Samsung Explains Galaxy S26 Price Hike: “Memory Crisis Made It Inevitable”

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics has responded to criticism over the price increase of its new Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup.

According to company executives, rising global memory costs played a decisive role in the decision.

$100 Increase for S26 and S26 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus now start at $899 and $1,099 respectively — $100 higher than their predecessors.

For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S25 launched at $799, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus started at $999. The flagship Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra maintains its $1,299 price tag.

Executive Statement

Samsung executive Won-Joon Choi stated that the surge in DRAM and NAND flash memory prices significantly increased production costs. He also cited higher raw material expenses and tariffs as contributing factors, but emphasized that the memory supply crunch had the greatest impact.

Storage Upgrade Offsets Some of the Gap

Samsung has removed the 128 GB storage option from the base model, making 256 GB the new starting capacity. While this offers better value in terms of storage, it also partly explains the higher entry price compared to the previous generation.

As competition intensifies in the premium smartphone market, the coming months will reveal how consumers respond to Samsung’s updated pricing strategy.