In its annual list of 300 inventions that make the world "better, smarter, and more fun," TIME selected Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered refrigerator and advanced gaming monitor in the consumer electronics, household, and entertainment and gaming categories, respectively, based on key criteria including "originality, efficacy, ambition and impact."
The Galaxy S26 Ultra was recognized for its privacy feature, which restricts screen visibility from side angles to help protect users' personal information in public spaces. Unlike conventional privacy screen protectors, the feature is built into the phone and can be activated as needed.
The handset "became the world's fastest-selling Android phone of the year," despite its price tag of more than US$1,000, the magazine said. "Its biggest selling point is the brand-new Privacy Display feature, which can dim screen visibility from the side and make snooping nearly impossible," it touted.
Integrated with Google's Gemini, the refrigerator "can now recognize handwritten labels and alert you when food is nearing its expiration date, information it can leverage to generate grocery lists and recommend recipes to use up what you have," the magazine wrote.
Its dual-mode feature allows users to prioritize detailed graphics for visually demanding games or smoother, faster screen updates for fast-paced competitive games.
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