The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra debuted back in February with only a few upgrades compared to its predecessor. Its main claim to fame is the new Privacy Display feature, which essentially serves as a built-in privacy screen protector. However, it didn’t take long for issues to crop up, with the new panel reportedly causing headaches for certain individuals. Now, another problem has resulted in multiple users literally seeing red.
Apparently, some Galaxy S26 Ultra units have developed a reddish tint right in the middle of their screens. This occurrence is not limited to devices owned by users, as the discolouration seems to have affected display models in stores as well. Although the exact number of phones plagued by this particular problem is unclear, the issue is prevalent enough for Samsung to acknowledge it.
According to South Korean publication Newsway, the tech giant has launched an internal investigation on the matter. The company aims to determine the exact cause and reproduce the phenomenon. For now, it’s uncertain whether this is simply an isolated manufacturing error or a widespread product defect.
That said, the issue could be linked to the new Privacy Display feature. So far, the red tint seems to only appear on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is the sole model in this year’s lineup to come with the tech. This feature leverages both software and hardware to limit side-angle visibility to prevent strangers from peeking at the user’s screen.
On the hardware side, it involves making structural changes to the display’s internal light-emitting layers. When the feature is enabled, an embedded liquid crystal layer changes its state to modify the screen’s refractive index. This transition may be causing uneven pixel stress. Alternatively, the red tint may be caused by OLED burn-in, or some other issue that is yet to be identified.
Regardless, it’s another addition to the list of problems with Samsung’s displays. As mentioned earlier, some users claimed to experience headaches when using the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Other reported symptoms include eye strain, dizziness, and nausea. For some people, these problems were severe enough to necessitate returning the device.
And of course, longtime Samsung users are already familiar with the dreaded green line. Devices would suddenly develop a vertical green line across the screen, even without suffering any physical damage. In some cases, the line would appear after a software update. At this point, the issue has persisted for multiple generations, with no remedy in sight.
For now, it’s unclear whether Samsung will solve the red tint, or if it will become a permanent fixture like the green line. Though given that the company may be bringing its Privacy Display feature to the full Galaxy S27 lineup, one should hope for the former.
(Source: Reddit [1], [2], Newsway)
