Samsung adds up to $200 to Galaxy S26 prices
Phone buyers now absorb more costs from the artificial intelligence boom
Overview
Galaxy S26 buyers are paying more because the memory inside phones has become far more expensive. are consuming large amounts of , leaving less supply for smartphones and pushing prices sharply higher. Samsung has raised most Galaxy S26 prices by about $100, with the increasing by $200, while absorbing some costs itself to protect sales and profits.
The pressure could last into late 2027. Manufacturers may raise prices, reduce features, accept smaller profits, or make fewer phones. Industry forecasts point to fewer smartphones being sold overall, but at higher average prices, which could make people keep their current phones longer. Memory suppliers benefit from the shortage, while buyers and phone makers face higher costs and weaker demand. Prices could ease if new production catches up.
Timeline
Samsung raises Galaxy S26 prices and lowers shipment target
Reports said Samsung raised prices by up to about $200 in some markets and revised its from about 240 million units to the . Broader production changes remained unconfirmed estimates.
Phone prices begin rising
Manufacturers began passing some higher memory and component costs to consumers. Samsung raised prices on certain models by nearly 150,000 won in South Korea and by about $100 to $200 in the United States, while industry reporting indicated that smartphone were rising more modestly than memory costs.
Memory becomes the largest smartphone component cost
Counterpoint reported that rising memory prices made memory costs exceed system-on-chip costs across in the first half of 2026, increasing pressure on .
Smartphone SoC shipments fall
Counterpoint reported that global fell 15% year over year in the first half of 2026, as higher memory costs, and longer replacement cycles weighed on demand. Counterpoint projected a 14% .
Memory supply may not normalize before late 2027
projected that smartphone may not before the second half of 2027. Rising memory costs and prolonged constraints could continue pressuring manufacturers and smartphone affordability.
Omdia forecasts a smaller, pricier market
Omdia forecast global smartphone shipments to fall 12.2% in 2026, to 1.093 billion units. At the same time, Omdia projected s to rise 21%, from $467 in 2025 to $565 in 2026. The combination of lower volumes and higher prices points to , weaker affordability and a market increasingly concentrated in .
Memory prices surge
Average and prices rose by more than 80% quarter on quarter during the first half of 2026, with further increases reported in Q2. The shock was driven partly by demand for , which competed with smartphone supply. surpassed costs across smartphone price segments, making the component the industry’s central cost constraint.