Samsung May Raise Galaxy S26 Prices as Memory Costs Spiral Out of Control

By Shikhar Mehrotra • Updated On 29 Dec 2025

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TL; DR

Samsung is “struggling” to reduce component costs as its prices continue to soar in the global market.
The company is currently reserving more of its financial resources for marketing and labor.
This is making it challenging to maintain “reasonable sale prices” (read: current prices) for its upcoming Galaxy S26.

Reports about a looming price hike in the smartphone industry — due to rising memory prices — have been surfacing online, front and center. Most recently, a report from China claimed that Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s price hike is due to rising component costs, primarily for RAM.

Also Read: realme 16 Pro 5G Confirmed to Feature Dimensity 7300-Max SoC & 144Hz AMOLED Display

Prepare For A More Expensive Galaxy S26 Lineup Next Year

A new report by the Korean publication The Bell claims that Samsung is “struggling” to reduce component costs as their prices continue to soar in the global market. The company is currently reserving more of its financial resources for marketing and labor.

However, this is making it challenging to maintain “reasonable sale prices” (read: current prices) for its upcoming Galaxy S26. Therefore, we expect all smartphones in the lineup, including the vanilla Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra, to be more expensive than the outgoing Galaxy S25 series.

For those catching up, the Galaxy S25 (12GB + 256GB) was launched in the Indian market at Rs. 80,999. At the same time, the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra were launched for Rs. 99,999 and Rs. 1,29,999, respectively (for the base variants with 256GB of storage). If the report has merit, Samsung will have one of two options.

Also Read: Motorola Edge 70 Review: The Price of Being Thin

The Korean giant will either reduce the memory on its flagship smartphones (8GB instead of 12GB) or increase prices for the same amount of memory (e.g., a 5-8% increase for the same configuration). The company has the option to absorb the increased component cost, but doing so would impact its profit margin.

Samsung Is Testing One UI 8.5 Builds On Galaxy Tab S11 Models

Meanwhile, Samsung has begun internal testing of its upcoming software update — One UI 8.5. The firmware is currently being tested on a range of Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy Tab S8 (versions X900XXU9EYL1 and X900OXM9EYL1) and the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and regular variants (X930XXU3AYL6 and X730XXU3AYL6, respectively).

The test build has been deployed to the company’s servers in Korea, India, and Europe. Based on our current understanding, the Tab S11 series will be among the first Samsung tablets to receive the One UI 8.5 update, alongside the purported Galaxy S26 and the current Galaxy S25 lineup.

Also Read: Samsung, Not Sony, To Manufacture iPhone 18’s Advanced Camera Sensors In Its Austin Factory: Report

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Shikhar Mehrotra

Shikhar Mehrotra is a seasoned technology writer and reviewer with over five years of experience covering consumer tech across India and global markets. At Smartprix, he has authored more than 1,700 articles, including news stories, features, comparisons, and product reviews spanning automobiles, smartphones, chipsets, wearables, laptops, home appliances, and operating systems. Shikhar has reviewed flagship devices such as the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25+, and Sennheiser HD 505 Open-Ear headphones. He also contributes regularly to Smartprix’s growing automotive section.

With a deep understanding of both iOS and Android ecosystems, Shikhar specializes in daily tech news, how-to explainers, product comparisons, and in-depth reviews. His DSLR photography in product reviews is recognized as among the best on the team.

Before joining Smartprix, Shikhar wrote for leading publications including Forbes Advisor India, Republic World, and ScreenRant. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University, Lucknow.

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