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The S26 Ultra looks like a big hit, at least in South Korea. | Image by PhoneArena
What was only rumored a couple of days ago is now confirmed, as Samsung unsurprisingly wants the entire world to know just how successful its latest super-premium smartphones are.
This feels particularly important for the number two handset vendor across the globe to trumpet this year, as the general sentiment towards the Galaxy S26 trio from both regular consumers and analysts has ranged from boredom to extreme disappointment ever since the devices were thoroughly leaked ahead of their announcements.
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The Galaxy S26+ is here, bringing improved software and a more powerful processor. The device can now be available for up to $700 off at the official store with eligible device trade-ins.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has been announced, bringing a Privacy Screen feature, insanely fast processor, and multiple Galaxy AI enhancements. Right now, you can pre-order the flagship for up to $900 off with eligible trade-ins.
If you happened to watch Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event last week, you undoubtedly noticed how little time the company dedicated to the "vanilla" S26 and the S26 Plus and how it almost felt like the S26 Ultra was the only new product unveiled.
That was obviously no coincidence, as Samsung very clearly prioritized the Galaxy S26 Ultra's upgrades and innovations over the changes (or lack thereof) of its little brothers in the hopes everyone would opt for the largest, costliest, and most sophisticated member of the 2026 high-end smartphone family.
Samsung's hot new Privacy Display feature is without a doubt a key S26 Ultra selling point. | Image by PhoneArena
Naturally, not quite everyone ended up picking the S26 Ultra, but the 6.9-inch giant accounted for an incredible 70 percent of the Galaxy S26 trio's 1.35 million unit pre-orders registered until today in South Korea. That's close to a million (super-expensive) phones, and it's a lot higher than the under 700,000 Galaxy S25 Ultra units pre-ordered in Samsung's homeland in a similar timeframe last year.
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The Galaxy S25 family, mind you, scored 1.3 million domestic pre-orders in total in 2025, which means that the Galaxy S26 series is officially (slightly) more successful, setting a new all-time record for the Galaxy S line.
Have you pre-ordered a Galaxy S26-series device?
But if we take the S26 Ultra out of the equation, the base Galaxy S26 and the S26+ are clearly proving way less popular than last year's Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus, which might backfire for Samsung in the long run.
What are the most popular color options?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Galaxy S26 Ultra models that sold in the highest numbers in South Korea are the ones coated in classic white and black. The same goes for the 6.3-inch Galaxy S26, while the 6.7-inch Galaxy S26+ was somewhat unexpectedly most frequently ordered in black and... violet.
White is always in style. | Image by PhoneArena
Of course, these preferences could vary from market to market, although I for one am a lot more curious to find out if the Galaxy S26 family is more popular than the S25 series in other countries apart from South Korea, and if the S26 Ultra is so much more successful than its siblings in those regions as well.
Knowing Samsung, however, it might still be a while until we receive that type of official information for markets like the US or Europe... unless, of course, the S26 trio manages to outsell last year's Galaxy S25 roster around the world, which I somehow doubt will be the case.
So is the Galaxy S26 family a hit?
If you ask me, it's far too soon to tell, and even if we don't consider the time aspect, you can't label a new phone (or three) a hit or a flop based on the sales results in just one country.
That being said, there's clearly no denying that the S26 trio has gotten off to a great start in South Korea, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra obviously has the potential to become one of the year's best-selling Android phones worldwide. The S26 and S26 Plus might be a different story, but perhaps I'm rushing to conclusions, and the two cheaper high-enders will find more success in the US and (especially) in Europe.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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