The Galaxy S26 lineup makes one thing clear: Samsung wants you in the Ultra | Tech Radar

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The Galaxy S26 lineup makes one thing clear: Samsung wants you in the Ultra

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Samsung's new Galaxy S26 lineup is by no means a reinvention of the popular smartphone brand. Instead, it's a collection of design tweaks and some important, even one-of-a-kind, under-the-hood updates that could change the way you use your phone.

The best features, like the actually unique Privacy Display (a first for mobile phones), are confined to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Not surprising when you consider it's the true flagship, and the S26 and S26 Plus are more or less like bridesmaids carrying the bride's lengthy train.

However, Samsung did something unusual this go around. It raised the prices of the Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus by

100 compared to the S25 versions. So instead of

799.99 to start, the S26 is now

899.99 / £879.00, and instead of

999.99, the S26 Plus is $1,099.99 / £1,099.00.

Samsung won't blame the RAM crisis for its S26 price hikes, but I will

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might not get any camera upgrades — but that's fine if it means we avoid a price hike

'This is one feature we can't wait to try' — 6 major Galaxy S26 updates for the Ultra and its siblings that could change how you use your phone

I sort of expected some price hikes, given the skyrocketing cost of RAM and the potential impact of persistent US tariffs on virtually all imported goods (Samsung is a South Korean company, after all).

What's strange is that the Galaxy S26 Ultra, despite new features like brighter cameras, a new vapor chamber, and a thinner, lighter design, is the same price as it was last year: $1,299.99 / £1,279.00.

Look at what the S26 Ultra gives you (Image credit: Future)

Every Galaxy S26 model starts with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM (the Ultra pops up to 16GB with a terabyte of storage). So it's not significant differences in storage or RAM that are making the difference.

I'm not saying the S26 Ultra is suddenly a cheap phone. It's not, and I encourage anyone checking it out to look for solid trade-in offers (there are many). And it's not like the S26 Ultra has fewer AI features. It boasts all the same Bixby (with Perplexity-enhanced), Gemini (with new Circle to Search), and emerging Agentic capabilities as the rest of the lineup. Now Brief, Now Nudge, Now – you get the idea – are all the same. You can chat with this phone's various AI systems, just as you can on the S26 and S26 Plus.

On the other hand, the S26 Ultra far exceeds the other phones in camera capabilities with two telephoto cameras and one 200MP main camera. The lenses even have wider apertures on some of them. The S26 and S26 Plus didn't get any of that.

I think I know what's going on here. In any given year, the base models for the Galaxy line tend to outsell the more expensive Ultra by a fairly significant margin. The S26 Ultra, though, is a showcase for everything that Samsung does well. The best cameras, most powerful video (8k, 30fps, a virtual gimbal), biggest screen, and don't forget the S Pen.

People go for the more affordable phones because they're good enough for most of their needs. However, by closing the gap just a bit between the S26, S26 Plus, and the S26 Ultra, I think Samsung is pushing (or gently squeezing) people toward the higher end. It makes the S26 Ultra seem like more of a bargain, especially with all you get for essentially spending $200 more than the S26 Plus. So you get the big screen (the Plus is 6.7 inches) and the best cameras.

Samsung won't blame the RAM crisis for its S26 price hikes, but I will

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might not get any camera upgrades — but that's fine if it means we avoid a price hike

'This is one feature we can't wait to try' — 6 major Galaxy S26 updates for the Ultra and its siblings that could change how you use your phone

I might be wrong, but there has to be a reason Samsung did not raise the price for the entire line, especially when all three phones have the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. Aside from dropping titanium, I don't see where Samsung saved the money.

Perhaps it was the titanium. Apple, too, fell out of love with the material on its latest flagships. I have no idea how much titanium was costing Samsung. Was it $100 per unit? Maybe. Or perhaps Samsung would like you to consider a Galaxy S26 Ultra for your next Android purchase.

Samsung Galaxy S26: free storage upgrade, plus up to £607 off with a trade at Samsung Over at the official Samsung Store, you can get some of the biggest trade-in rebates of up to £607 on the new lineup of Galaxy S26 phones. So, if you're looking to upgrade from your existing handset and keep your current network contract, then this is likely the best place to look first. All devices also include a free double storage upgrade to 512GB. Plus, if you registered your interest ahead of this reveal livestream, you have an extra £30 to spend in the store.

Samsung Galaxy S26: get up to

900 off with a trade-in, or

150 credit at Samsung Looking for an unlocked device? Look no further than Samsung's excellent opening deal on the Galaxy S26 series. Available right now is an impressive trade-in rebate of up to

900 off - a discount that can result in a seriously cheap phone. Alternatively, if you're not looking to trade, then you can instead get up to

150 in store credit today - a very handy little bonus indeed for cheap accessories on the side.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: free with a new unlimited line, plus free tablet at T-Mobile T-Mobile's strongest opening offer has to be the carrier's deal on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Impressively, you don't even need to trade-in to be eligible for here, although you do need a line on the higher-end Experience Beyond or Go 5G Next plans. If you're looking for a cheaper line, then you can instead get the standard Galaxy S26 on the Experience More or Go 5G Plus plans without having to trade. And, as a side note, you can also bundle in a Galaxy Tab A11+ for free if you take out an additional tablet cellular line.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus: free with a new unlimited line at Verizon My favorite deal at Verizon today is on the Galaxy S26 Plus - a device that's currently available for free if you pair it up with either the high-end Ultimate or mid-tier Plus plan. More interested in the Welcome Unlimited plan? Then you can simply get the device for just $10/mo, which is a great price. Alternatively, you can instead trade-in an old device to get the Galaxy S26 Ultra alongside an Ultimate unlimited plan.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: free with a trade-in and unlimited line, plus cheap accessories at AT&T AT&T's best opening deal is on the Galaxy S26 Ultra in my opinion, as you can get this high-end device for free with a trade-in and unlimited line. All the devices require trades for discounts today, so why not go all-out and pick up the best of the best? Sweetening the deal further today is the option to bundle in a tablet and smartwatch for just $0.99 per month each if you're willing to pay a little extra for accessory cellular lines.

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A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.

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Key Takeaways

The Galaxy S26 lineup makes one thing clear: Samsung wants you in the Ultra
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission
Samsung's new Galaxy S26 lineup is by no means a reinvention of the popular smartphone brand
The best features, like the actually unique Privacy Display (a first for mobile phones), are confined to the Galaxy S26 Ultra
However, Samsung did something unusual this go around