Samsung raises Galaxy S26 prices by $100 as memory costs climb

Samsung raised prices on its Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra phones by at least $100 on its US website on 1 October 2026, with the 1TB Galaxy S26 Ultra jumping $200 to $2,000. The Galaxy S26 FE, released a month earlier, was the only current model that avoided the increase. The hike landed without an official company statement.engadget.com

The increase means a base Galaxy S26 with 256GB of storage now costs $999.99, which is $200 more than the equivalent Galaxy S25. The 512GB S26 lists at $1,200, the S26 Plus at $1,200 for 256GB and $1,400 for 512GB, and the S26 Ultra at $1,400 for 256GB, $1,600 for 512GB, and $2,000 for 1TB. Most variants rose $100; only the 1TB Ultra rose $200.mashable.com

What the price changes are

Samsung's mobile division posted its first-ever loss for the April-June quarter of 2026 even though S26 prices were higher and overall revenue grew. The company attributed the operating profit decline to higher component costs, including RAM and storage. The price increases on 1 October follow that disclosure, and Samsung has not issued a statement explaining the change.

The memory shortage stems from a large buildout of artificial intelligence data centre infrastructure, which consumes large volumes of memory, especially high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. Because AI data centres absorb that supply, less memory reaches phones, laptops and consoles, pushing component prices up. Apple and Google also raised prices by about $100 on their most recent phones.

Why memory costs rose

Samsung's chip division performed strongly, helping the company reach all-time high quarterly revenue and operating profit in its second fiscal quarter. The contrast between a record chip business and a first-ever mobile division loss shows how memory costs flow unevenly through the company: the segment selling memory benefits, while the segment buying it for phones absorbs the expense.

GlobalData senior analyst Amanda Mitchell said lasting relief depends on additional production capacity, but manufacturers' expansion plans take years to reach the market and much new investment targets AI demand rather than consumer devices. With meaningful new capacity years away, Mitchell said, price pressure is likely to persist. Carriers such as Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T offer installment plans and trade-in credits that soften sticker shock but do not lower base prices.