Now, Samsung has managed to keep prices stable over the course of several years, despite changes in the economic situation and the challenging climate. However, a new rumor indicates that several components needed to make the Galaxy S26 series are now experiencing price hikes, and it’s possible that this may reflect on the upcoming phones.
Whether or not Samsung decides to keep the prices the same as the previous year or raise them, it’s not entirely confirmed just yet. Let’s see what the rumors are saying thus far about the potential Galaxy S26 pricing.
Galaxy S26 prices: price hike or no price hike, that’s the question
A rumor from last month claims that the Galaxy S26 series may be spared from a price hike. However, a more recent rumor indicates that because of increases in the pricing of critical components for the S26 series, we may see a price hike between $50 and $100. For one, we have a Samsung report indicating a 12% year-over-year increase in chipset prices, around 8% increase in camera modules, and more than 16% increase in LPDDR5 mobile RAM.These increases are related to AI because chipmakers are prioritizing memory production for AI servers, and there are supply shortages in the smartphone supply market.
However, it’s important to note that the economic climate has not been gentle in the previous years either, but Samsung has kept the prices of its flagship phones frozen. So that’s a possibility as well. Nevertheless, let’s see how much the Galaxy S26 phones could cost if Samsung decides to raise prices to cover the more expensive components.
| Galaxy model | 128GB of storage | 256GB of storage | 512GB of storage | 1TB of storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 | $849-$899* | $909 – $959* | – | – |
| Galaxy S26 Plus | – | $1049 – $1099* | $1169 – $1219* | |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | – | $1349 – $1399* | $1469 – $1519* | $1709 – $1759* |
*Calculated with a potential price hike of $50-$100
Potential Galaxy S26 prices (without rumored price hike):
| Galaxy model | 128GB of storage | 256GB of storage | 512GB of storage | 1TB of storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 | $799* | $859* | – | – |
| Galaxy S26 Plus | – | $999* | $1119* | |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | – | $1299* | $1419* | $1659* |
How much was the Galaxy S25 series retailing for?
Well, before the Galaxy S25 launch, rumors were also claiming we may see a price hike, but that didn’t happen. Samsung kept the same prices for the Galaxy S25 series as for the Galaxy S24 series.
Galaxy S25 prices:
| Galaxy model | 128GB of storage | 256GB of storage | 512GB of storage | 1TB of storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S25 | $799 | $859 | – | – |
| Galaxy S25 Plus | – | $999 | $1119 | – |
| Galaxy S25 Edge | – | $1099 | $1219 | – |
| Galaxy S25 Ultra | – | $1299 | $1419 | $1659 |
What about the competition: what are Apple and Google doing?
Samsung’s main competitors in the United States are Apple and Google. These two companies have kept their prices steady recently. For one, the newly-launched iPhone 17 series came without a price hike, with one note: the iPhone 17 Pro did become more expensive, but Apple is giving more storage as a starting point.
iPhone 17 prices:
- Base iPhone 17 (256GB storage) – $799
- iPhone Air (256GB storage) – $999
- iPhone 17 Pro (256GB storage) – $1,099
- iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB storage) – $1,199
Google has also kept prices the same with the Pixel 10 series.
Pixel 10 prices:
- Pixel 10 (128GB storage): $799
- Pixel 10 Pro (128GB storage): $999
- Pixel 10 Pro XL (256GB storage): 1,199
Curiously enough, the Pixel 10 is in practice more expensive than the iPhone 17, because it still starts with 128GB of storage, while the iPhone 17 starts at 256 GB.
Galaxy S26 may see a price hike: how can you save?
Of course, even without a price hike, the Galaxy S26 phones are expensive, and that’s understandable, given that they are all flagship phones, equipped with the latest and greatest in terms of hardware and software advancements.
Luckily, though, there are plenty of ways to actually get one of these phones without breaking the bank. For one, at launch, Samsung and the major carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile offer generous deals on these new phones. Samsung usually has excellent pre-order deals, as well as deals after the phones have launched.
Carriers often offer generous discounts if you have a device to trade in, and the newer the device and the better its condition, the better deal you can catch. Also, carriers often offer discounted prices when you add a new line to your account.
On top of that, installment payments are a thing, and I’d dare to say that’s how most people buy fancy phones nowadays.
Galaxy S26 prices: will the phones be worth it?
Samsung is reportedly going to release a base Galaxy S26, a Galaxy S26 Plus, and a Galaxy S26 Ultra this time, despite earlier rumors suggesting we may see an Edge variant and the base Galaxy may become a Pro.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is going to be the star of the show, and leaks and rumors have been optimistic about what it could bring to the table in terms of upgrades.
We expect a better display with the latest display tech, either Exynos 2600 or Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip (depending on the region), a potential fast charging boost to 60W, Qi2 support, and an upgraded main camera. All these, if true, will make it a notable upgrade over the S25 Ultra.
Meanwhile, the base Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Plus have not been in the rumors as much as the Ultra.
However, the Galaxy S26, which was reportedly planned previously to be rebranded as a Pro, may get a bigger screen from 6.2 to 6.3 inches, and thus become 2.5mm taller and a millimeter wider, and also 2mm slimmer than its predecessor. These design tweaks may make this phone attractive to a large audience.
Of course, given that we don’t expect the biggest of changes to all three models, if you’re currently rocking a Galaxy S25 phone, I’m more of the opinion that you don’t need a Galaxy S26 model.
However, if you want to stay on top with the latest and greatest from Samsung, you can always trade in your Galaxy S25 and get a big discount for an S26, given you managed to keep the phone in near-perfect condition.
