Samsung has raised US prices across most of the Galaxy S26 lineup, and the Galaxy S26 price increase is already live on Samsung.com. The base S26 now costs $999.99, up from the $899.99 Samsung launched it at in February. If you were waiting for a discount before buying, the direction of travel just flipped.
The jump is $100 on the standard models and $200 on the 1TB Ultra. Samsung’s own store pages show the new numbers, and the company’s launch announcement confirms what they replaced.
TL;DR: Samsung’s US store now charges $999.99 for the Galaxy S26, $1,199.99 for the S26+, and $1,399.99 for the S26 Ultra, each $100 more than at launch. The Ultra 1TB reaches $1,999.99. The S26 FE still starts at $699.99. A new phone now costs more than it did seven months ago, which is rare in this industry.
What the Galaxy S26 price increase looks like on Samsung.com
Samsung’s February 25 launch announcement listed the S26 from $899.99, the S26+ from $1,099.99, and the S26 Ultra from $1,299.99, with general availability on March 11, 2026. Today the S26 and S26+ page shows $999.99 and $1,199.99, and the unlocked Ultra page lists $1,399.99 for 256GB, $1,599.99 for 512GB, and $1,999.99 for 1TB.
The percentages are modest on paper and sharper in practice. The base S26 rises about 11 percent, the S26+ about 9 percent, and the Ultra starting price about 8 percent. That gap between a $1,299.99 flagship and a $1,399.99 one is the kind of difference that moves people from a purchase to a wait.
| Model | Launch price (starting) | Price now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 (256GB) | $899.99 | $999.99 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26+ (256GB) | $1,099.99 | $1,199.99 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB) | $1,299.99 | $1,399.99 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra (1TB) | $1,799 | $1,999.99 | +$200 |
The 1TB launch price comes from 9to5Google’s price comparison, since Samsung’s announcement only gave starting prices. That same report says the Galaxy S26 FE and Galaxy Z Fold 8 were not touched, and Samsung’s store still lists the FE at $699.99. Which brings up the obvious question of why only some phones moved.
Why Samsung has not explained the Galaxy S26 price increase
I could not find a Samsung statement attached to the change, and the store pages carry no note about it. Any reason you read elsewhere is an inference, not something the company has said.
The most plausible backdrop is memory. Counterpoint Research has been tracking how the DRAM crisis is pushing phone makers toward price hikes, and its April 20, 2026 report describes OEMs shifting to older budget chips to blunt them. The timing fits that picture, but it is a pattern and not a confirmation.
Samsung is also reportedly trimming hardware elsewhere, including a cut to the Galaxy S27 Ultra camera setup. Together the two moves suggest cost pressure is shaping the product line, not just the price tag.
Samsung already sells a cheaper way in
Seventeen days before the increase, on September 14, Samsung added the full S26 series to its Certified Re-Newed program. Starting prices are $759 for the S26, $929 for the S26+, and $1,099 for the Ultra, each with a brand-new battery and a one-year limited warranty.
Timing like that makes the refurbished tier look less like a side project and more like the new price floor. Samsung says it assembles these phones with genuine parts and sells them only on Samsung.com, and trade-in credit of up to $720 applies.
That leaves a clear split between the buyer who wants one specific model new, and the one who simply wants a Galaxy at the lowest honest price.
What to do if you were about to buy an S26
Buy now if you need the phone this month, because there is no sign the old prices are coming back. Retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy may still carry stock at the earlier numbers for a while, though that depends on what they paid and I have not confirmed their current listings.
If you can wait, the S26 FE at $699.99 now sits a full $300 under the base S26, up from a $200 gap at launch. The FE is the one place in this lineup where the math got friendlier.
For most people, the Galaxy S26 price increase will be invisible until the moment they open a checkout page. That is when a $100 difference stops being a headline and becomes a decision.
