At this year’s Galaxy Unpacked held yesterday, the rumored upgrades were announced: faster chips, sharper screens, etc.
While many people were focused on the new flagship Samsung Galaxy phones, there were other noteworthy announcements at the event that would enhance our use of phones but were not phones.
Here are the most noteworthy non-phone announcements at the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event:
Privacy Display
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra introduced a feature called Privacy Display. Smartphone screens typically compete on brightness and resolution. This one focuses on who can’t see it.
With Privacy Display turned on, anyone glancing at your phone from the side sees a darkened screen. You can apply it to specific apps, banking, messages, email, or even just incoming notifications. The idea is simple: stop “shoulder surfers” without sticking a permanent privacy film on your device.
The technology behind it, which Samsung calls Black Matrix, adjusts how certain pixels emit light. Instead of casting light widely for maximum visibility, some pixels narrow their output, reducing side angles. It’s a small hardware shift with a noticeable real-world effect.
For commuters, travelers, and anyone who works in public spaces, this solves a common annoyance. You shouldn’t have to tilt your phone away every time someone stands too close on a train.
Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Series
Samsung also unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds4, with a sharper design and bigger changes inside. The Buds4 Pro now include a wider woofer with roughly 20% more vibration area than the previous generation. Translation: deeper bass without increasing size.
“Samsung understands that a truly premium audio experience combines technical sound quality with how that sound feels throughout a user’s day,” said Ikhyun Cho, Corporate VP of Mobile Enhancement R&D. The focus, he added, was delivering “all-day comfort without sacrificing audio performance.”
The redesign leans heavily on data. Samsung says it analyzed hundreds of millions of ear data points and ran thousands of simulations to refine the fit. The Buds4 Pro use a canal-fit design for stronger noise isolation, while the standard Buds4 opt for a more open fit.
Active Noise Cancellation has also been upgraded. The earbuds now adapt in real time to your surroundings, filtering out engine noise on a train and dialing it back in quieter settings. There’s also expanded AI integration, including hands-free access to assistants like Bixby and Google Gemini.
Louis Eriakha
