Xiaomi might make the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s flashiest privacy feature feel like a premium gimmick

Many smartphone brands have found this feature so impressive that they are reportedly working on building their own version of a privacy display. The latest among them is Xiaomi, which apparently has gone a step ahead as it is looking to introduce this capability as a software upgrade.

Firstly, what is the privacy display feature of the S26 Ultra?

Privacy display is one of the selling points of this year’s Galaxy Ultra model, and as you can guess by the name, it’s a privacy-related capability. It has basically been added to deal with shoulder surfers.

Once you enable this feature, your screen becomes hard to view from side angles. This ensures no one other than you can view the content of your smartphone screen.

The best part about it is that it gives you manual control over the level of visibility from off angles. Furthermore, you can also manage whether you want to make your entire screen invisible from side angles or only a certain area like the notification bar.

Xiaomi might launch its own version of privacy display

With phones such as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Xiaomi has gradually become one of Samsung’s main rivals in markets like India, where both brands sell their products. The competition may grow more intense, as there are reports that the Chinese smartphone company could introduce its own version of a privacy display to its phones.

According to a reliable tipster, Yogesh Brar, “Xiaomi is working on a Samsung’s Privacy Display-like feature.” However, it’s worth noting that the tipster further claims that it will launch with the “new HyperOS 4 later this year.” This suggests that it might come as a software-level upgrade instead of a hardware-based approach that the South Korean giant has gone with in its Ultra phone.

 

It would really be a better approach than Samsung

Samsung relies on the Flex Magic Pixel technology that it has used in the Galaxy S26 Ultra for the privacy display feature to work. This technology has only been used in the display of the Ultra model, and that’s the reason why the feature isn’t available in other S26 series phones.

Since Xiaomi might bring this capability through a software upgrade, you will be able to take advantage of it on any Xiaomi phone that is compatible with HyperOS 4. This basically means, from the latest flagships like the Xiaomi 17 series smartphones to a couple of years old budget devices like the Poco X6 Pro, all will be able to enjoy Xiaomi’s version of privacy display.

It’s also worth noting that many users have found the S26 Ultra display to be slightly dimmer than its predecessor, and they believe it’s because of the inclusion of the privacy display technology. The Chinese brand might not have to deal with all these complaints if it actually goes with the software approach.

Who wouldn’t want a privacy display-like feature for free

Privacy has always been a top priority for me, so I was very disappointed to learn that the privacy display won’t be rolled out to other S26-series phones. Not everyone can afford the S26 Ultra, which means a feature that should be available to everyone will remain exclusive to those willing to spend $1,300 from their pocket.

That said, I don’t have any idea how Xiaomi will make this work via a software upgrade. Will it use something like BlackBerry’s Privacy Shade capability or introduce something completely new? Hopefully more details surface soon as we approach the HyperOS 4 release window.