What you need to know
- A South Korean publication highlights a series of reports from Galaxy S26 Ultra users, who claim a "red screen" or "red stain" has affected their displays.
- The post cites a Samsung official who places the blame on the phone's Privacy Display, stating that a software update is in the works to solve this problem.
- After the S26 Ultra debuted, tests discovered that the phone's display is darker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the Privacy Display is the cause.
Consumers with a Galaxy S26 Ultra are starting to report a strange display issue with the phone. Samsung supposedly chimed in, and what it said could be a relief to many.
Before the weekend, News1 (Korean) highlighted an issue that Galaxy S26 Ultra users have continued to report (via GSMArena). According to the publication, many consumers have experienced a "red screen" or "red stain" issue with the Ultra's display, leading many to worry. This red screen issue is most noticeable when the phone produces brighter colors, such as white. Many users have experienced a wide area of redness on their display, whether vertically (in a wide strip) or in specific places.
Samsung reportedly investigated these reports and determined that the Galaxy S26 Ultra's "new technology" is the cause. The Korean publication cites a Samsung official who places the blame on how the S26 Ultra's Privacy Display works. The official said that this "red stain" would occur when the phone is "exposed to strong lighting at maximum brightness."
While the problem itself isn't great to have, the fact that Samsung feels the cause is its Privacy Display is. Samsung's Privacy Display is purely software-based. It's for this reason that the post highlights Samsung's message to users, stating a software update is on the way to resolve this problem. The publication mentions that many of these reports were from users who've had their S26 Ultra for "three to four months."
Privacy Display took something, too
If Samsung is pointing fingers at its Privacy Display tech, then we can't help but drum up a known fact: the S26 Ultra's screen has suffered because of it. We're not using this term—"suffered"—in a dramatic way. What we mean is, the S26 Ultra's screen is not as bright as the S25 Ultra's. Our friends at Tom's Guide did a deep dive and found that the newer model's screen is much darker. At wider angles, the S26 Ultra's drop in peak brightness is quite noticeable.
Even Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich discovered the same facts about the S26 Ultra. The phone also offers questionable comfort for people sensitive to PWM dimming. The S26 Ultra still uses a 480Hz rate, while Sutrich says its competitors have moved on to 5,000Hz or higher. Moreover, Samsung hasn't switched to 10-bit displays. The S26 Ultra still clings to 8-bit.
Android Central's Take
The issue the S26 Ultra has is likely more of a concern than people realize. I'm sure some people have taken out their phones to see if their devices are suffering, too. The timeline is just so strange and pinpoint, especially if you got the device right when it launched. My hope is that Samsung's software update not only solves this current issue, but helps ensure it doesn't happen in the future. There's nothing like getting a fix for something, only to have it break again a few months later.