Pixel technology is integrated into the panel structure, this means you’re living with the trade-off, whether you use the feature or not.

When you do flip Privacy Display on, things get rough.

With Maximum Privacy Protection enabled, brightness drops to 586 nits. That’s a 67.6% drop from the 1,209 nits you get with adaptive brightness on. Turn off adaptive brightness entirely, and it’s worse: 248 nits with privacy mode active.

Source – Samsung Display

Privacy screens have always been dim. Anyone who’s used an aftermarket protector knows this. Unlike privacy screen protectors that stick on permanently, Samsung’s implementation can be toggled, which is the entire point.

You sacrifice brightness when you need privacy, then flip it off and get your flagship experience back. The Privacy Display is genuinely innovative tech, no question, but it shouldn’t have come at the expense of screen brightness.

Related article:

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra display is brighter but less comfortable than S25 Ultra

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