Most of you don't expect the Galaxy S26 Ultra to be a big hit, but Samsung still holds all the cards
The results of a poll started before the S26 Ultra was unveiled are not super-encouraging for Samsung, although they're not that bad either.
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The towering S26 Ultra... may not be able to hit the towering sales results expected by Samsung. | Image by PhoneArena
Now that the (digital) ink has dried on Samsung's Galaxy S26 series announcement and we're only a couple of days away from the actual global release of the three new ultra-high-end handsets, it's time to... look back at a report from two weeks ago that may have initially flown under your radar.
Why would I want to do that when there are clearly newer (and, arguably, juicier) topics to discuss in regard to the latest (and strongest) contenders for the title of best Android phone in the world? Because I find the results of a poll I started back then just as interesting as, say, the more recent news about Samsung's unexpected storage technology compromise or the very encouraging early sales figures posted by the S26 trio in South Korea.
The S26 Ultra is not expected to be a flop, but it may not sell like hotcakes either
At least that seemed to be the opinion of the vast majority of PhoneArena readers right before the Galaxy S26 family was unveiled and right as Samsung was rumored to be revising (up) its production plans for the line's new Ultra variant.
Do you think the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be a hit?
While the nearly 15 percent of survey respondents who did predict the Galaxy S26 Ultra would crash and burn at the global box-office are not a number we (or Samsung) should ignore, the close to 12 percent of you who thought the device looked too good not to become a hit and the additional 7 percent or so who had the same expectation as a result of the model's clear advantages over its little brothers not only do wonders to even out the balance, actually tipping it (slightly) in Samsung's favor.
Of course, those weren't your most popular answers, with 35.3 percent of "votes" going in the direction of a "moderate hit" and 31.32 percent leaving the door open to the S26 Ultra striking gold at the box-office... on one key condition.
Now, the first thing I'd like to find out from you in a follow-up poll to the one above is if you think that condition has been met. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, remember, starts at the same $1,299.99 price as the S25 Ultra in the US. That could be considered a price point "kept in check" by Samsung (especially compared to the "vanilla" S26 and the S26 Plus), but I wouldn't want to influence your opinion in any way.
Is the Galaxy S26 Ultra priced fairly?
Just remember to take into account the higher-end 512GB and 1TB storage variants of the S26 Ultra as well, both of which are costlier than their equivalent S25 Ultra models this time last year.
How can Samsung quickly fix the Galaxy S26 Ultra's lukewarm reception?
I don't know about you, but to me, that actually feels like the easiest thing in the world right now. If so many people were ready to label the S26 Ultra a hit at the right price, all that Samsung needs to do to convince those people to embrace the new super-flagship is find that sweet spot.
Would you consider buying the S26 Ultra at a lower price?
Yes, I'm talking about discounts, and while I realize it might sound way too early for that, it's... actually not. In fact, Amazon is already selling the Galaxy S26 Ultra with the free storage upgrade Samsung should have also offered (not to mention a very cool and handy gift card included as well), so why wouldn't the e-commerce giant (as well as the device manufacturer itself) just drop the entry-level price to $1,199.99 next?
Naturally, I'm not expecting any permanent (and official) discounts to come into the equation so soon after the S26 Ultra's commercial debut, but it's never too early to make a habit of doing everything possible to keep such a great new phone in the spotlight.
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