By now, you’ve probably heard a lot through the grapevine regarding the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Aside from details like the designs and chipsets, previous leaks have pointed to a February launch date. Now, recent reports out of Korea further support this claim.
According to said reports, Samsung is planning to host a Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco on 25 February 2025. During this event, the company will be unveiling the new Galaxy S26 lineup. The phones will then go on sale shortly after in early March. Of course, this is notably later than usual, since the S25 series officially launched in January last year. But the delay comes as no surprise given the production hiccups.
That said, there is some good news. Apparently, Samsung has decided against increasing the prices of its flagship phones this time around. This follows previous rumours of a potential price hike due to rising manufacturing costs.
As per a report by Maeil Business Newspaper, the base Galaxy S26 will retail for US$799 (~RM3,241). Meanwhile, the Plus and Ultra models will allegedly cost US$999 (~RM4,052) and US$1,299 (~RM5,270) respectively. For reference, the Galaxy S25 lineup has a starting price of RM3,999 in Malaysia.
As to why Samsung has chosen to maintain the same pricing, the report noted that the company wants to avoid losing market share to Apple and Chinese phone makers. Apparently, the price freeze will extend to its foldable lineup, which will launch sometime in July. This means that both the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Flip8 will have the same cost as their predecessors.
Unfortunately, this generosity is limited to the brand’s premium devices. The company is still reportedly planning on a price hike for some of the models in its Galaxy A series. So far, though, there is no word on which devices will end up being costlier. Apparently, this move is meant to minimise consumer backlash while protecting earnings.
(Source: Maeil Business Newspaper via TechRadar)
