Samsung Will Hike Domestic Price of Galaxy S26 Series
Samsung Electronics is hiking the domestic release price for its next-generation flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S26 series. The move was prompted by sharply rising costs of key smartphone components and an ever-steep exchange rate between the won and dollar.
Details of Price Adjustment
According to industry insiders, Samsung has internally decided on upward price adjustments for the Galaxy S26 series when compared to its predecessor Galaxy S25 models. The intended adjustment may be anything between 44,000-88,000 won per model.
The hike thus could mean the top-end Galaxy S26 Ultra model priced almost to 1.8 million won. For the first time in three years, this would be a price increase for the Galaxy S series as the Galaxy S25 series had its prices frozen. The Galaxy S26 series will be unveiled at an Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 25, with plans for a March release.
Reasons for the Price Increase
The MX division has concluded its findings and determined that a price increase is inevitable owing to deteriorating conditions in the business environment.
Memory Prices Soaring: The rates of key hardware components like DRAM and NAND flash memory are recording high escalations. The charge for LPDDR5X DRAM modules has more than doubled since early last year, and market analysts have forecast a potential price hike of 40% more by the end of the second quarter, in the same time frame, for smartphone memory.
High Rate of Exchange: The fluctuation of the won-dollar exchange rate in the mid-to-high seems stuck at, around 1,400 won range, increasing expenses in the procurement for components sourced from abroad, like Qualcomm's Snapdragon application processors.
Different Strategy for Global Markets
To keep competitiveness and consequently boost global sales, Samsung is mulling over a price freeze on ex-factory prices of Galaxy S26 in big markets abroad, including the United States.
If the plan takes off, the U.S. prices for the basic model, the Plus, and the Ultra may maintain their Galaxy S25 series prices of $799.99, $999.99, and $1,299.99, respectively. This would mean that some Galaxy S26 models could be sold at lower prices in the U.S. than in South Korea.
Official Company Positions
Concerning these rumors, a Samsung Electronics official reported,
"The pricing of Galaxy S26 has not yet been confirmed."
