There's one more thing for Galaxy S26 buyers to worry about

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By Anam Hamid

Published: Feb 23, 2026, 7:21 PM

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Galaxy S26 Plus | Image by Evan Blass

From Samsung waiting until the last minute to finalize the lineup to reports that pricing is still undecided, the lead-up to the Galaxy S26 launch has been uncharacteristically chaotic. To add to the confusion, experts at phone recycling comparison website Compare and Recycle are warning against an upgrade.

Lower resale value?

The Galaxy S25 may have depreciated at a faster rate due to an overemphasis on AI. | Image by Compare and Recycle

Android phones have traditionally depreciated at a faster rate than iPhones, but that situation had been improving. The S22 depreciated 60% during the first year. The rate was 59% for the Galaxy S23, and 58% for the S24.

The Galaxy S25 reversed this positive trend, tanking 63% value in the first 12 months. Compare and Recycle attributes this plunge to Samsung's heavy reliance on AI features, and expects the trend to continue with the Galaxy S26.

Samsung's new lineup is expected to be an incremental upgrade, with the core theme being AI. In fact, Samsung is touting the devices as "AI phones" rather than good old smartphones.

While the South Korean giant is probably hoping the new description will lure customers in, it might have the opposite effect. AI has proven to be underwhelming so far, and, more importantly, people are skeptical of it. That's why positioning the Galaxy S26 this way doesn't look like a smart move.

There comes a point where we must consider whether AI features are delivering genuine everyday value, or simply functioning as marketing-led gimmicks that rapidly devalue the phones.

Lee Elliott, Compare and Recycle's Chief Product Officer, February 2026

The counterargument

Even though the rate at which a phone depreciates affects its resale value, the metric shouldn't matter to you if you don't frequently upgrade to a new device. Besides, data from another price comparison website, SellCell, indicates that the Galaxy S25 series depreciated at a slower rate than its predecessors. Thus, it cannot be definitively concluded that the integration of AI features is making Samsung's new phones lose value faster.

Is Samsung's focus on AI harming the S series?

You snooze, you lose

While it's natural to be apprehensive of a new technology, that's how people have historically responded to new developments. Eventually, companies that seize new trends thrive, and Samsung is making an honest effort here by integrating AI deeper into its phones and offering multiple AI agents.

The real reason Samsung's recent models are depreciating faster may be that the company has reduced its focus on hardware improvements, not because the phones have more AI tools.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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