$1,400 Galaxy S26 Ultra?! Every Samsung Galaxy S26 phone just got a price hike

Samsung has officially increased prices for nearly every single Galaxy S26 model, save for one. And one variant of the S26 Ultra is now $200 more expensive.It's essentially the second price hike for the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus since both models received $100 increases at launch compared to the S25 versions. At the time, the Galaxy S26 Ultra models retained the same $1,299 starting cost.Only the more recently announced Galaxy S26 FE kept its launch price, though it is $50 more expensive than the S25 FE. Swipe to scroll horizontally Samsung Galaxy S26 series starting prices Model Old Price New Price Galaxy S26 $899 $999 Galaxy S26 Plus $1,099 $1,199 Galaxy S26 Ultra $1,299 $1,399 Galaxy S26 FE $699 No change The prices listed are for the starting 256GB versions of each model. The 512GB versions of the S26 and S26 Plus now costs $1,199 and $1,399, respectively.The Ultra models are now $1,599 for the 512GB variant and $1,999 for the 1TB, a $200 increase over the previous price.In March, Samsung justified the first price increase by emphasizing upgrades and innovation, though company executives also admitted the ongoing AI-created RAMageddon was to blame. Unfortunately, the RAM crisis isn't going away anytime soon, and 2027 is expected to be worse by some than this year.Next year's Galaxy S27 was just tipped for a price hike, but hopefully that's based on the original S26 prices and not these new ones.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.What to do if you need a new Samsung phone (Image credit: Tom's Guide / John Velasco)If you are in the market for a smartphone, my recommendation is wait for sales and big discounts. Never pay full price.Otherwise, Samsung offers cheaper, capable phones like its Galaxy A57 series that starts at $549. In the meantime, Amazon is still offering the Galaxy S26 Ultra at the original price. That also includes some colors of the S26 and the S26 Plus.Or, if you wait a week, Amazon's Prime Day sale is scheduled to kick off on October 6, and that sale usually features deep discounts on everything, including Samsung's flagship phones.Or there's Black Friday and Cyber Monday just after Thanksgiving. Either way, the infuriating trend of ever increasing smartphone prices continues. 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. More from Tom's GuideSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review: The best Android foldable for most peopleI checked out the new Samsung SmartTag3 — here’s why this tracker could be a game-changerThe best Samsung phone might not be the best for you — take our quiz to find out which you should buy