Preorders for the new Samsung Galaxy S26 series are officially live today, and as you’d expect, the opening deals are some of the strongest we’ll likely see all year. Whether you’re eyeing the standard Galaxy S26, the larger S26 Plus, or the top-tier S26 Ultra, retailers and carriers are rolling out aggressive incentives to tempt early adopters – including huge trade-in rebates and even free devices with eligible plans.
In the US, Samsung’s own store is offering an excellent trade-in rebate of up to $900 off – a great deal in particular if you’re looking for an unlocked device. Meanwhile, T-Mobile is leaning heavily into plan-based promos, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra available without a trade-in on its premium Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plans. Verizon is also coming out swinging, with an option to bundle in a free Galaxy S26 Plus with a new line – another deal that doesn’t require an annoying trade-in.
In the meantime, I’ve rounded up all of today’s best Galaxy S26 preorder deals below to help you find the right combination of phone and plan.
Samsung Galaxy S26 deals in the US
Samsung Galaxy S26 deals in the UK
Samsung Galaxy S26: what you need to know
- Improved cameras and screen on the Ultra
- Better chipsets and charging
- Enhanced AI features
Galaxy S26 series price
Galaxy S26: $899.99 / £879
Galaxy S26 Plus: $1,099.99 / £1,099
Galaxy S26 Ultra: $1,299.99 / £1,279
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series builds on the Galaxy S25 lineup with a refined design, upgraded performance, and deeper AI integration. While the overall look remains familiar, the S26 models feature slightly more rounded edges and a slimmer profile, with the Ultra gaining a refreshed camera housing and new color options. The display sees subtle but meaningful improvements, too, with enhanced ProScaler upscaling and mDNI color processing on the S26 Ultra for more precise, vibrant visuals.
Performance is a clearer step forward. The standard S26 models are powered by the new 2nm Exynos 2600 chip, delivering notable gains to CPU, GPU, and especially NPU performance, while the S26 Ultra gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. RAM now starts at 12GB across the range, with 16GB reserved for the 1TB Ultra model, and Samsung has introduced a larger, 21% more efficient vapor chamber for better sustained performance. Charging is also faster, with Super Fast Charging 3.0 promising up to 75% in 30 minutes.
The biggest leap over the S25 series, however, is in AI and camera capabilities. The S26 Ultra’s 200MP and 50MP sensors are brighter, improving low-light photography and video, while new features like advanced subject tracking and improved stabilization make the Ultra a phone ready-made for content creators.
As with any other major flagship phone in recent years, the Galaxy S26 series are packed full of new AI features. These include smarter search, enhanced Photo Assist tools, upgraded Bixby, and expanded Audio Eraser support. The Ultra also introduces a unique pixel-level privacy display, marking a notable new hardware-based security feature absent from the S25 lineup.
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alex.whitelock@futurenet.com (Alex Whitelock)
