Samsung raises prices for Galaxy S26 smartphone lineup
Samsung has increased the recommended retail prices for the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra in the U.S. approximately seven months after they went on sale. Almost all configurations have increased in price by $100, while the 1 TB Galaxy S26 Ultra has gone up by $200 and now costs $2000.
New Galaxy S26 prices in the US
The price increase affects all configurations of the three main models in the series:
| Model | Configuration | Old price | New price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 | 12 GB + 256 GB | $900 | $1000 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26 | 12 GB + 512 GB | $1100 | $1200 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26+ | 12 GB + 256 GB | $1100 | $1200 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26+ | 12 GB + 512 GB | $1300 | $1400 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | 12 GB + 256 GB | $1300 | $1400 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | 12 GB + 512 GB | $1500 | $1600 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | 16 GB + 1 TB | $1800 | $2000 | +$200 |
The Galaxy S26 FE has not yet been affected by the price increase: in the US, the model still starts at $699. The prices for the foldable Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 also remain unchanged. However, as of October 1, Amazon and Best Buy were still offering some Galaxy S26 models at their previous prices, so the change has not yet been fully reflected by all retailers.
Following the price increase, the Galaxy S26 Ultra with 256 GB of storage has become more expensive than the current iPhone 18 Pro Max with the same storage capacity: the smartphones cost $1400 and $1299 respectively. The 256 GB Galaxy S26+ is now nearly equal in price to the iPhone 18 Pro, which Apple sells starting at $1199.
New Galaxy S26 prices in Europe
The change was not limited to the US. In France, the 256 GB Galaxy S26 increased in price from €999 to €1119, the Galaxy S26+ from €1269 to €1369, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra from €1469 to €1569. Thus, the base model became €120 more expensive, and the two higher-end models increased by €100.
In the Netherlands, Samsung has increased the prices of most configurations by €100. The Galaxy S26 now starts at €1099, the Galaxy S26+ at €1349, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra at €1549. The 1 TB storage version of the Ultra has increased in price by €200 and is now priced at €2149.
However, the price increase is not yet being applied uniformly across all of Europe. For example, the German Samsung store maintains the previous recommended prices: the Galaxy S26 starts at €999, the Galaxy S26+ at €1249, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra at €1449.
New Galaxy S26 prices in South Korea
At the same time, Samsung revised prices in its home market. The base Galaxy S26 increased in price by 149,600 won to 1,403,600 won (≈ $1030). The Galaxy S26 Ultra with 1 TB of storage received the most significant increase: by 270,000 won to 2,821,500 won (≈ $2070).
Samsung did not separately explain the price change in the US. It comes against the backdrop of the ongoing rise in the cost of RAM and flash memory. At the launch of the Galaxy S26 and S26+, the company attributed part of the previous price increase to the rising cost of memory components.
