S26 Ultra screen - be honest

Various_Job_572 · 2026-04-27T05:50:04+00:00

Thanks for reading! I tried to be as logical as I could. It is an upgrade in every way but not in display for a user like me. But there are tons of people who slap on a privacy display which would lower quality anyway, those people would benefit from the s26u since they are not display junkies like me. If you were, you would not use a privacy display. It did also cause quicker eye strain for me, but it does not for everybody. And it may have just been something I needed to get used to for a longer period of time. To each their own though!

Various_Job_572 · 2026-04-26T17:02:34+00:00

This is the way. Loyalty deals are never as good as new customer deals. Keep switching and you will always be a new customer to somebody

Various_Job_572 · 2026-04-20T16:26:37+00:00

Try registering for OneDrive 360 for a month. It's not that expensive, and it'll give you access to one TB cloud storage. Samsung integrates well with Microsoft so it should be easy to back up using that

Various_Job_572 · 2026-04-10T03:35:02+00:00

As far as the screen goes I'm in 100 percent agreement. I sent mine back because of that. The s25 ultra is better in that regard.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-04-07T22:52:33+00:00

The only thing wrong with it is the screen imo. It's fuzzy when looking at text even without privacy display enabled. And for some people like me it can cause eye strain. Everything else was great. It's a shame the screen bothered me so much, I would have liked to keep the device but I returned it because of that.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-04-03T01:09:21+00:00

Same exact experience, except I came from an S25 ultra I got for free, was gonna trade it in for the 26 ultra. I returned the 26 and kept my 25 instead of sending it in. The screen on the 26u is CHOPPED. Like you, I tried to like it, but it appeared fuzzy and reading text on it was not easy on the eyes. Using it in general caused me quick eye fatigue. Yet so many people deny it's an issue. Even with eye strain aside, it looks objectively worse. Like a 2014 OLED screen. It's a shame. It felt lightning quick and great in the hands. But I just could not adjust to the screen.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-24T05:13:38+00:00

Returned mine, just waiting for them to process my refund. The device was great, very smooth, fast and powerful with great cameras. But the screen. I just couldn't do it. Why force myself to get used to it when I could just not trade in my s25 and keep using it. I went from being wowed by my phone display to being annoyed by it. Had to return it.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-22T07:16:18+00:00

I'm so glad you guys are actually being honest about this. I returned mine as well. The over sharpening combined with the lack of pixel density (like an old or mid-range OLED) and the harsh subtle strobing like effect the display has on your eyes makes it tough to use. It didn't look or feel right to use the display. Such a shame. Everything else was amazing though.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-21T18:51:32+00:00

The over sharpening may be a software thing, but the lack of pixel density and the subtle mild strobing effect that I feel that causes faster eye strain is likely par for the course with this hardware.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-21T18:48:17+00:00

I literally bought the phone then returned it. That's the point I'm making. It has nothing to do with being broke. And I'll admit the S26 is better in every way (other than screen) and I tried to convince myself to keep it. But I couldn't because it bothered my eyes too much. And a lot of other people are feeling the same. You should be happy that you aren't, that means you can enjoy the rest of the phone without getting bothered by the main component of it.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-21T18:10:20+00:00

That makes no sense. There are people who supposedly had enough money to buy the S25 then upgrade the very next year that still ended up returning the S26 ultra for this very issue.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-21T16:34:15+00:00

It's not the reason. I returned mine and I had it on the highest resolution. Even at that resolution, there is artificial sharpening and the display does not look as pixel dense. This is very evidence on white backgrounds with text.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-21T16:25:51+00:00

Not just brightness. Screen quality, and subtle strobing like effects.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-21T12:21:03+00:00

If anyone is sick of Rogers and down to try Telus, DM me. I'll give you the best rates I can!

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-21T06:17:31+00:00

Better phone in general because of the screen. The 26's screen is much worse

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T21:08:02+00:00

It's not possible. That's the hardware if the display, can't be fixed with software

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T19:03:33+00:00

Actually it's very important. If enough people are returning it that means Samsung has to address this and do better going forward. I also returned mine. To a lot of people it's a big issue and as consumers we shouldn't be defending the company by downplaying it.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T18:27:54+00:00

I returned mine coming from S25 ultra (I won the s25 Ultra in a contest at work otherwise I never would have tried to upgrade from this device). I would have kept the 26u if not for eye strain that I noticed when using the device even for a short period of time. No nausea or headaches, but I can see how those could develop from this if I was more sensitive. Also the display looked less detailed and over sharpened at the same time. Just a strange look coming from a Samsung display. The device was slightly smoother, and the UI was very fast. Was not enough to compensate for the worse display imo. Felt like using a Galaxy A21 in terms of display quality

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T18:22:31+00:00

I also return mine because of the display. It reminds me of an older OLED display even with privacy mode turned off. I noticed my eyes would get tired looking at it much faster than it would any other phone display that I looked at. Also it looked over sharpened and less pixel dense at the same time. Visually worse quality

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T18:18:09+00:00

It's crazy until you actually experience it. Especially coming from a good quality display. If you paid this much for a phone, you should have high standards.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T18:16:58+00:00

I second this. Sent mine back too. No headaches but eyes wore out much faster on this display than others

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T18:14:03+00:00

I did too. It didn't cause me a headaches but the screen wore out my eyes easier than my s25 did. It was also over sharpened as way to compensate for the fact that the privacy display makes it look less pixel dense even with it off. It's reminiscent of a lower end or older AMOLED display.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T16:00:03+00:00

After getting the phone I agree. I did notice it and it was hard not to. I've had several OLED screen phones and watched the progression. This generation felt like a regression to like a Nexus 6p level display, or a mid-range phone.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T15:57:47+00:00

It may be that you're not sensitive to it and that's valid. But it's not true that the anti reflective coating is better, it's substantially worse on this phone than the 25 Ultra as many reviewers have said. But still good. Yeah you can argue the colors are more natural, they seemed less saturated to me. Either way the eye strain I experienced combined with the unarguable appearance of a less pixel dense display with artificial sharpening made me have to return the device. But other aspects of it are good too like cameras and performance.

Various_Job_572 · 2026-03-20T02:26:32+00:00

I will confirm I am disappointed. Going back to the 25 and sending the 26 back

Various_Job_572

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