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The Galaxy S26 series hit the market roughly seven months back. According to reports, Samsung is reviewing possible price adjustments for phones that are already on sale, though nothing has been finalized and the company hasn’t said how much any increase might be.
In South Korea, local reports point to a possible uniform hike of around 149,600 won (about $110–$111) per model that could kick in from October 1 if approved.
That would push the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra to higher retail prices in that market. Samsung has reportedly confirmed it’s internally reviewing pricing because of rising component costs, but stressed that no decision has been made yet.
And this isn’t new. At its September 9, 2026 launch event, Apple discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro models and raised the prices of the remaining ones: the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, 17e, and iPhone 16. The new iPhone 18 Pro models are also $100 more expensive than their predecessors. The Galaxy S27 series was previously expected to launch at higher prices than the current generation as well.
The main reason, as you may already know, is the sharp jump in memory chip prices. Smartphone memory costs rose by more than 80% in the second quarter compared with the previous one, and in some assessments were roughly 300% higher than the same period a year earlier.
Memory has now become the single most expensive part of building a smartphone, even more than the processor. Samsung’s mobile division posted an operating loss of about 700 billion won in the second quarter and paid roughly 211% more for mobile memory in the first half of the year than it did the year before.
Normally, phone makers wait for a new launch to pass higher costs on to customers. But the current memory surge has most smartphone brands considering significant price changes on existing models as well.
Whether Samsung actually goes ahead with a hike, and in which countries beyond South Korea, is still up in the air. For now, the company is just weighing whether to keep absorbing the higher costs or adjust the retail prices on the current flagships following its biggest competitor.
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