All attention is turning to Samsung now that 2026 is here, especially when it’s historically the first major phone maker to release a flagship phone in the new year. Following reports that Samsung was considering an increase to the price of its Galaxy S26 phones, a new leak indicates we could see a much later launch than last year.
Specifically, the South Korean press via @UniverseIce reports that the next Galaxy Unpacked event for the Galaxy S26 could happen on Wednesday, February 25, with the event taking place in San Francisco. This rumor puts the Galaxy S26 launch a full month later than the Galaxy S25’s reveal, which happened on January 22, 2025.
This matches up to a previous leak back in November, which would put the Galaxy S26 models on track to go on sale sometime in early March. Personally. I'm fine with this possibility, as it could give Samsung more time to refine its lineup, which should include a potential contender for best phone in the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Considering how the newly arrived OnePlus 15 has set the bar for all other phone releases in 2026, I don’t mind Samsung delaying its own flagship phone launch, just as long as the tech giant overdelivers. This new report hints as production challenges, as the company’s reportedly putting a hiatus on the Galaxy S26 Edge, which inevitably could be the reason for the general delay.
[Exclusive] Samsung’s bold decision… Galaxy S26 prices to stay unchangedSamsung Electronics has decided to keep the prices of its flagship smartphone lineup, the “Galaxy S26” series, unchanged when it launches in March this year.The industry had previously expected a price… pic.twitter.com/D5KrDkbGJdJanuary 1, 2026
However, there could be a silver lining in another report in regards to the Galaxy S26's pricing. According to Maeil Business in South Korea courtesy of known leaker @jukan05, the price of the new models may not change from their 2025 counterparts after all.
If true, that would mean prices of $799, $999, and $1,299 for the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra respectively. This bodes well for the latter, naturally, especially when the OnePlus 15 remains competitively priced at $899.
Either way, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a tough road ahead, even after a recent specs leak shows how it’s going to be packing similar hardware to the OnePlus 15 — most notably in the form of a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Samsung's Ultra model is also tipped to get an upgraded 3x telephoto camera, but I would hope there’s going to be even more Galaxy AI features introduced in order to justify its higher cost over the OnePlus 15.
Perhaps the S26 lineup could gain the same upgraded Samsung DeX interface that’s coming with the Galaxy Z TriFold? That would be a big step up in truly making the Ultra model a powerhouse, but at least it won’t be long before we know for sure
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
