Samsung Galaxy S26 Leaks:Samsung fans waiting for the Galaxy S26 have received mixed news ahead of its expected launch in March. According to reports from Korean publication FN News, the upcoming Galaxy S26 series will see a price increase in South Korea, though early launch offers may soften the blow.
While Korean buyers are likely to pay more, Samsung is reportedly planning to keep prices unchanged in select overseas markets like the US, at least during the initial launch window. However, these lower prices may only last for a limited time and may not apply globally.
Why Galaxy S26 Might Become Costlier?
Industry sources claim that the base 256GB variants of the Galaxy S26 lineup will become costlier in South Korea. Prices are expected to rise between KRW 44,000 and KRW 88,000. For context, the Galaxy S25 launched at KRW 1,155,000, the S25+ at KRW 1,353,000, and the S25 Ultra at KRW 1,698,400.
The main reason behind the Galaxy S26 price hike is the sharp increase in memory costs. The price of 12GB LPDDR5X RAM has more than doubled compared to last year.
On top of that, it is expected to rise another 40% in the second half of this year. Storage prices are also increasing, as NAND flash memory is becoming more expensive.
Another major issue is currency exchange. The Korean Won has weakened significantly against the US Dollar, crossing 1,400 KRW to $1. Since many smartphone components are imported, this directly impacts manufacturing costs.
Galaxy S26 Launch Price Details & Chipset Strategy
Despite higher costs, Samsung reportedly plans to keep launch prices unchanged in markets like the US. This means the Galaxy S26 series could debut at $800, $1,000, and $1,300, matching the Galaxy S25 lineup. However, this pricing may only apply during the launch phase and may not be available in every country.
Samsung has also been spending heavily on chipsets. In Q3 and Q4 last year, the company reportedly spent a record KRW 11 trillion on smartphone chips, most of it paid to US-based Qualcomm.
This explains Samsung’s push to use Exynos processors, which are cheaper and less affected by exchange rate fluctuations. Still, Exynos adoption remains limited. Current unconfirmed reports suggest the Galaxy S26 series will use Snapdragon chips globally, except in Korea.
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 series in late February in San Francisco, with retail sales starting in early March. The impact isn’t limited to flagships either; models like the Galaxy A56 are also seeing price increases, including a ₹2,000 hike in India.
