Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra lands with world-first Privacy Display and horizontal video lock

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra has arrived in Australia two months after its global launch, with two features that do not exist on any other handset: a hardware-level Privacy Display that limits what people next to you can see, and a video stabilisation mode that locks the horizon even when you rotate the phone a full 360 degrees.

Announced on 25 February and released on 6 March 2026, the flagship starts at $US1,099.99 for the 256GB model with 12GB of RAM. Under the glass sits the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, a customised processor that Samsung says delivers a 39 per cent boost to neural processing performance and 21 per cent better thermal management through a redesigned vapour chamber. The 1TB variant tops out at $US1,419.99.

Privacy Display: how it works

The Privacy Display is the S26 Ultra’s most distinctive feature. Samsung calls the underlying technology Flex Magic Pixel — a combination of narrow and wide pixels built into the display hardware itself. When enabled, the 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel limits its side-angle visibility while maintaining full clarity when viewed head-on. The feature is toggleable system-wide and can also be set per-app through settings, according to Samsung’s official product page.

Samsung’s newsroom described it as “the world’s first privacy display on mobile” and noted that users must enable it in settings before it becomes active. “Galaxy S26 Ultra even gives you the freedom to keep your screen private whenever you choose,” the company said in its launch messaging, framing the feature around commuter and public-space use.

Cameras and Horizontal Lock

Across the rear camera array, the hardware upgrades over the S25 Ultra are significant. The 200-megapixel wide sensor now opens to f/1.4 — 47 per cent brighter than its predecessor, Samsung claims. The 50-megapixel telephoto lens, offering 5x optical zoom, moves to f/2.9 for a 37 per cent brightness improvement. A 50-megapixel ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view rounds out the rear system. GSMArena’s specification sheet lists 8K video recording at 24 and 30 frames per second alongside an improved Nightography mode.

Horizontal Lock is the camera’s other headline addition. Built into the Super Steady video mode, the feature uses synchronised gyroscope and accelerometer data to keep the frame level regardless of how the phone is rotated. Samsung’s support documentation confirms it works through a full 360-degree turn — point the phone upside down and the horizon stays locked.

Whether the feature reaches the Galaxy S25 Ultra is unresolved. Samsung Community moderators have told users that optimisation work is under way, and Forbes reported on 6 May that Horizontal Lock may arrive with a future One UI update. But the enthusiast site Sammy Fans has noted that the S26 Ultra uses new ALoP sensor hardware, which would make a software-only backport impossible. Samsung has made no official announcement, and the feature is absent from the current One UI 8.5 beta.

Battery, colours, and Australian availability

Battery capacity holds at 5000 mAh, with Samsung claiming 31 hours of video playback on a single charge. A 60-watt wired adapter — sold separately — pushes the battery to 75 per cent in 30 minutes. The phone ships in six colours: Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, and Pink Gold.

On the Australian retail front, pricing and carrier availability have not yet been confirmed across all channels. The S26 Ultra is listed on Samsung Australia’s website, but major local carriers and retailers — Telstra, Optus, JB Hi-Fi — have not published local RRP at the time of writing. By way of comparison, the S25 Ultra launched in Australia at $A2,199 for the 256GB variant, and analysts expect the S26 Ultra to land near that mark. The usual carrier exclusives and plan bundles that accompany a Samsung flagship launch in Australia are expected to follow once distribution broadens beyond Samsung’s direct channel.