Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event is expected to arrive later this year, and if the usual pattern holds, it will introduce three new flagship phones: the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. While many fans were hoping for stable pricing, new reporting suggests Samsung may be preparing noticeable price increases for the Galaxy S26 lineup, with the jump potentially tied to ongoing component pressures such as DRAM supply constraints.
Leaked estimates for South Korea indicate two storage options for each model, with 256GB positioned as the base version and 512GB as the step-up configuration. Contrary to earlier talk of a possible price freeze, the latest figures point to customers paying significantly more than last year’s Galaxy S25 series—especially if they opt for 512GB.
Estimated Galaxy S26 series prices in South Korea (256GB and 512GB)
Galaxy S26
256GB: 1,254,000 won (about $865)
512GB: 1.46 million won (about $1,007)
Galaxy S26+
256GB: 1,452,000 won (about $1,001)
512GB: 1.66 million won (about $1,145)
Galaxy S26 Ultra
256GB: 1,797,000 won (about $1,240)
512GB: 2 million won (about $1,380)
How much more expensive than Galaxy S25?
Galaxy S26
256GB: up 99,000 won (about $67.6)
512GB: up 162,000 won (about $111.8)
Galaxy S26+
256GB: up 99,000 won (about $67.6)
512GB: up 164,000 won (about $113.2)
Galaxy S26 Ultra
256GB: up 98,600 won (about $67.13)
512GB: up 158,600 won (about $109.4)
In other words, the biggest increases appear to land on the 512GB models, where the difference rises to roughly $109–$113 depending on the device. If these estimates hold, shoppers considering higher storage could feel the change most immediately.
There may be a silver lining for early buyers. The same report suggests Samsung could offer a storage upgrade promotion during Galaxy S26 pre-orders, which would help reduce the sting of higher pricing by giving early adopters more storage for the same starting cost. However, it’s still unclear whether this deal would be offered globally or limited to specific regions.
More clarity should arrive as the Galaxy Unpacked date gets closer, especially regarding final pricing in other markets and whether the rumored pre-order storage upgrade becomes a broad launch perk or a region-specific incentive.
