Galaxy S26 Ultra Expected to Match S25 Ultra Price Despite Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Upgrade
Samsung aims for pricing stability while upgrading performance and maintaining market dominance
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to deliver major hardware upgrades—including the new Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip—without increasing its retail price, according to the latest insider reports.
This decision reflects a strategic move to maintain competitive pricing while offering next-gen performance, especially as chipset manufacturing and memory costs fluctuate globally.
Why No Price Hike? The TSMC Factor
Earlier reports hinted that TSMC’s 3nm foundry costs—used to manufacture the latest Snapdragon and Dimensity chips—might drive up the price of flagship smartphones. However, a fresh leak from DigitalChatStation on Weibo suggests that:
- TSMC’s pricing for 3nm production hasn’t significantly increased year-over-year
- This gives Qualcomm and MediaTek room to absorb costs without forcing OEMs like Samsung to pass them on to consumers
This comes as a welcome development for phone makers—and buyers—facing a market already saturated with high-priced flagships.
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 & Exynos Strategy
Samsung is expected to continue its dual-chip strategy for the S26 series:
- Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 in select regions (including the U.S.)
- Next-gen Exynos in others, likely with AI and GPU enhancements
- Both chips will use TSMC’s 3nm process, enhancing power efficiency and thermal performance
While Chinese OEMs may aggressively adopt Dimensity 9500, Samsung’s S-series—particularly the Ultra—remains the only Snapdragon flagship with mass appeal in the U.S. market.
LPDDR5X RAM: A Minor Cost Bump
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to use LPDDR5X DRAM from Micron and Samsung, with memory prices rising by about 5% compared to 2024. Still, this modest increase is unlikely to affect the final retail pricing significantly.
Galaxy S25 Ultra: A Sales Powerhouse
Samsung’s decision to hold steady on pricing also aligns with the stellar performance of the Galaxy S25 Ultra:
- 8.4 million units sold globally as of May 2025
- Outsold the combined Ultra flagships from Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo by over 8x
- Dominates the U.S. market as the only Snapdragon Ultra flagship with major traction
The success of the S25 Ultra gives Samsung the confidence to retain pricing for the S26 Ultra, betting that refined hardware and software upgrades will fuel strong demand again.
What to Expect from the Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 or upgraded Exynos chip (region-dependent)
- 6.89-inch near bezel-less display
- Likely Titanium frame continuation
- Upgraded telephoto camera
- One UI 8.5 based on Android 16
- No major price jump despite premium hardware upgrades
