Galaxy S26 Rumor Roundup: A Revolutionary 'Privacy Display' Steals the Show

After a challenging 2025 marked by memory price hikes, Samsung is gearing up for its next major release, the Galaxy S26 series. The launch, traditionally held in early February, has been pushed back, with new reports pointing to a February 25th event. While this year's focus continues to be on Galaxy AI and intelligent software-hardware integration, Samsung is also preparing some long-awaited hardware upgrades that are set to make a significant impact.

 

Galaxy S26 Rumor Roundup: A Revolutionary 'Privacy Display' Steals the Show

 

The most exciting innovation rumored for the S26 Ultra is a feature called 'Privacy Display'. Based on leaks, this technology allows the phone to apply an anti-peeping filter effect to specific areas of the screen when displaying sensitive information, making it unreadable from side angles. This feature, confirmed in a subsequent Samsung press release, can be activated for notifications, the lock screen, and password keypads. It represents a significant leap forward from traditional anti-peeping screen protectors.

 

Galaxy S26 Rumor Roundup: A Revolutionary 'Privacy Display' Steals the Show

 

This technology is likely an advanced version of the 'Flex Magic Pixel' (FMP) system Samsung showcased at MWC 2024. The original demo showed a full-screen blackout, but the S26 Ultra's version has been upgraded to support partial-screen application without compromising the display's overall quality. The feature is expected to be enhanced with AI, using the phone's microphone and front camera to intelligently determine when to activate the privacy shield. Unlike purely software-based solutions, this hardware-dependent feature offers broader applicability. However, current information suggests the Privacy Display will be exclusive to the S26 Ultra, with the S26 and S26+ models likely missing out.

 

Galaxy S26 Rumor Roundup: A Revolutionary 'Privacy Display' Steals the Show

 

On the performance front, Samsung is reviving its dual-chip strategy. While the S26 series will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor (likely a custom 'for Galaxy' variant), the Exynos chip is making a comeback. The Korean version of the S26 is expected to house the new Exynos 2600, Samsung Semiconductor's first product on a 2nm GAA process. Leaked benchmarks suggest the Exynos 2600 could outperform last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, with Samsung claiming a 39% performance boost over the Exynos 2500. This marks a potential return to form for the Exynos line, which will be paired with an AMD RDNA4-based Xclipse 960 GPU.

Other specifications for the S26 series appear more iterative. The lineup is expected to start with 12GB of RAM, with a maximum of 16GB, and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. A price increase is anticipated due to rising memory costs. In terms of power, the S26 Ultra may finally receive a charging upgrade, moving from the long-standing 45W to a new 60W wired charging standard. The battery capacity is expected to remain at 5000 mAh.

Despite earlier rumors, it seems built-in magnetic charging won't be coming to the S26 series. The feature was reportedly canceled during testing due to interference with the S-Pen's sensors. While the phones will support the 25W Qi2 wireless charging standard, any magnetic functionality will come from official accessory cases rather than being integrated into the device itself.

 

Galaxy S26 Rumor Roundup: A Revolutionary 'Privacy Display' Steals the Show

 

The design of the S26 series is expected to align closely with the Z Fold7, moving away from the individual floating camera lenses of the S25 to a more traditional camera island. This design choice avoids the large circular modules seen on competing flagships. However, it also suggests that major camera hardware upgrades are unlikely, with the S26 Ultra expected to retain a similar sensor configuration to its predecessor. The S26 lineup will likely consist of the standard, Plus, and Ultra models, with the Ultra featuring slightly more rounded corners.

 

Galaxy S26 Rumor Roundup: A Revolutionary 'Privacy Display' Steals the Show
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