Samsung's Galaxy Pricing Just Jumped by $100. iPhones and Google Pixels Could Be Next.

Edited by

Max McCaskill - Sr. Staff Writer

Updated 02 October 2026

Samsung store showing new Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra pricing. — Samsung's online store now lists the Galaxy S26 at $999, the S26+ at $1,199, and the S26 Ultra at $1,399.
Image: Samsung

TL;DR: Samsung quietly raised the Galaxy S26 price to $999

Samsung raised Galaxy S26 prices by $100 on October 1, 2026. The base S26 now costs $999, the S26+ costs $1,199, and the S26 Ultra costs $1,399.
Added with the initial price increase at release, the $999 base-model Galaxy S26 has now seen a 25% price increase over the $799 Galaxy S25.
Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and third-party retailers like Best Buy have already matched the new pricing.
The hike follows Apple's quiet September iPhone price increases, and is a strong sign next year's iPhone 18 and Pixel 12 will cost more too.

In the past, phones usually got cheaper the longer they sat on store shelves. Unfortunately, due to moves from Apple and now Samsung, those days are likely over.

Samsung just quietly raised the price of its entire Galaxy S26 lineup by $100 on October 1, pushing the base Galaxy S26 to $999. That's the most expensive price Samsung has ever attached to its base-model device. We've also confirmed the new prices are live across the market from carriers to third-party retailers, meaning customers will struggle to find an S26 for the previous $899 price.

Samsung is following Apple's lead in releasing mid-generation price hikes for current models. The iPhone 17 received a surprise $100 price increase to $899 in September, and now Samsung has done the same thing to the Galaxy S26 series in October. Phone manufacturers are generally pointing to the ongoing memory shortage as the key reason prices are going up.

To be clear, this isn't a leak or a rumor. The new prices are in effect now, and as of October 2, a Samsung Galaxy S26 officially costs $999 from most retailers.

New Samsung Galaxy S26 prices: How much each model costs now

Here's how the new pricing breaks down for each Galaxy S26 model:

Galaxy S26: $999 for 256GB (up from $899) and $1,199 for 512GB (up from $1,099).
Galaxy S26+: $1,199 for 256GB (up from $1,099) and $1,399 for 512GB (up from $1,299).
Galaxy S26 Ultra: $1,399 for 256GB (up from $1,299), $1,599 for 512GB (up from $1,499), and $1,999 for 1TB (up from $1,799).

Note that most of these models had already seen price increases over the Galaxy S25 released last year. With the Galaxy S26 receiving two $100 price hikes in one year, it's now around 25% more expensive than the Galaxy S25's $799 release price.

The good news is not every Samsung phone got more expensive. The $699 Galaxy S26 FE kept its launch price, and so did Samsung's newest foldables (the Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra, and Z Flip8). Samsung was likely more comfortable maintaining its foldable pricing since these devices have been out for less than two months.

Why Samsung raised Galaxy S26 prices again

The short answer is the memory chip shortage. Smartphones require RAM and other memory chips to work properly and store your files. However, the rapid increase in AI infrastructure and data center buildouts have seen many chips reserved for AI instead of consumer electronics.

Companies like Samsung, Apple, and Google are having to bid much higher for memory chips since there is a much smaller supply. While these companies tried to absorb part of the price increases at the beginning of the shortage, it's now lasted long enough that companies are having to pass the rising costs onto consumers.

Samsung's mid-generation price hike follows Apple's iPhone 17 decision

This year has seen multiple surprising smartphone price increases, but Samsung was the first to set the trend with its initial release of the S26.

Samsung launched the S26 at $899 in February with a $100 price increase over the S25, and I wrote that the $799 flagship era was over. I correctly predicted that Apple and Google would increase prices to follow Samsung's lead. However, I did not expect Samsung's $899 era to only last for seven months, and I assumed any future increases would be tied to the Galaxy S27.

Apple helped set the trend for mid-generation price hikes. On September 9, the same day it announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, Apple quietly raised prices on its older iPhones without a formal announcement.

iPhone 17: $899, up from $799.
iPhone Air: $1,099, up from $999.
iPhone 17e: $699, up from $599.
iPhone 16: $799, up from $699 (back to its 2024 launch price).

Both companies are now charging at least $100 more for phones that have already been on sale for months.

Will the iPhone 18 and Pixel 12 cost more?

Probably. Neither Apple nor Google has announced any pricing for upcoming models, and they won't until the phones are officially announced. However, since the major smartphone companies generally try to match each other's pricing, it's a good bet we'll see the $999 price tag more often.

The base iPhone 18 is expected next spring. With the iPhone 17 already sitting at $899, you can expect the iPhone 18 to at least maintain that pricing.

The Pixel 12 likely won't arrive until the fall of 2027, which gives Google much more time to consider pricing. However, it's also difficult to see Google letting Apple and Samsung raise prices and not join them.

Pro tip: Let carrier deals absorb the $100 price hike

The full retail price matters less if you never pay it. Carriers regularly offer bill credits when you switch carriers or trade in an old phone, and those can easily cover more than the new $100 increase. Check our best cell phone deals before you pay $999 anywhere.

Should you buy the Galaxy S26 now or wait?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 will probably not receive a discount until the S27 is released, so you're stuck paying $999 for the foreseeable future. While we don't expect the price to increase again, nothing is guaranteed. If you need a new phone now, we recommend looking at the Galaxy S25 as a cheaper alternative. You can also switch to an iPhone 17 or Google Pixel 11, both of which are now cheaper than Samsung's Galaxy series.

If you do want an S26, compare carrier offers first, and take a hard look at the S26 FE if you don't need flagship-level cameras. If you can wait, watch for holiday sales and other special deals from carriers and retailers.

Samsung Galaxy S26 price increase: FAQs

How much does the Galaxy S26 cost now?

The Galaxy S26 now starts at $999 for 256GB, up from $899. Samsung raised the price on October 1, 2026, and major carriers and most retailers have matched it.

Why did Samsung raise Galaxy S26 prices?

Experts point to the global memory chip shortage as the main reason for Samsung increasing smartphone prices. Demand from AI data centers has driven up the cost of RAM and storage chips, forcing phone makers to pass those costs on to buyers.

Will the iPhone 18 cost more than the iPhone 17?

Apple hasn't announced the iPhone 18 yet. However, Apple already raised the iPhone 17 to $899 in September, so the base iPhone 18 will likely start at $899 or more when it launches next spring.

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Max McCaskill

Sr. Staff Writer

Max is a Senior Staff Writer at WhistleOut, specializing in mobile plans, operating systems, and carrier news. He regularly tests and reviews dozens of phone plans firsthand, evaluating real-world data speeds, coverage reliability, and plan features. He's been featured in publications such as Yahoo Finance, AARP, AP News, and GoBankingRates.

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