Galaxy S26 looks more expensive these days: price hikes roll out online
- A report states Samsung has raised prices for its Galaxy S26 series online.
- The S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra received a $100 price bump for the 256GB and 512GB variants.
- The S26 Ultra's 1TB saw the highest increase at $200. It now sits at $1,999.
Tough times continue in the phone market this week: Samsung is raising prices for its latest flagship Galaxy phones.
The folks at 9to5Google reported price increases across the board for the Galaxy S26 series. The price hikes appear uniform for the most part, but Samsung was heavy-handed with one Galaxy S26 Ultra configuration: According to the publication, Samsung is rolling out a $100 price increase for the 256GB variation of the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. This changes the starting prices to $999, $1,199, and $1,399, respectively.
For the 512GB version, there's also a $100 increase. Prices have risen to $1,199, $1,399, and $1,599 for the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra.
And here's where this flat (but still quite meaningful) $100 increase changes. 9to5Google said the 1TB Galaxy S26 Ultra has jumped by $200. The device is now listed at $1,999. When you factor in taxes, that number is far higher than most would've expected. The publication initially spotted these price changes on Samsung's online store; they've since made their rounds, however.
We've now noticed the 1TB Galaxy S26 Ultra jump to $1,999 on Best Buy. Other retailers (Amazon, Target, Walmart) haven't changed prices, but there's a chance this is inevitable.
Prices on the rise
The Galaxy S26 series isn't even a year old, and we're already seeing impactful price increases. So goes the phone market, huh? Samsung raised prices earlier this year, which hit its Galaxy tablets the hardest. The 1TB Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra jumped $280 to $1,899 when the company rolled out the changes. Other price increases for its tablets ranged from $50 to $100.
A couple of Samsung's older foldables also got hit. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 increased from $1,219 to $1,299 for its 512GB option. The S25 FE saw a modest $40 increase to $749. Alongside Samsung, there were reports that Motorola was raising prices for its phones earlier this year, too. The Moto G 2026 saw a 50% increase to $300, and the G Power rose to $400 after originally launching at $299. The blame's falling on one place: AI and the ongoing memory crisis. Omdia's recent analytics suggest this trend might continue, and the holiday season might not help.