We are, if the rumors are true, barely a few weeks away from the launch of the next generation of Samsung Galaxy devices. The first Samsung Unpacked keynote is traditionally when the devices are unveiled, and that could take place as soon as February 25th, based on recent leaks.
With the Galaxy S26 series potentially just around the corner now, it’s worth weighing up your options if you’re thinking about that upgrade. I cover the best cell phone deals all year round for our readers here at TechRadar, so I’ve been mulling over what the most likely discounts are this week.
How much will the Galaxy S26 series cost?
The most likely prices
Galaxy S26: $799 / £799
Galaxy S26 Plus: $999 / £999
Galaxy S26 UItra: $1,299 / £1,249
This is a tough one. There are quite a few macro factors right now that would suggest a price hike is likely. Inflation and the ongoing RAM price crisis, for example, have hit the price of tech in the past year or so quite hard in some cases.
Big companies like Apple and Samsung often have enough market power and weight to absorb costs, though. Apple, for example, kept the latest iPhones at the same price as the previous generation, and we’ve seen some rumors that Samsung could be intending to do the same with the S26 series.
If that’s the case, then the devices should debut at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 (standard), $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 (Plus), and $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$2,149 (Ultra).
What are the likely Galaxy S26 deals?
- Trade-in rebates up to $1,200 / £600
- Potential for small free gifts
For the US, the best deals will almost certainly revolve around big trade-in rebates at the major carriers. We’ve recently seen discounts as big as $1,200 on higher-end devices like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, so something similar is almost certainly in store for the Galaxy S26 series.
It’s likely that the carriers will lock the biggest discounts to their priciest plans – so, in the case of the Ultra, for example, you’ll likely need a new line on a plan that would cost at least $80/mo for a single line. The cheaper plans usually come with discounts that cap out at around $830 for the device, which is enough to cover the entire cost of the standard Galaxy device or iPhone.
Samsung’s own deals should also feature trade-in rebates. The record discount on unlocked devices (that I’ve seen personally) is a $1,100 maximum rebate on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Annoyingly, the official retailer has pared back its rebates in recent months, with the S25 Ultra being up to $700 off. I expect (and hope) Samsung will notch the discounts up a little for the upcoming S26 launch.
One question that remains with all the above deals is, will there be any other freebies with the devices? The initial pre-order window and one-off events like Black Friday tend to be when carriers throw in smartwatches and tablets alongside their phone deals. Those are again tied to cellular lines, but there’s a strong chance we could see similar promotions at carriers within the next few weeks.
Over in the UK, you can expect a similar trade-in-focused upgrade at the big networks. Companies like EE, O2, and Three usually have trade-in rebates up to around £600 in value, combining a discount on the device itself with a cheap(er) unlimited plan.
Another common deal, especially at the smaller networks, is to bundle in more monthly data on a plan when you buy a phone on contract. In these cases, the phones might be full price, but you’ll just get a better deal on your plan over the duration of two or three years.
Finally, there’s also Samsung UK, which again usually offers trade-in rebates in the £500 to £600 range. The rebates here aren’t quite as good as those on the US official store, but Samsung UK tends to be more partial to free gifts like chargers and ear buds. The Samsung UK store has even given away free Chromebooks with phones on occasion, but that tends to be a Black Friday special.
What do we know about the Galaxy S26 series so far?
Various rumors have been circulating around the devices for a while now, but the general thought right now is that we’re expecting another relatively iterative upgrade.
We think the most likely upgrades will revolve around a new chipset, privacy display, and magnetic wireless charging. What we’re not expecting is a dramatic redesign or new camera hardware, as the brand will likely continue its focus on AI-integrated software features and overall performance.
If you’re looking to get a fantastic summary of the most likely features and specs of the upcoming phones, I highly recommend checking out our Galaxy S26 rumors rated page.
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alex.whitelock@futurenet.com (Alex Whitelock)
