It’s always exciting to see information for new smartphones drop, as is the case with Samsung’s latest lineup of Galaxy devices, first unveiled during the Galaxy Unpacked event. Details have been trickling out about the new phones for a while now. They’re sleeker, lighter than ever, and powerful with pro-grade camera specifications, which is common for Samsung devices, and they’ve been designed with privacy in mind. They’re also equipped with some new AI tricks that could really make Gemini, Samsung’s AI companion, useful. Outlets had some idea of the prices when the phones were first announced, but in the wake of RAM and storage shortages, there was a possibility that could change.
Samsung has now unwrapped the details on pre-orders at its official site, and we know those prices. Unlocked, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will be $1,300 for the 256GB model, $1,500 for the 512GB model and $1,800 for the 1TB model. Remember, however, that’s the high-end option of the lineup. The Samsung Galaxy S26 is a more reasonable $900 for the 256GB model, while the Galaxy S26+ is $1,100 for the 256GB model — both unlocked. You can also order them through Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, likely subsidized with the prices spread out over the course of contract terms if you don’t want to buy outright.
Not so fast, pre-order offers could sweeten the deal
Samsung is offering a variety of pre-order promos for a limited time that could lower the total price of the new Galaxy S26 lineup. For example, you can save up to $500 and redeem rewards points at two-times the value when you buy the standard Galaxy S26 with a $500 instant trade-in credit. You can also take advantage of a $50 off PayPal code (PAYPAL50) at checkout (if you use PayPal to buy the phone, of course). That $500, which is the low-end of the best offers, would essentially take down the $900 standard Galaxy S26 price to $400, less if you get more credits and the full trade-in value of your old device.
With the Galaxy S26 Ultra, you can save up to $900 with instant trade-in credits, versus $700 for the Galaxy S26+. Again, prices differ depending on the model you chose with extra storage costing more. To get that full trade-in credit, you would need to send back a Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy S25+, or Galaxy 25 Ultra. Galaxy Z Fold6, Galaxy S25, Galaxy S24 Ultra, and Galaxy S24+ drop $100 off the trade-in value and from there it decreases more with older phones.
As for upgrades, the Galaxy S26 offers a 6.3-inch dynamic AMOLED display with a 4.74GHz octa-core processor. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26+ ups that screen size to 6.7 inches with the same processor, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra follows that. The real star of the show for the new phones is all the cool new features you’ll get to use in the S26 Ultra, especially. That includes a revamped camera experience that might help you fix some of the worst pictures you snap on the fly. Either way, you’re getting some significant phone upgrades here, should you choose to get the latest models.
