We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is a huge (early) hit in both the US and South Korea. | Image by PhoneArena
After South Korea, Samsung is ready to share official details about the pre-order numbers of its latest ultra-high-end handsets in the always crucial US market as well, and although these also look great at first glance, a few interesting things stand out, diminishing the Galaxy S26 trio's early regional achievements... to a certain degree.
Pre-order the Galaxy S26 Ultra for up to $900 off
$399
99
$1299
99
$900 off (69%)
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.
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 "vanilla" Galaxy S26 has finally been announced. With a next-gen Galaxy AI and a powerful chip, this phone checks all the boxes. Right now, you can pre-order the phone for up to $500 with trade-ins.
At least for the time being, it's almost like the "vanilla" S26 and the S26 Plus don't exist, as a whopping 80 percent of the family's US pre-orders so far have gone to the state-of-the-art 6.9-inch model with a built-in S Pen and Privacy Display functionality.
You don't have to think too hard about what makes the S26 Ultra so much more appealing than the S26 and S26 Plus. | Image by PhoneArena
Pre-orders, mind you, are still open until tomorrow, March 11, at which point the Galaxy S26 lineup will be considered actually released, but clearly, there's nothing the Ultra's little brothers can do to make up that ground now. Interestingly (although also unsurprisingly), Samsung isn't saying what slice of the remaining 20 percent of regional pre-orders has gone to the compact Galaxy S26, which I'm pretty sure is still a lot more popular than the 6.7-inch S26+.
This is similar to how the company communicated in its domestic market of South Korea, where the Galaxy S26 Ultra actually held a smaller initial advantage over the S26 and S26 Plus, "only" accounting for "about" 70 percent of the 1.35 million unit pre-orders counted by Friday, March 6.
That's definitely a solid improvement over the Galaxy S25 trio in a similar timeframe last year, but with the S26 Ultra so dominant in its family, you really have to wonder how much (or how little) the base Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus have contributed to this progress.
Probably, extremely little, which makes it difficult for Samsung to sustain the box-office growth of the S26 trio in the long run, as super-expensive devices like the S26 Ultra tend to lose some of their mass appeal after a few months in stores (especially if they're not substantially and frequently discounted).
Technically, the S26 family as a whole is a hit... for the time being. | Image by PhoneArena
Still, this is a clear and undeniable (early) victory for the world's number two smartphone vendor, which definitely needed to put one in the win column after a shaky 2025 and some risky price hikes (for the S26 and S26+ in particular).
Interestingly, Samsung claims that major US carriers have registered "more than a 70 percent increase in pre-orders" compared to the S25 series, while retailers "including Best Buy" are seeing "more than double the pre-order volumes than the previous generation." As impressive as that sounds, it doesn't really explain how Galaxy S26 series pre-orders are up only 25 percent in the US, making me believe that the family's numbers are (massively) down on Samsung's official regional e-store. Otherwise, I don't think the math is mathing.
What's next for the Galaxy S26 trio?
Well, Samsung might make a similar announcement for European markets like the UK or even the entire old continent, but only if the numbers are good enough in those regions as well. Otherwise, we'll probably get radio silence, then some of the best pre-order deals will go away and... hopefully get replaced with better ones soon, at least as far as the Galaxy S26 and the S26+ are concerned.
Those two phones clearly need all the help they can get to find their audiences, and as chunky as the S26 Ultra profit margins might be, I believe that Samsung badly needs at least one of the smaller models to succeed as well. Otherwise, it's going to be pretty hard to release next year's Galaxy S27 in more than an (Ultra) variant.
Grab Mint's 3-month 5GB plan for $10/mo!
$10
/mo
$15
$5 off (33%)
Right now, you can take advantage of Mint Mobile's 5GB 3-month data plan at a solid discount. This 'last chance' promo lets you save $5/mo on the plan, making it simply too good to resist for those looking for a reliable and affordable service.
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'.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: