A last-minute surprise for the Galaxy S26 Ultra price has surfaced — but not a good one

If this rumor sticks, we may be looking at a shockingly high price for the 1TB S26 Ultra.

0comments
A person holds the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Galaxy S25 Ultra for reference. | Image by Image by PhoneArena
Just two days are left until the Galaxy S26 finally gets announced. Leaks have been mounting for quite some time before Samsung confirmed the February 25 event. And yet, one of the most important things remains mostly shrouded in mystery — the price. Particularly that of the S26 Ultra. Well, that may have just changed.

Prices for the S26 Ultra may rise sharply


Last month, German source WinFuture (machine translated) claimed that prices for the Galaxy S26 Ultra may actually be lower than last year's S25 Ultra. But all hopes are shattered with Chosun's latest report (machine translated). 

According to the South Korean media, the Galaxy S26 Ultra may come with a skyrocketing increase, particularly for larger storage configurations. Supposedly, the variant with 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage is said to reach 2,545,400 won (around $1,767).  

Are you thinking of buying the Galaxy S26 Ultra?
9 Votes

In comparison, the Galaxy S25 Ultra launched at 2,127,400 won (about $1,476) for the same storage configuration, representing a 20% increase year-over-year. 

A look beyond currency conversion


Now, $1,767 already looks a bit much for a non-foldable Galaxy phone. But the reality may be even grimmer in the US. Let's look at history. 

Recommended For You

Last year, the Galaxy S25 Ultra debuted at $1,659.99 in its 1TB configuration. That's roughly $200 more than its domestic price in South Korea. So, if this 20% increase sticks, the largest storage configuration of the S26 Ultra could go beyond $1,800 — possibly even exceeding $1,900. 



What about other storage configurations? Chosun claims the 512GB variant will be priced at 2.06 million won, which roughly corresponds to $1,429. That's 11.3% more than last year's flagship, though prices in the U.S. sit at $1,419.99.

For the base storage configuration, South Korean media anticipate a 5.8% increase, with the 256GB model priced at 1,841,900 won (~$1,278), up from 1,698,400 won ($1,179) last year.

An understandable situation, but still


Since it's the larger storage configurations that will supposedly get the biggest increase, the reason is most certainly due to a sharp increase in memory prices. It's probably inevitable, too.

Regardless — if the 1TB model really exceeds $1,900, interest may significantly decline. Especially if users don't see any compelling upgrades to justify such a dramatic increase.

Try Noble Mobile for only $10

Get unlimited talk, text, & data on the T-Mobile 5G Network plus earn cash back for data you don’t use.
Buy at Noble Moblie
Google News Follow
Follow us on Google News

Recommended For You

COMMENTS (0)

Latest Discussions

by menooch18 • 1
by darkdrak88 • 4
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless