In a move that shouldn't surprise many, Samsung has increased the prices of the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra in India. The price hike has been on the cards for a while now and the steep increase has the smartphones costing up to Rs 25,000 more than their regular prices.
According to the official document Samsung has released for retailers, the price hike affects all three models across all of their storage variants. The adjustments range from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra's higher storage variants being the most affected. Here's a rundown of prices before and after the hike:
| Model | Old Price (Rs) | New Price (Rs) |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S26 (12 GB + 256 GB) | Rs 87,999 | Rs 1,02,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 (12 GB + 512 GB) | Rs 1,07,999 | Rs 1,22,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy S26+ (12 GB + 256 GB) | Rs 1,19,999 | Left Center Right |
| Samsung Galaxy S26+ (12 GB + 512 GB) | Rs 1,39,999 | Rs 1,54,999 |
| Left Center Right | Rs 1,39,999 | Rs 1,54,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra(12 GB + 512 GB) | Rs 1,59,999 | Rs 1,74,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra(16 GB + 1 TB) | Rs 1,89,999 | Rs 2,14,999 |
Starting with the entry-level base Samsung Galaxy S26, which debuted at Rs 87,999, it now costs Rs 1,02,999. Prior to this, the Galaxy S26 had been selling at a discounted price of Rs 79,999 for a while. So, in total, that's a difference of Rs 15,000 from its launch price and an eye-watering Rs 23,000 from its last discounted price.
The Galaxy S26+ suffers the same fate, with both its 256 GB and 512 GB models getting a Rs 15,000 price hike. This brings their prices up to Rs 1,34,999 and Rs 1,54,999 (from Rs 1,19,999 and Rs 1,39,999).
As for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the base variant gets a Rs 15,000 hike as well to Rs 1,54,999 (previously Rs 1,39,999). However, the 12 GB + 512 GB and 16 GB + 1 TB variants will bear the brunt of the impact, with each receiving a whopping Rs 25,000 price hike, crossing the Rs 2,00,000 threshold.
The 12 GB + 256 GB variant of Galaxy S26 Ultra now costs Rs 1,74,999 (previously Rs 1,59,999), whereas the top-tier 16 GB + 1 TB variant costs Rs 2,14,999 (up from Rs 1,89,999).
This shift mirrors recent moves by Apple and the majority of smartphone makers around the world. For those unaware, following the debut of the new iPhone 18 Pro models and the iPhone Duo, Apple increased the iPhone 17 price to Rs 99,900.
With the Galaxy S26 series' price now up, Samsung has lost its competitive edge when it comes to the base variant. The Galaxy S26 now costs Rs 3,099 more than the base iPhone 17, which could spell trouble for the Korean giant.
With top-tier brands now charging steeper premiums, buyers looking for high-end hardware might have to stretch their budgets further. Furthermore, the ongoing RAM crisis isn't going away anytime soon and is expected to last through the year 2029, with severe, lasting effects on the industry.
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