LED by Angle: Chinese brands copied Samsung's "protection" before its presentation

Samsung held the first Galaxy Unpacked presentation in 2026, during which it introduced the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra smartphone line, as well as the Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro headphones. The cost of the new products turned out to be lower than that of the 2025 models — the basic version of the S26 starts from 89 thousand rubles. What is interesting about the South Korean flagship and why manufacturers from China rushed to copy the "antispyware" screen protection from prying eyes — in the Izvestia article.

What surprised Samsung

In the new line of Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphones, the company has relied on the development of AI functions, increased productivity and enhanced security technologies. All models received personalized chipsets optimized for artificial intelligence tasks and updated Galaxy AI tools, including advanced image search and personalized user scenarios. The older Ultra model is additionally equipped with an antispyware mode that limits the viewing angles of the screen, an improved cooling system and faster charging. The camera unit has also been updated, with better low—light shooting and enhanced AI image editing capabilities.

Retailers expect high demand for new devices, noting the growing interest of customers in artificial intelligence functions and data protection. Andrey Gubanov, CEO of the MTS retail chain, told Izvestia that the company expects the S26 series with enhanced features to continue this trend and become one of the most sought-after new products of the year.

— We expect that the Galaxy S26 series will be in demand in the market — new hardware features, the development of AI functions and the updated camera system form a strong offer in the premium segment, — said the commercial director of M.Video" Sergey Uvarov.

The Inventive Retail Group also expects a high interest in the product line, linking it with the spread of artificial intelligence technologies.

— We expect high demand for the new Galaxy S26 series, which traditionally attract the attention of both a loyal audience and new customers. According to market participants, the combination of AI scenarios, new privacy features and an updated hardware platform can make the Galaxy S26 line one of the most sought-after in the premium segment this year," said Roman Romensky, CEO of the company's consumer electronics division.

At the same time, prices for new devices, according to open pre-orders, turned out to be an average of 20 thousand rubles lower than its predecessor a year earlier: then the cost of the Galaxy S25 started from 109 thousand. Market participants attribute this dynamic to the strengthening of the ruble. The price of the basic version of the Galaxy S26 starts from 89 thousand, while the flagship S26 Ultra is estimated at 125-190 thousand rubles, depending on the configuration.

Samsung is one of the top 3 most sought-after smartphone brands on the Yandex Market. The most popular models in 2025 are the Galaxy A56, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy A16 4G. The company has prepared a separate pre-order website for the announcement of the new model.

How China reacts to new trends

Since the beginning of 2026, several Chinese manufacturers have been actively testing displays with viewing angle limitation technology similar to the Privacy Display feature in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. According to the GizmoChina profile portal, the launch of Chinese flagships with this feature is expected in September.

We are talking about a technological shift: limiting viewing angles at the display matrix level is turning into a personal cybersecurity tool that is relevant in the era of mobile banking and working with confidential data, said IT expert Dmitry Shtanenko.

The technology creates a dynamic "visibility corridor" in which the image is clearly visible only to the owner of the device, and a side glance leads to darkening or distortion. This approach provides protection without the use of physical films, minimizing compromises in brightness and color rendering. That is why the technology is considered as a potential standard of the premium segment along with LTPO displays and advanced biometrics.

In the Galaxy S26 Ultra, antispyware works in conjunction with an updated chipset and an upgraded cooling system, which allows for more active use of AI algorithms without the risk of overheating. The strategic effect of the new product is that the manufacturer has actually created a new category of flagship devices, the expert noted. If Chinese brands manage to implement similar solutions by the end of 2026, viewing angle protection may become a mandatory feature of smartphones in the upper price range.

Among the likely Chinese models with the new feature, insiders name the Xiaomi 18 line and the vivo X500 model. The editors sent a request to the vivo press service, they said they were not ready to disclose information about new models and invited them to a presentation in the spring of 2026.

However, experts believe that the Privacy Display technology in the Galaxy S26 Ultra is unlikely to become an industry standard quickly. Technoblogger Pavel Khmurchik noted that such decisions are inevitably associated with compromises for the user.

— Currently, this feature cannot be implemented without compromises related to brightness and color reproduction. Until it is made more efficient, that is, without loss for the smartphone owner, it will not become a standard," he stressed.

In fact, the effect itself resembles a physical film, but in the Galaxy S26 Ultra it is implemented at the panel level, the specialist explained.

In general, experts believe that Privacy Display technology has already attracted the attention of the market and can gain a foothold in the premium segment, although its widespread distribution is hindered by the complexity and high cost of production.

— Devices of the South Korean brand maintain a stable position in Russia even with parallel imports, although this scheme often leads to higher prices. In my opinion, the brand still occupies the second place in the market, second only to Apple," said IT specialist Dmitry Shtanenko.

The new generation of smartphones is unlikely to be a technological breakthrough and will rather represent a systematic development with an emphasis on software capabilities and AI, says Svyatoslav Pegov, director of the Center for Sports Programming, Algorithmic Robotics, Cybersecurity and Esports at Ufa University of Science and Technology. Speaking about Privacy Display technology, he noted that it looks promising, but the high cost will limit its distribution only to flagship models. According to him, the feature can become truly widespread only after it appears in devices of the middle price segment.