Samsung Raises Galaxy S26 Prices by $100 or More Amid Memory Costs
Samsung raised list prices for the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra by at least $100 on its website on Oct. 1. The Galaxy S26 FE was left unchanged.
The base Galaxy S26 with 256GB of storage now costs $1,000, which is $200 more than its Galaxy S25 equivalent. The 512GB Galaxy S26 now costs $1,200. Engadget
The Galaxy S26+ now costs $1,200 for 256GB and $1,400 for 512GB. Both storage tiers moved by the same $100 increment.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra now costs $1,400 for 256GB, $1,600 for 512GB and $2,000 for 1TB. Samsung raised the 1TB Ultra by $200 to $2,000, while the other S26 variants rose by $100.
The FE is the exception. Its price did not move in the October update.
This is a second layer of increase for the S26 generation. Most configurations were already more expensive than prior-year equivalents when they debuted in March. Samsung had unveiled the Galaxy S26 in February and lifted prices in key markets amid a chip price surge. Reuters Advance reporting had pointed to an Oct. 1 increase, with the South Korean S26 moving from 1,254,000 won to 1,403,600 won, about $930 to $1,040. 9to5Google
Samsung had priced the Galaxy 26 FE at $700, $50 more than its predecessor.
Samsung's mobile division posted its first-ever loss for the April-June quarter. Samsung attributed the decline in operating profit to higher costs, including more expensive RAM and storage components.
The broader context here is direct cost pass-through, applied mid-cycle rather than held for the next hardware refresh. Memory and storage flow straight into bill of materials for every SKU, and they scale with capacity. When those inputs move, vendors have three levers. Absorb margin, de-specify hardware, or raise list price. Samsung tried absorption through the June quarter. It lost money doing it.
Worth flagging for fleet buyers and channel planners is how Samsung allocated the increase. The lower storage tiers took a flat dollar bump, while the 1TB Ultra took double. That preserves the established upsell ladder but steepens the top. For users who provision for on-device AI, large media libraries, or multi-year retention, the cost per additional gigabyte just rose at the high end where it is easiest to defer, and most painful to need.
In my view, the decision to hold the FE matters as much as the flagship hikes. It keeps an on-ramp for price-sensitive upgrades and enterprise bulk buys without forcing a full portfolio reset. The trade is straightforward. Mainstream buyers get continuity, while enthusiasts and power users absorb the memory market.
The long arc still favors the buyer. Silicon cycles turn, capacity comes back, and today's premium storage tier becomes tomorrow's baseline. For now, Samsung is pricing what the components cost.
