I just proved the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra screen is slightly dimmer than the S25 Ultra — but it doesn't make me love it any less

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is unquestionably a brilliant flagship smartphone with a powerful, AI-ready processor, excellent cameras, a splendid design, and feature highlights like Super Steady Video and Privacy display. However, it's that last bit that may be responsible for a rather surprising S26 Ultra issue: the screen is ever-so-slightly dimmer than the S25 Ultra, even with the Privacy display disabled.

There have been online complaints about the Galaxy S26 Ultra screen, including some claiming it causes eye strain. As someone who spent many days staring at the 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen, I can tell you that I never experienced that. As far as I could tell, the screen looked bright, clear, and color-rich.

Still, I had been hearing about the change in brightness, which some thought might be attributable to the new Privacy display; the technology can make it almost impossible for someone ...