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According to reports, Samsung plans to bring an upgraded version of its Privacy Display technology to the Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra, while the standard S27 and S27 Plus will not get the feature. Other rumored S27 changes include a 200MP main camera, a 50MP telephoto lens with 5x zoom on the Ultra, and larger batteries of 5,200mAh and 5,800mAh for the Pro and Ultra respectively.
A new leak from tipster Smart Pikachu on Weibo details the standard Xiaomi 18, which is expected to launch after the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max. The compact flagship is said to feature a large camera island, two-tone metal rear finish, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset, a roughly 7,000mAh battery, and dual 200MP cameras, but without the Pro model's Smart Privacy Display.
Amazon is selling the 256GB black Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra for $949.99, down from its usual $1,399.99 price. The phone features an adjustable privacy display that can obscure part or all of the screen from onlookers, along with a built-in stylus and upgraded camera hardware.
Amazon is offering the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB at a discounted price of $1,179.99, down from its original $1,599.99, representing a 26% reduction. The device features a 6.9-inch AMOLED display, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, with additional enhancements like AI features and improved stabilization.
Leaker Ice Universe claims Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra will adopt a split-screen privacy feature already found on Xiaomi's newly announced 18 Pro series. The feature would dim only one app window in split-screen mode while keeping the other visible, adjusting dynamically as windows are resized.
Xiaomi launched the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in China, adding a hardware-based privacy display that can be set to trigger by app, location or via selfie-camera detection of onlookers. Both phones keep the rear secondary screen from last year's models, pack two 200-megapixel cameras, and use Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips, with the Pro Max getting the higher-end Extreme variant and a larger 8,500mAh battery. Xiaomi says a global release will follow later this year.
Leaker Ice Universe reports that Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra uses four-way baffles to block screen visibility from top, bottom and both sides, while Huawei's Mate XT 2 and Xiaomi's 18 Pro series only block side views. This makes Samsung's privacy screen more thorough, but the tighter light control brings side effects like dimmer off-axis brightness, blurrier images, and reported eye strain or nausea for some users.
Xiaomi has detailed the Smart Privacy Display on its upcoming Xiaomi 18 Pro series, which alternates standard wide-angle pixels with narrow-angle pixels fitted with microscopic baffles in a 1:1 ratio. When privacy mode is switched on, the standard pixels turn off so only the baffled pixels emit light, cutting visible brightness to about 1% for viewers beyond 60 degrees. The feature can be activated through Quick Settings, the AI key, voice commands, app or page rules, location triggers, or automatic detection of someone looking over your shoulder via the front camera.
Huawei unveiled the Mate XT2, a tri-folding smartphone that unfolds from a 6.5-inch display into a 10.2-inch 3K screen, now paired with an optional built-in privacy display. The device runs HarmonyOS and uses Huawei's new Kirin 9050 Pro chip, said to be 42 percent faster than its predecessor, alongside a four-camera setup led by a 50-megapixel main sensor and 3.5x periscope zoom. Pricing starts around $2,980 and climbs to roughly $4,470 for a 2TB collector's edition.
Leaker Kacper Skrzypek shared screenshots and video showing Xiaomi's upcoming Smart Privacy Display, a feature that lets users block onlookers from viewing their screen at certain apps or notifications. Unlike Samsung's hardware-based Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Xiaomi's version appears to be software-driven and is expected to arrive with the HyperOS 4 update later this year. Some related options, like Page Privacy Display and XiaoAI app groups, currently only appear on the China ROM.