Samsung exec explains why Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26 Plus, S26 prices are higher this year

Samsung launched its latest flagship smartphone lineup, the Galaxy S26 series, earlier this week. The lineup includes three models- the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and the S26 Ultra– all of which come with faster performance, new AI features and a refined design. But along with the upgrades, there’s something else that you must have noticed: higher prices. Now, a senior Samsung executive has explained why.

In a conversation with The Verge, Samsung’s mobile business COO, Won-Joon Choi, said the memory shortage played a major role in the price hike. He added that while other factors like higher material costs and tariffs also impacted pricing, memory was ‘significant.’

Also read: Google Nano Banana 2 is here: Features, how to use it and more details

Chipmaker Qualcomm, which supplies processors for Galaxy phones, recently warned investors about a slowdown in the handset market. In its February quarterly results, Qualcomm said it was seeing a big dip in its smartphone business ‘100 percent’ due to the memory shortage. The company also said that the growing demand for AI hardware components could influence the entire smartphone industry this year.

This week, IDC also predicted a 12.9 percent decline in global smartphone shipments in 2026. ‘What we are witnessing is not a temporary squeeze, but a tsunami-like shock originating in the memory supply chain, with ripple effects spreading across the entire consumer electronics industry,’ IDC wrote.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26 Plus, S26 price in India, Dubai, USA and more compared: Which country offers the lowest cost

Here’s how the launch prices of Galaxy S26 series compare with the previous generation:

• Samsung Galaxy S25: Rs 80,999
• Samsung Galaxy S26: Rs 87,999

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Rs 99,999
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus: Rs 1,19,999

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Rs 1,29,999
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Rs 1,39,999

Also read: Best Phones Under 30000

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