Galaxy S26 Ultra Could Correct Samsung’s Biggest Display Compromise Yet

For years, Samsung's Galaxy S Ultra phones have been marketed as the gold standard for smartphone displays, being brighter than the competition and endlessly praised in launch keynotes. But beneath it all was a quiet contradiction and while the competition used 10-bit and even 12-bit displays, Samsung stuck to 8-bit AMOLEDs. Well, that long-standing compromise may finally be coming to an end.

Galaxy S26 Ultra Could Boast a 10-Bit Display

According to reliable tipster Ice Universe, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may feature a 10-bit display panel. This could be a significant leap over the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which uses an 8-bit panel. Besides, the tipster also highlights a software feature that could darken specific parts of the display for better privacy.

For an average user, the 8-bit vs 10-bit difference may sound like a minor spec sheet jargon, but the difference in viewing experience is substantial. An 8-bit screen is limited to displaying roughly 16.7 million colours, whereas a 10-bit panel unlocks a palette of over 1 billion colours.

This translates to richer, more accurate colour reproduction. Users will notice it most in the smoothness of gradients, like the shifting hues of a sunset in a photo or video, which can sometimes appear banded on an 8-bit screen. Besides, HDR content will look more vibrant as well. Most Chinese firms have shifted to using 10-bit displays and it's about time Samsung did too.

Soon after, Ice Universe also shed light on the Privacy Screen feature on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The smartphone could ship with support for localised privacy controls, applying privacy protection to a specific part of the screen. Once applied, the content won't be visible from an angle, but only to the user looking straight at the screen.

As for the other Galaxy S26 Ultra specifications, it is expected to arrive with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, a 5,000mAh battery with 60W charging and Qi2.2 support. Optics-wise, it could boast a 200 MP main camera combined with an improved 50 MP periscope telephoto, a 50 MP ultrawide and a 10 MP telephoto.

The Galaxy S26 launch date is reportedly scheduled for February 25, 2026, and it will consist of three smartphones – Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra. More information about the smartphones should be revealed as we inch closer to launch, so stay tuned.