Samsung's 'final' Galaxy S26 series prices are purportedly here, and they're not great
At least in one (particularly important) market, Samsung's next big things are expected to be costlier than their predecessors.
Leaked Galaxy S26 Ultra promotional poster | Image by Evan Blass
All prices are unfortunately going up
Do you know that (semi) encouraging report from a couple of weeks ago that called for a big price increase for the "vanilla" S26 compared to its predecessor, but also a miraculous decrease as far as the Galaxy S26 Ultra is concerned?
Despite not changing much about its predecessor, the Galaxy S26 is expected to be costlier. | Image by Evan Blass
That seems even more far-fetched today, as the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra are all tipped to cost more than their respective forerunners. How much more? Apparently, the base prices of the three models will go up by 99,000 won in South Korea, which technically equates to less than $70.
That doesn't sound quite as bad as some of the numbers I've heard rumored in other countries of late, but that's evidently because South Korea is a very different market from France, Germany, Bulgaria, or the US.
In case you're wondering, the cheapest Galaxy S26 variant is expected to fetch KRW 1,254,000 ($872) in Samsung's domestic market, while the S26 Plus and S26 Ultra are likely to be priced at KRW 1,452,000 ($1,010) and KRW 1,797,000 ($1,250), respectively, in entry-level 256GB storage configurations.
Will you buy any of these phones if they're costlier than their predecessors?
What's worse is that the 512GB variants of the three new ultra-high-end phones are tipped to receive a larger price hike of around 160,000 won ($110) over their equivalents in last year's Galaxy S25 lineup. On the bright side, free storage upgrade offers are reportedly still very much on the table, so at least in South Korea, you should be able to get a 512 gig S26, S26 Plus, or S26 Ultra at the normal price of a 256GB model during the family's pre-order window.
What does this mean for the rest of the world?
Maybe nothing, and maybe something. I'm sorry, but I don't have a better answer for you today. In theory, a price increase in South Korea (especially one enforced across the board) should mean a global price increase is in the cards.
But if you'll allow me, I will continue to hope that this move will not impact countries like the US, where prospective buyers are likely to react far more negatively than Samsung's super-devoted domestic fanbase.
Yes, the derivative Galaxy S26 Plus is likely to be priced higher than its predecessor as well. | Image by AndroidHeadlines
Of course, it's hard to believe that the world's number two smartphone vendor will be able to weather the rising component costs storm by only passing on those added expenses to customers in some markets, but at the very least, I think I'll keep dreaming with my eyes open that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will start at the same $1,299 price as the Galaxy S25 Ultra stateside.
It would also be nice to see the most affordable "base" Galaxy S26 model (which is expected to come with 256GB internal storage space instead of just 128 gigs) retain the $859.99 price tag of a 256GB Galaxy S25, but that's beginning to look less and less likely as time goes by and these reports continue to pile up.
Should you still be excited about the Galaxy S26 family?
If you like AI and think it will revolutionize your user experience, then absolutely. If not, I'm afraid there are fewer and fewer things I can personally think of that could possibly justify a Galaxy S26 or S26 Plus purchase at, say, $900 and $1,000, respectively.
The S26 Ultra's Privacy Display feature, meanwhile, continues to sound useful and maybe even groundbreaking enough to attract the attention of a relatively large number of people, but only if the $1,299 price point doesn't go up to a prohibitive $1,399.
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