Report: All four Samsung Galaxy S27 models will feature the Privacy Display function
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra introduced the Privacy Display feature. This allows you to temporarily switch parts or all of the screen to a restricted viewing angle mode. This lets you read notifications and view other private information without people nearby being able to see it.
As with so many Ultra features, there was a possibility that this feature would remain exclusive to the Ultra model for the foreseeable future. This apparently won’t be the case with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S27 series. According to a new tip from The Elec, all four models will get the Privacy Display feature. We’d already heard about this on the Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro, the new model for 2027, but even the standard model will be equipped with it, which is surprising. Normally, the standard model lacks the premium features, such as 45-watt charging or UWB.
Samsung Electronics had reportedly considered sourcing the displays for the standard Galaxy S27 model from BOE, as these would have been cheaper. However, this deal fell through, and the smartphone will instead be equipped with Samsung display panels. This apparently also lowers the barrier to switching to a privacy panel for the standard model.
Samsung Galaxy S27 series drives privacy display production
Market research firm SigmaIntel predicted that one million smartphones with privacy displays would be shipped by 2025 (mostly niche devices for the business sector). The S26 Ultra spurred the market entry into the consumer segment, and the number of smartphones with privacy displays is expected to rise to 21 million this year and 29 million next year – primarily thanks to the Samsung Galaxy S27 series.
Samsung is not the only smartphone manufacturer interested in a privacy display feature. Various leaks indicate that Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo, and vivo are also working on such features for their upcoming flagship models.
This will eventually extend to foldable devices as well, although screen manufacturers still have some issues to resolve. The privacy display is a hardware feature that divides the display into two pixel types: one type has narrow viewing angles and is always active, the other has wide viewing angles and is dimmed when the privacy display is activated. However, this leads to problems with resolution and brightness, which in turn affects power consumption.
The Samsung Galaxy S27 series isn’t the only one associated with privacy displays, of course. Future MacBooks are also rumored to be using this technology. Furthermore, these panels are expected to be able to measure heart rate and blood pressure in the future.
