Samsung seems to be doing damage control after tech creator Sahil Karoul dropped a short video on X showing the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display doing its thing in real time and also shared multiple images. The clip captured the screen practically becoming illegible from the side while staying sharp straight on — no extra protector needed. The post went viral, and many media outlets jumped on the news immediately.
But shortly after all the buzz, Samsung filed a copyright claim, and the media on some of his posts got wiped.
Head over to his YouTube channel now, though, and the full 14-minute unboxing titled “World First Samsung S26 Ultra Unboxing || Privacy Display 🔥🔥” is still sitting there untouched. It’s already crossed over 300K views in under two days.
Karoul bought the phone himself in a Dubai store for about 12,000 AED — roughly $3,270. He made that clear in a detailed thread on X and with a video on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
This is the international variant meant for African markets, built in Vietnam, with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. “This phone is already selling openly in the market, and it’s being sold at a premium price,” he wrote. He paid his own cash, signed zero NDA, and felt no need to wait for the official February 25 Unpacked event.
The Privacy Display feature stole the show in both the pulled X clip and the YouTube video. Flip the toggle in settings and the viewing angle narrows on the fly. From straight ahead it looks normal, but tilt sideways even a little, and the screen fades or blurs to hide content. There’s a “Maximum privacy” mode that darkens things further, plus an auto option that kicks in around sensitive stuff like banking apps or in crowded spots.
In the replies under his thread, some called the move opportunistic and said paying premium to gray-market sellers rewards leaks that hurt the whole launch plan. One user put it bluntly: buying early subsidizes someone who broke trust inside the supply chain. Karoul kept his answers direct — “They should ask the shopkeeper” and later, “I have money so I bought it and it belongs to me now.”
That said, if you think this whole drama would spook the sellers. Think again. Karoul then shared a picture showing several more retail units ready for sale.
With Unpacked happening tomorrow in San Francisco, this early retail drop feels like a sign of huge demand. Prices in Dubai stores have already started easing — some colors dipped to 7,000 AED by today, according to his latest posts.
That said, for more tech specs, you can check out SamMobile’s coverage of the Galaxy S26 series.
Featured image credit: @KaroulSahil / X
TechIssuesToday primarily focuses on publishing 'breaking' or 'exclusive' tech news. This means, we are usually the first news website on the whole Internet to highlight the topics we cover daily. So far, our stories have been picked up by many mainstream technology publications like The Verge, Macrumors, Forbes, etc. To know more, head here.
Dwayne Cubbins
1431 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
Follow Us
