Samsung hikes Galaxy S26 prices by $100

The Galaxy S26 lineup just got a $100 price bump.

Samsung pulled the future-forward play early, debuting the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra at Unpacked in San Francisco, plus Galaxy Buds 4 and a slate of AI updates. The move is blunt: the base S26 and its larger sibling now start at $900 and $1,100 for 256GB, respectively, up from their predecessors. Samsung chalks up the higher prices to ongoing RAM shortages that are gnawing at budgets across the Android space, a factor the company didn’t sidestep in its presentations.

Design-wise, Samsung kept the familiar flagship DNA but leaned into a visual bridge to the Ultra. The S26 and S26+ wear rounded corners that echo the Ultra’s silhouette, signaling a more cohesive family look even as the midrange and premium tiers diverge in size and finish. The base model trims its display to 6.3 inches while the S26+ grows to 6.7 inches, with the higher-resolution panel on the Plus clearly aimed at power users who want sharper visuals and multitasking polish. Hardware logistics aside, Samsung’s timing matters: pre-orders are live, and critics have been circulating in-hand impressions that praise refinements while pushing back against the price hike for the entry points.

One obvious tension in Samsung’s unveil is the cost-to-value equation for a flagship in a crowded premium market. The S26 Ultra remains the line’s top tier—though pricing for that model wasn’t spelled out in the material available at launch—while the Buds 4 and a slate of AI-driven features promise deeper ecosystem integration than a simple spec sheet could deliver. The AI updates, in particular, are a reminder that the company is pivoting from raw horsepower to smarter software prompts, on-device inference, and smarter pairing with wearables and buds. Still, the on-paper upgrades don’t erase the sticker shock at the checkout cart, especially for buyers who want the latest silicon without flirting with triple-digit price hikes on entry configurations.

From a consumer perspective, the big tradeoffs are clear. On the upside, you’re getting a more unified Galaxy family aesthetic, a familiar Ultra-driven design language, and a robust multi-device ecosystem that promises smoother cross-device workflows—assuming you’re already invested in Samsung’s software and services. On the downside, the same RAM pinch that’s roiling the broader Android market is being passed along to buyers as a hardware constraint that nudges prices upward and may delay supply for the most sought-after configurations. For buyers who upgrade every two years, the new baseline might feel reasonable; for those with recent S-series devices, the value proposition hinges on whether the AI features and Buds 4 offer enough incremental benefit to justify the extra hundred dollars.

Two practitioner-level takeaways matter here. First, price discipline in flagship tiers is tightening. With RAM supply constraints persisting, OEMs are leaning on incremental hardware tweaks and software perks to justify higher price floors, not always delivering a clear leap in real-world performance. Second, ecosystem lock-in is the real move Samsung is wagering on. If you already own Galaxy Buds, a Watch, or a Galaxy Book, the value of a coordinated, AI-assisted experience grows—potentially making the S26 family a smoother daily driver than a rival that lacks deep cross-device synergy.

Bottom line: Buy the S26 if you want a fresh, mid-premium flagship with the latest design cues, a sharper display on the Plus, and a suite of AI features—so long as you’re comfortable with the $100 premium. Consider skipping if you’re waiting for Ultra’s pricing spectacle and a clearer line of value from software services. If you’re not married to Samsung, the obvious alternative remains to compare with top-tier Android and iPhone flagships, but expect a similar calculus: stronger hardware at a higher price, offset by more efficient software and ecosystem perks.

Sources

Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked: The Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy Buds 4 and more