What you need to know
- Samsung might delay the Galaxy S26 launch to February 2026 after changing the lineup late in development.
- Reports suggest the Galaxy S26 series could see a price hike due to rising costs of key phone components.
- Chipset, camera module, and DRAM prices have all increased, adding pressure to Samsung's production costs.
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It's near the end of the year, and leaks about the Samsung Galaxy S26 series are starting to pick up. We just learned that Samsung might push back the launch of the Galaxy S26 series to February 2026 due to the late change of the Galaxy S26 Plus replacing the Galaxy S26 Edge in the lineup, and now there's another leak about the series, though this one might be a bummer for your wallet.
Korean outlet ET News (via @Jukanlosreve on X) reports that pricing for the Galaxy S26 series could increase compared to the Galaxy S25 due to rising component costs. The report states that this price hike could come from the rising costs of many internal components all at once.
Price hike likely coming for Samsung's next flagships
A report earlier this year cited that smartphone chipset prices have risen over 12% on average compared to last year, while camera module pricing is up nearly 8%. In addition, Mobile DRAM (LPDDR5) prices have increased nearly 16% compared to Q1 of this year due to limited supply. Adding to this, the smartphone tariff situation in the U.S. also remains uncertain.
All in all, this could mean Samsung might not be able to absorb the costs this time, resulting in higher prices for the Galaxy S26 series when it officially launches next year.
Samsung didn't raise prices for the Galaxy S25 series over the S24 lineup in January 2025. However, Samsung did increase the price of the Galaxy S24 Ultra by $100 when it launched in January 2024, so if pricing rises again, it would mark the second increase in three years.
Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, and a lot could change before the flagship smartphone series officially arrives, but it seems a price hike is on the cards. Still, Samsung may choose to swallow the extra costs, especially with the Pixel 10 series performing exceptionally well in the States.
