Escalating expenses for chips, cameras, and RAM might lead to a slight increase in the price of Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy S26 series.
What you need to know
– Samsung could postpone the launch of the Galaxy S26 until February 2026 due to a late adjustment in the lineup.
– Reports indicate that the Galaxy S26 series may experience a price elevation because of the rising costs of essential phone components.
– Prices for chipsets, camera modules, and DRAM have all escalated, creating additional pressure on Samsung’s production expenses.
As the year draws to a close, information regarding the Samsung Galaxy S26 series is beginning to surface. We recently discovered that Samsung might delay the release of the Galaxy S26 series until February 2026 due to the last-minute change of the Galaxy S26 Plus taking the place of the Galaxy S26 Edge in the lineup, and now another leak about the series has emerged, which could be a disappointment for your finances.
Korean publication ET News (via @Jukanlosreve on X) reveals that the price of the Galaxy S26 series could be higher compared to the Galaxy S25 because of increasing component costs. The report indicates that this price increase may result from the simultaneous rise in numerous internal component expenses.
Anticipated price increase for Samsung’s upcoming flagship models
An earlier report this year noted that the average prices for smartphone chipsets have surged by over 12% relative to last year, while the cost for camera modules has risen by nearly 8%. Additionally, Mobile DRAM (LPDDR5) prices have seen an increase of nearly 16% compared to Q1 of this year due to restricted supply. Compounding this issue, the smartphone tariff context in the U.S. remains unpredictable.
Overall, this could imply that Samsung might not be able to absorb the increased costs this time, potentially resulting in higher prices for the Galaxy S26 series when it officially debuts next year.
Samsung did not raise the prices of the Galaxy S25 series over the S24 lineup in January 2025. However, Samsung did raise the price of the Galaxy S24 Ultra by $100 upon its launch in January 2024, so if there is another price increase, it would signal the second rise in three years.
Of course, nothing is confirmed yet, and many factors could evolve before the flagship smartphone series officially debuts, but a price increase seems likely. Nevertheless, Samsung may opt to absorb the additional costs, especially considering how well the Pixel 10 series is performing in the U.S. market.
