Samsung’s next big flagship launch is likely next month and early pricing leaks for the Galaxy S26 series are already giving buyers something to think about. A recent report from South Korea suggests that Samsung is finally laying the groundwork for a price hike, though the impact may vary depending on the market and timing of the launch. Details about the US and South Korea markets have surfaced online, but we will also see how much the upcoming Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra could cost in India. Here’s everything we know so far.

Samsung Galaxy S26 launch tipped in February 2026: US, Korea pricing details leaked

According to a report by Korean publication FN News, Samsung is planning to increase the prices of the Galaxy S26 lineup in its home market. Industry sources cited in the report claim that the base 256GB variants of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra could see a price increase of between KRW 44,000 and KRW 88,000. For reference, the Galaxy S25 series launched in South Korea at KRW 1,155,000 for the S25, KRW 1,353,000 for the S25+, and KRW 1,698,400 for the S25 Ultra. The jump to this range would be a significant increase compared to recent years, where Samsung has largely tried to keep prices stable.

Interestingly, the same report suggests that this price increase may not be immediately applicable to all global markets. Samsung is said to be considering keeping the launch prices unchanged in select regions, including the US. If that happens, the Galaxy S26 series could start at the same price point as the existing models, around $800 for the S26, $1,000 for the S26 Plus, and $1,300 for the S26 Ultra. However, these lower prices may only be valid during the initial launch phase, possibly as part of a limited-time launch offer. It is also unclear which other markets, if any, will benefit from this temporary pricing strategy.

Why might Samsung announce price hike with Galaxy S26 launch?

The reasons behind the expected price increase are not difficult to trace. One of the biggest pressure points is memory costs. The price of 12GB LPDDR5X RAM has reportedly more than doubled from last year and is expected to increase another 40 percent in the second half of this year. Storage isn’t helping either, with NAND flash prices rising too. Together, these component increases significantly increase the bill of materials for premium smartphones.

Additionally, Samsung is also dealing with currency challenges. The Korean won has weakened against the US dollar, with its exchange rate crossing 1,400 KRW to $1. This has a direct impact on the cost of imported components. Reports show that Samsung spent a record KRW 11 trillion on smartphone chipsets in the second half of last year, with a large portion of that money going to US-based Qualcomm. This also explains why Samsung continues to promote its Exynos chips, which are made in-house and are less affected by exchange rate fluctuations. That said, the leak indicates that the Galaxy S26 series will still rely on Snapdragon processors in most markets, with Korea possibly being the only exception.

Samsung Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, S26 Ultra: How much can they cost in India?

When it comes to India, the situation is still unclear. Samsung has not confirmed whether it will continue the same pricing strategy used for the Galaxy S25 series or make a hike. To remind, the price of Galaxy S25 in India starts from Rs 80,999, while the price of S25+ is Rs 99,999 and S25 Ultra is priced at Rs 1,29,999. Notably, the prices of the Plus and Ultra models remained the same as the Galaxy S24 series, while the base S25 saw only a marginal increase of Rs 1,000.

The Galaxy S26 series is expected to bring several hardware upgrades, especially on the Ultra models, so a price jump would come as no surprise. The S26 Ultra features a more efficient display, an integrated privacy screen, improved lenses with new coatings, larger apertures for the main and telephoto cameras, a wider selfie camera, faster wired and wireless charging, a more efficient processor, upgraded memory, new video controls, and a slimmer overall design.

Also, Samsung has traditionally tried to keep its flagship pricing below Apple’s Pro iPhone models, and this trend may continue with the Galaxy S26 series remaining cheaper than the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro lineup. With brands like Apple, OnePlus, Vivo and iQOO already raising flagship prices, Samsung could either follow suit or hold the line and try to stand out.

According to tipster Ice Universe, Samsung is preparing to launch the Galaxy S26 series at an event in San Francisco on February 25, 2026. With the launch getting closer, more clarity about India-specific pricing is likely to emerge in the coming weeks. Until then, all eyes will be on whether Samsung wants to bear the rising cost this time or pass it on to buyers. You can stay connected with India Today Tech for all updates.