Samsung hikes price of Galaxy S26 lineup over S25, but it won't say the RAM crisis is to blame — even though it almost certainly is

Samsung has announced that its latest flagship phones, the Galaxy S26 series, are getting a price bump over their S25 predecessors — and while Samsung won't blame the RAM crisis directly, I don't feel like I'm going out on a limb when speculating that it's at least partly to blame.

The phones were announced at Samsung's Galaxy S26 launch event, and you want the new Galaxy S26 you'll need to pay from $899.99 / £879 / AU$1,549, while an S26 Plus costs from $1,099.99 / £1,099 / AU$1,849, and an S26 Ultra will set you back from $1,299.99 / £1,279 / AU$2,199.

For comparison, last year’s S25 cost $859.99 / £859 / AU$1,399, the S25 Plus was $999.99 / £999 / AU$1,699, and the S25 Ultra came in at $1299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,149.

This year's models are between $40 / £20 / AU$50 and $100 / £100 / AU$150 pricier than last year's equivalents (though the Ultra has stayed the same price in the US), but there's another hidden bump: the elimination of 128GB models this year means the cheapest S26 is in fact $200 / £180 / AU$150 more expensive than the cheapest S25 was.

When I asked directly if the RAM crisis was to blame for the prices increases, Samsung's representatives gave a firm “No comment”, but against the backdrop of component prices soaring thanks to AI-supercharged demand, plus the S26 range's promised 39% more powerful NPU (the neural processor that handles AI tasks) I can't help but assume the RAM crisis has played a part.

First of many hikes

However, while Samsung won't say ‘RAM crisis’, Nothing will, with its CEO, Carl Pei, taking to LinkedIn earlier this year to warn of cost increases like this in a post bluntly titled 'Why Your Next Smartphone Will Cost More.' He added that Nothing's own 2026 phones would cost more, although he didn't specify how much more.

The silver lining (though it's not an especially shiny one) is that at least Pei's 30% increase prediction didn't come true here. The biggest percentage increase from Samsung is 10% — the $100 increase in the price of the S26 Plus compared over the S25 Plus.

While Samsung held its first Unpacked event of 2026 a little later than usual, it's still the first major brand to unveil its new flagship phones this year, and their pricing confirms what we suspected was going to be the case: our tech will be pricier this year.

Because while Samsung may be the first smartphone brand to raise prices, it won’t be the last. Nothing has already warned us to expect everyone — Oppo, OnePlus, Apple, Google, and the rest — to follow this trend.

It won’t stop at phones either. Devices like Valve’s Steam Machine have been caught up in the RAM turmoil with delays and price hikes all but guaranteed.

So my advice would be to think twice before habitually upgrading your old tech. Consider waiting for a good deal (even until Black Friday in November), or maybe wait a bit longer and hope 2027 brings better news on prices.

I’m not holding my breath that the AI train will slow down anytime soon. When it comes to RAM pricing I hope it will, but equally the increasing focus on AI in smartphones, and across the whole of the tech) suggest this fad has legs — and it’s bringing higher costs with it whether we like it or not.

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