November is here, which means we're likely just a few months away from the release of the Galaxy S26 series. Samsung is expected to unveil its newest flagship lineup during an Unpacked announcement event in Q1 2026, and if the latest leaks and rumors are correct, we'll finally get our hands on the phones sometime in March. That's significantly later than Samsung's usual release timeline, but if it means that the S26 will get more time in the oven, then I'm all for it.
While we wait for the Galaxy S26 to drop, many folks are wondering what the release will mean for the Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup. Will the best-selling Android phones get a permanent price drop or will they simply disappear from shelves? Should you wait for the Galaxy S26 lineup or buy a S25 during this month's Black Friday sales? Let's break it all down.
What we know
According to the latest rumors, the next Galaxy Unpacked event will be held on February 25th in San Francisco, California. This means that, since new Samsung phones usually hit store shelves about two weeks after their unveiling, we can expect that the Galaxy S26 series will finally be available for purchase around March 12th or 13th.
Along with the Galaxy S26 Plus and S26 Ultra, the base model Galaxy S26 (which might be renamed the Galaxy S26 Pro), is expected to come equipped with a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, some meaningful camera upgrades, and all of the latest AI software tricks.
We don't know a lot about the flagship phones yet, so comparing the Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25 is a bit tricky, but suffice to say that the S26 devices are expected to be slimmer, faster, and more feature-packed than their predecessors. They're also expected to be a bit more expensive, starting around $899 for the base model and going up to around $1,400 for the S26 Ultra.
Will the improvements justify the price hike? It's tough to say, but it wouldn't be unreasonable for someone to buy the tried-and-tested Samsung Galaxy S25 instead of the newer model, especially if you can get a good price. Speaking of which..
Will the Samsung Galaxy S25 get cheaper?
So will the Samsung Galaxy S25 get a price drop when the S26 arrives? Not exactly.
Although it does happen on occasion, it's pretty unusual for flagship phones to get a permanent price decrease when they reach last-gen status. It's more likely that they'll get discounted once their successors are released, but it's just as possible that the S25 will simply run out of stock once the S26 arrives. Think about it this way: how often do you see a discounted Galaxy S24 that isn't refurbished? Sure, it happens (the Google Pixel 9 is 38% off today, for instance), but it's not as common as you might think.
On the bright side, price tracking data indicates that devices tend to get the cheapest right before the next generation arrives. And with Black Friday sales just around the corner, you can fully expect the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra to receive some record-smashing discounts in the coming weeks. For a little context, the base model Samsung Galaxy S25 dropped to $699.99 during last month's October Prime Day sale event. With the arrival of the S26 series swiftly approaching, I'd expect Black Friday to knock the phone to the same price or even lower.
In conclusion, if you want to buy a Samsung Galaxy S25 now that the S26 is approaching, I wouldn't wait for the new phones to drop - Black Friday 2025 might be the answer.
The flagship sails on
Although its soon to be supplanted by a newer model, the Galaxy S25 continues to be an outstanding flagship phone, packing premium Snapdragon hardware and AI smarts into a sleek, compact frame.
The best of Android (for now)
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the base model S25's souped up big sibling, coming complete with a gorgeous 6.9-inch AMOLED display, incredible cameras, and a built-in stylus pen. Just like the base model S25, the upcoming Black Friday sales are expected to knock the S25 Ultra down to its lowest price ever.
