After several shifting rumors, it now looks almost certain that Samsung will launch its Galaxy S26 Ultra later in the year than its predecessor, the Galaxy S25. A new leak from a highly reputable tipster confirms previous reports about a February launch date for the upcoming flagship. If you don’t want to miss out on the latest release date and pre-order deal news, sign up to my newsletter here.
Evan Blass Corroborates February Galaxy S26 Release Date Rumors
Long-time smartphone leaker Evan Blass posted on X that Samsung will hold its Galaxy S26 Unpacked event on February 25th. Blass quoted Ice Universe, who originally broke the news, stating that the date was “100% correct.”
We still don’t have an exact date for when the phones will go on sale, but Ice Universe previously said that the Galaxy S26 series will hit shelves in “early March,” although halfway through the month might be more likely.
Samsung’s last five launches have landed between 14 and 16 days after the Galaxy Unpacked event. A February 25th reveal would suggest the Galaxy S26 series might be available to buy around March 13th. While that is mid-month rather than “early” March, the 13th is a Friday—the typical day of the week Samsung chooses for its flagship retail releases.
Update January 8th: Samsung Warns Of Possible Galaxy S26 Price Increases
Update January 8th 16:12 ET: Samsung executives are warning that rising prices for the company’s products, including upcoming smartphones, are possible because of the global shortage of memory chips.
Speaking to Reuters at CES 2026, Samsung Electronics co-CEO TM Roh said that “no company is immune” to the pressure of the global memory shortage and subsequent skyrocketing prices, including Samsung’s smartphone business. Roh didn’t rule out raising product prices, going as far as to say that it was “inevitable.”
Samsung’s global marketing president, Wonjin Lee, echoed Roh’s warning in an interview with Bloomberg. “When memory prices go up, it’s going to have an impact on the price of products. I don’t think we’re immune to those issues.”
Prices are going up… we don’t want to convey that burden to consumers, but we’re going to be at a point where we have to consider repricing our products,” Lee continued.
I don’t know if Samsung is soft-launching a price hike for the Galaxy S26 with these two interviews, or if, as Korean media has repeatedly reported, executives are yet to decide on the phone’s final price. A price increase may not be devastating for Samsung’s sales if every other smartphone maker follows suit.
What is interesting, though, is the impact on future promotions and deals. Samsung is one of the most aggressive manufacturers when it comes to discounting its tech, especially its smartphones. During Black Friday, the Korean company slashed the Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB down to $859.99. A sub-$900 Samsung flagship with the second-highest memory option is about as good as it gets. That type of price cut—both slashing the handset price and giving away storage upgrades—may be a thing of the past if the global memory shortage continues.
Why? Memory prices have skyrocketed because of the AI boom, with factory space, RAM, and flash storage being diverted to powering AI data centers. It’s not just Samsung and the Galaxy S26, all smartphone manufacturers are currently trying to balance pricing with profits for their 2026 releases. Read more about that here.
