Galaxy S26 Ultra price: will it go up, down, or sideways? Read this, if you're wondering

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is some weeks away and while everything about it is still in the "rumored" category, we can say one thing with 100% certainty: this premium phone is going to be premium-price.

Nobody expects the Galaxy S26 Ultra to not be expensive. This phone will be the very best that Samsung has to offer in 2026 in terms of raw performance, cameras, battery, stability and versatility. For a non-foldable device, at least.

Still sold for $1,299?

The Galaxy S26 Ultra's predecessor had a starting price of $1,299, making it a whole $100 pricier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple's biggest and most expensive phone.

So, will the Galaxy S26 Ultra arrive at $1,299 in 2026, retaining its predecessor's price?

That is the big question, and right now, it's hard getting a straight answer. There are arguments to be made both in favor and against this eventuality.

Prices could rise because of the RAM shortage drama

You may've heard this already: there's an on-going drama with the RAM prices. The surge in demand for AI data centers is straining global supply chains, and its effects are now reaching well beyond just servers.

Samsung, for example, raised some RAM prices by 60% in recent weeks. Across outlets around the world, RAM is often two or three times more expensive than usual. Some stores don't even bother to put price tags on RAM – they just sell it at the day's market price. Just like with lobsters at restaurants.

What's more, Samsung is facing internal tensions between its business units. The Mobile Experience (MX) division, responsible for Galaxy smartphones, requested a supply of DRAM chips for over a year, but the Semiconductor (DS) unit refused. The cost of DRAM has surged, with a 12GB chip now costing around $70, more than double the price earlier this year.

The DS unit decided to sell its DRAM to other manufacturers instead of fulfilling MX's long-term request, forcing MX to secure quarterly supplies. This disruption could affect production plans and possibly lead to higher prices for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.

Prices could stay the same, because $1,299 is already super high

Meanwhile, some claim that Samsung would be able to perform the miracle of retaining prices in today's volatile market.

After all, the Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn't seem to come with super substantial upgrades over the S25 Ultra: it could get a fancy privacy-oriented display, the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, some tweaked features and slightly faster charging speeds.

However, the camera setup will most likely remain the same (what's more, the 3x telephoto might get a physically smaller sensor, which isn't good news), the battery could stay at the same 5,000 mAh capacity (that's no longer competitive in today's world of 7,000+ mAh phones), the design is just more of the same, the display could be underwhelming…

But, above all, there's the argument that the Galaxy S Ultra's $1,299 price is already super high and a further hike would be a risky move by Samsung. Will the company do it, now that it's expected for Apple to overtake it?

Don't be surprised if a price hike occurs

For me, a price hike for the Galaxy S26 Ultra is not out of the question. There are many leaks that claim every model in the Galaxy S26 family would be more expensive.

But it's not just that. The way the memory shortage drama is developing, I can't help but expect pricier phones next year. For example, Xiaomi bosses already say we should be prepared for price hikes in 2026.

Or, we could witness the following: the "vanilla" Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Plus get slammed with price hikes, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra stays at $1,299.