TECH NEWS – Samsung is expected to lean harder into AI, while still upgrading the camera and system-on-a-chip to keep its next flagship competitive.
Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy S26 lineup, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra positioned as the series’ top model and tipped to bring several upgrades. Unfortunately, with the DRAM crunch still in the spotlight and NAND flash also getting more expensive, dodging a price bump would have been difficult. For that reason, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is widely expected to cost roughly 6% more than its direct predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, even as the company reportedly targets higher shipment volumes this year.
Samsung has already shown it’s willing to pass costs on to buyers – its Galaxy Book 6 Pro family was priced notably higher than the previous generation – so it would be surprising if the firm absorbed component increases for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The flagship is said to launch in South Korea at around 1.8 million won, which would represent a 6% premium over the 256 GB base Galaxy S25 Ultra that sold for 1.69 million won.
With one of Samsung’s co-CEOs acknowledging that no company is immune to memory shortages, the firm may need to focus on areas beyond simply boosting specs. A next-generation AI experience, a slightly beefier version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and a new camera sensor are meant to shift the marketing narrative away from raw hardware bumps and toward consumer-facing features that can drive sales.
As in previous launches, Samsung is also expected to broaden the appeal of its flagship line through early-buyer perks such as free gifts and discounts, although those offers will vary by region. That could help the company regain momentum after recently losing the top spot in smartphone shipments to Apple, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra may play a role in that push. The remaining question is how large the increase will be in local pricing.
