Samsung flags Galaxy S26 Ultra price hike, deals at risk
After weeks of reports from Korean media suggesting Samsung was considering a price increase for the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung executives have now openly confirmed that a price hike is a real possibility.
While this is clearly concerning for consumers, the larger impact may fall on Samsung’s aggressive promotions—particularly those tied to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, News.Az reports, citing Forbes.
Memory prices have surged due to the AI boom, as factory capacity, RAM, and flash storage are increasingly redirected to support AI data centers. This has driven up the cost of manufacturing smartphones, making higher retail prices more likely.
Speaking to Reuters at CES 2026, Samsung Electronics co-CEO TM Roh acknowledged that "no company is immune" to the pressures of the global memory shortage and soaring prices, including Samsung’s smartphone business. Roh did not rule out raising product prices and described such an increase as “inevitable.”
According to ET News, Samsung is reportedly considering a price increase of 44,000 won ($31) to 88,000 won ($62) per model. In the U.S., this could push the Galaxy S26 series prices to approximately $859, $1,059, and $1,359 for the base, Plus, and Ultra models, respectively.
However, the more significant impact may be on Samsung’s promotional campaigns that slash hundreds of dollars off device prices. ET News also reported that Samsung is contemplating ending its signature double-storage pre-order offer—such as upgrading from 256GB to 512GB for free—which has historically driven strong early sales.
During Black Friday, Samsung discounted the Galaxy S25 Ultra 512GB to $859.99, offering $400 off without a trade-in or additional trade-in enhancements. Such a sub-$900 flagship with the second-highest memory option has been rare. By comparison, six weeks ahead of the Galaxy S26 release, the Galaxy S25 Ultra 512GB was only discounted to $1,119.99.
A sub-$900 Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB may no longer be feasible for Samsung this Black Friday—or at any future promotions. Aggressive deals have been a cornerstone of Samsung’s marketing strategy, encompassing free software subscriptions, constant discount codes, and bundled offers like a free Galaxy S25 with certain TV purchases. Whether the company can maintain this approach under rising memory costs remains uncertain.
Samsung may pivot to alternative promotions that preserve profit margins, such as offering free tablets, watches, or laptops. The challenge is that these products are also affected by the ongoing surge in memory prices, potentially limiting the effectiveness of such strategies.
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