I tried the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Watch out, Apple.

I entered Onpacked, an event in San Francisco where the company presented its Galaxy s26 series, … Well, not a card-carrying Apple fan, but let’s say my iPhone, iPad, Airpods, and Macbook came with it. I was there to report on the launch, so I wouldn’t be tempted by whatever Android phone had to offer.

The last thing I expected was the Galaxy S26 Ultra which gives me a really compelling reason to switch to the Samsung side. But that’s exactly what happened when I spent some time working on Unpacked with a high-end device.

It’s not as small and light as the S26 Ultra, although that’s noticeable. The deep, shimmery shade of “cobalt violet” is very much my vibe, though even the most glamorous purple won’t make me end my 17-year relationship with iPhones.

And it’s not about the Ultra camera, it’s undeniably fun as is. I have thought that I would choose that small notch with 3 cameras on the back in the large hidden area (which we should call the plateau) on the iPhone 17 … until I put the Galaxy S26 Ultra on the table, screen up … Oh, I found myself thinking, so Apple went with the bump.

No, it was the privacy screen feature alone that bewitched me. Not the S26 Ultra’s ability to prevent what Samsung calls “shoulder surfing,” but an option the company didn’t mention at all in its key point — the ability to restrict the privacy screen. only for your notifications.

Privacy, please

Of course, “shoulder surfing” can sometimes be a problem in a crowded situation, such as public transportation, if you happen to be looking at something serious. (But really, can’t you wait until you get off the bus?)

In our smartphone-driven world, however, there’s a problem we encounter all too often — the situation where we work. search share something on our screen, be it a funny meme or a take-out menu, but feel worried about the possibility of revealing the messages that appeared while doing so.

I’m not the only person who has had to get really good at pretending I didn’t see that a lot a personal message pops up on a friend’s phone when they’re really eager to show me something else. And I’m not the only smartphone user who struggles to remember to activate “Do Not Disturb” before potentially embarrassing moments.

So if Samsung can just block it others screen to the people over your shoulder, that’s a game changer. And it seems they can, quite successfully. In the image above, you can see how the Ultra is not tilted, but the notification is already very gray. Your friends (if they are good friends) don’t want to see private things anyway; even this small angle helps their brain to block it before it disappears.

Tilt the screen further, and the notification is as neatly arranged as a reluctantly released DOJ document.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s privacy screen settings are incredibly customizable as well. The ability to pick and choose which apps always get the privacy screen treatment is a no-brainer when you think about it; you’ll probably always want to keep your banking app private, for example. We’re sure you’re thinking of other examples right now. The point is, you have to be comfortable doing it.

So is this built-in, highly customizable privacy shield enough to sway me to Samsung’s side of the smartphone divide? The honest answer right now, for this iPhone fanboy, is “maybe.” And that should scare Apple into action, considering it’s not yet working on a similar feature for the iPhone 18.

Your move, Tim Cook.