The Galaxy S26 is currently recording very good results on the market. Samsung states that it is selling twice as well as the Galaxy S25 model in South Korea, while demand is stable in other markets around the world. That is why the company increased production for July 2026 by 50 percent, to 1.5 million units.
At first glance, this growth can be explained by the quality of the device itself and the ratio of invested and received. The Galaxy S26 clearly has a strong enough package to attract buyers. That’s probably not the whole story, though.
Some users may be buying the Galaxy S26 now because they expect significantly higher prices for the Galaxy S27 series next year. More experienced customers usually do not rush to buy immediately after the release of a new flagship phone, because then the discounts are not big, and the promotions are mostly related to the replacement of the old device, especially through Samsung’s official store.
The Galaxy S26 takes advantage of a moment when customers are increasingly considering future phone prices
That’s why many wait for the middle of the sales cycle. Then the device is far enough from the premiere for serious discounts to appear, but it is not yet too close to the successor. It is during this period that Samsung often increases promotions, because the initial wave of sales naturally weakens after the first quarter.
Now the situation is different, because almost all data and forecasts point to an increase in the prices of flagship phones. Memory chips already make up more than 40 percent of the device’s production price, and it is unlikely that the situation will improve quickly. If Samsung’s mobile division is already suffering pressure on margins, it will be difficult to avoid a price increase for the next generation.
Because of this, part of the buyers consider the Galaxy S26 series as a safer purchase. They see memory prices rising, follow unofficial information about the Galaxy S27 models and conclude that today’s Galaxy S26, with existing discounts, is a financially more reasonable option than waiting for a phone that could be more expensive.
Samsung thus, perhaps unplanned, entered a logic that is more common in the market of raw materials than in consumer electronics: buy now, before the price goes up. The same pattern is already being seen in memory chips, where major buyers are trying to secure supplies before new price increases and possible shortages.
That’s not to say the Galaxy S26 isn’t a successful phone in its own right. On the contrary, good sales show that the device has an attractive package. But it’s hard to ignore the broader market context where buyers are increasingly thinking about future prices, not just current specifications.
If the Galaxy S27 Ultra, for example, does indeed arrive with a significantly higher price, there is no guarantee that Samsung will return to the old levels later. Even if the memory market calms down in 2028 or 2029, companies won’t have a strong reason to cut prices themselves if customers have already accepted the new level of higher prices.
That’s why strong demand for the Galaxy S26 series doesn’t just mean that the phone is extremely desirable. It can also mean that customers have become more cautious. At a time when the price of the next generation is expected to rise, buying now seems like a way to get by cheaper in the long run, writes Sammobile.