Ahead of the first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, Samsung’s mobile division is struggling to price the Galaxy S26. We’ve read many reports about pricing, but this one sounds more realistic.
The Korean smartphone manufacturer is struggling with two main problems here. First, memory manufacturers are focusing on enterprise-class memory, which requires high-bandwidth chips that typically pay better than consumer-class chips.
Pressure on the storage market makes pricing difficult
As a result, the supply of general-purpose DRAM, such as that used in smartphones, has plummeted, leading to dramatic price increases. Korean publication IT Chosun quotes an industry insider as saying that the company’s MX division “cannot acquire Exynos at a cheaper price” than competitors.
In addition, Samsung leadership is also concerned about rumors that Apple will maintain iPhone 17 Pro pricing for the iPhone 18 Pro models (set to launch later this year).
The Cupertino giant has reportedly used its position as one of the largest smartphone storage customers to stabilize otherwise inflated prices.
Additionally, by controlling prices, the company could capture a larger share of the flagship market, where all companies pass rising component costs on to end consumers.
Last-minute pricing decisions remain possible
The exponential rise in memory chip prices and Apple’s alleged decision to stick with old pricing are causing Samsung’s board of directors to worry about Galaxy S26 pricing.
The report states that the company was considering a price increase “until the day before the event” for the Galaxy S25 series, and given the current market conditions, the same could be the case for the launch of the Galaxy S26.
While the reports that the base Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus will maintain their prices and the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be cheaper in the 256GB and 512GB variants could be true, there is still a chance that the company will increase the prices at the very last minute.
For now, Galaxy S26 pre-order benefits include a trade-in value of up to $900 and a no-trade credit of up to $150; There are no free storage upgrades available this year, at least none that the company has announced so far.
