Samsung Galaxy S26 series price hike likely to come soon: What it could mean for Indian buyers

Samsung could raise Galaxy S26 series prices in South Korea from October, with a reported uniform 149,600-won (around ₹10,500) increase across the lineup. However, India and the global price hike for the flagships remain uncertain.

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South Korean outlet Hans Economy reports that a mobile carrier has notified retailers about the planned October 1 change, although no final decision has been made. The development comes days after Apple launched its iPhone 18 Pro series and raised prices of several existing iPhones in India. If Samsung follows suit, premium smartphone buyers could face another round of price increases.

Galaxy S26 series could get costlier in South Korea

According to Hans Economy, Samsung could raise wholesale prices by 149,600 won (around ₹10,500) across the lineup:

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• Galaxy S26 256GB: 1,254,000 won → 1,403,600 won (around ₹99,000)
• Galaxy S26+ 256GB: 1,452,000 won → 1,601,600 won (around ₹1.12 lakh)
• Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB: 1,797,400 won → 1,947,000 won (around ₹1.37 lakh)

The possible increase has been linked to sharply rising memory and component costs, with AI data centres driving demand for memory and storage components. Samsung has acknowledged to Hans Economy that it is reviewing prices internally because of higher component costs, but said nothing has been finalised and that it has not issued an official price-increase notice.

Samsung price hike comes after Apple’s latest move

In India, the Galaxy S26 starts at ₹87,999, while the S26+ and S26 Ultra start at ₹1,19,999 and ₹1,39,999, respectively.

Additionally, tipster Abhishek Yadav said on X that the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S26 could also see price increases in India, although he did not provide revised prices.

The timing is notable as Apple has just launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, starting at ₹1,64,900 and ₹1,79,900 in India. Apple has also increased prices of several older iPhone models in the country.

Currently, Samsung's India prices remain unchange; however, another hike could make the premium smartphone market even more expensive for the buyers.