Private or not, I couldn't live with the S26 Ultra's screen

I’ve always loved Samsung’s displays. I used Samsung phones exclusively for a long time — almost six years — and the screen was always one of the best parts of the experience. Last year I switched to a Pixel 10 Pro, and recently my wife bought a Galaxy S26 Ultra, and after seeing them side by side, I couldn’t live with the S26 Ultra’s display.

Brightness is lacking

When I took my 10 Pro and the S26 Ultra outside to photograph them together, I noticed how much brighter the Pixel is. The difference doesn’t look as dramatic through a camera lens as it does in person, but believe me when I say the difference in person is staggering. For a long time I assumed that display brightness was an exercise in diminishing returns. That once you got about 1,500-2,000 nits, you wouldn’t notice any meaningful difference. I was wrong.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra reaches a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, while my Pixel 10 Pro is capable of 3,300 nits. That 700 nits is enough of a difference that during our recent holiday, during which we had an unusual amount of sunshine for the UK, my Pixel was easier to use, especially when taking photos. The extra brightness helped frame up shots and actually see what I was taking a picture of.

I wondered if the issue was the Privacy Display, seeing as it has reduced viewing angles even when the feature is turned off. I am not convinced that’s the issue. The Z Fold 7 I had with me, which has the same 2,600-nit peak brightness for its cover display, was just as difficult to see. The Privacy Display isn’t without its problems, though.

Privacy Display hurts my eyes

Privacy Display is a cool piece of hardware. When you see it in action, it feels like magic, and I loved messing with it when I got hands-on with the S26 Ultra before its launch. Now that I’ve had more time with the phone, I’ve realized there’s a problem — it gives me migraines.

I’ve been a chronic migraine sufferer since I was 13, and whatever is going on with the S26 Ultra’s display doesn’t play well with me. I’m not the only one who feels that way; some customers have returned the phone because of eye strain, nausea, and other issues. There isn’t any hard evidence that suggests this is because of the Privacy Display. It could be related to Samsung’s low PWM dimming.

I think Privacy Display is the issue, though. As I said at the outset, I’ve used plenty of Samsung devices, and I still use a Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Fold 7 has the same PWM rate as the S26 Ultra, and the Fold has never given me issues.

Every time I use my wife’s S26 Ultra for more than a few minutes, Privacy Display enabled or not, I start to feel ill. First, my eyes begin to hurt and start to feel blurry. If I use it for any longer, the other telltale symptoms of an incoming migraine begin: nausea, fatigue, and stiffness in my neck.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what’s causing the issue. If it’s something that isn’t rectified in future phones, then I won’t be able to switch back to using a Samsung phone anytime soon. The lacking brightness is something I can overlook, but having to lock myself in a dark room for an entire day after using the phone is something I can’t ignore. We all scoffed when Google called the Pixel 10 Pro’s display the best in the world during its launch event. Now that I’ve lived with it, though, I think there’s more to that statement than I thought. Compared to what Samsung is doing, anyway.