The Galaxy S26 series is official, and as always, there are certain places to order the new phones before they become publicly available. This quick guide will direct you to the best deal, even though two of the three phones are slightly more expensive.
Even slightly more expensive is annoying, and both the Galaxy S26 and S26+ are getting an increase of $100. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, is maintaining its price point. That makes it easier to recommend and upgrade, especially when considering significant upgrades.
On the Galaxy S26 and S26+, the base storage model is increasing to 256GB instead of the previous 128GB standard. With that, both bring Armor Aluminum chassis with 1-bit displays and improved charging. The Galaxy S26 gets 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, while the S26+ can hit 45W and 20W charging speeds. On top of that, both are upgraded to the new Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy with 12GB of RAM across the board.
One UI 8.5 as a whole also brings some nice changes, like the revival of Now Brief and a new Now Nudge function. AI is still at the forefront, but it looks like Samsung is still committed to making it a useful integration rather than pushing gimmicky features.
Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra pre-orders
Starting today, Samsung is opening up Galaxy S26 pre-orders for users. The timeframe is pretty short, but it extends a chance for users to buy a phone that would normally cost a pretty penny for up to $900 off. That number applies to those who choose to trade their devices in. For users who don’t, expect the savings to be around $150.
Samsung generally offers the best trade-in deals, with boosted values during the pre-order period that make turning in your old phone with the manufacturer a much better choice than selling it elsewhere. On top of that, the trade-in is returned as credit off of your purchase after the process is complete.
Users who reserved in advance will also receive a $30 credit, though it appears Samsung has been adding $50 credits to some accounts.
Where can I get the best deal?
At launch, the Galaxy S26 and S26+ underwent a price increase to $899 and $1,099, respectively. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, stuck to its current $1,299 price point. That’s still a lot, but getting a deal on it and having the opportunity to trade-in for a boosted credit means getting the phone for as little as $199.
Depending on where you buy it, of course.
Samsung
As is normally the case, Samsung is offering the best trade-in deals across the board. Purchasing directly from the company’s website means getting access to those trade-in values. Even without a trade-in, it appears its prices are slightly better, especially if you reserved prior.
Trading in a Galaxy S25 Ultra or a Galaxy Z Fold 7 will get you $900 in credit. Going further back and turning in your Galaxy S24 Ultra still gets you a good deal, with $800 off. Those are in par with last year’s offers, which is nice to see. For those who want to trade in a Google or Apple device, expect much lower estimates.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Samsung is offering a free storage upgrade for users. The base 256GB model for each device is the cheapest model, and the next tier costs around $200 to upgrade. For both devices, Samsung is also offering an additional $50 off if users use the code PAYPAL50.
In all, Samsung offers the best deal for the Galaxy S26 series if you plan on trading a Galaxy device in. The Ultra model gets as low as $399, and an additional $50 off using PayPal, for some reason.
Amazon
Amazon is offering a very similar deal to users, though it looks like the company is actually offering a free storage upgrade where Samsung is not. The reason for this is unclear, but it’s a great deal if you know you don’t need to trade a device in. The 512GB Galaxy S26 model is $899, just like the 256GB model. Instead of offering credits and savings, the marketplace brings the price down in total.
The company is also offering a $100 gift card for either device, offsetting the raised price Samsung pulled this year.
Again, if you’re not trading a Galaxy device in, this is a good option.
Best Buy
Best Buy appears to be another good option for users. The company is allowing users to get a free storage upgrade at $200 off each device. Beyond that, though, there isn’t much to save beyond trade-ins. With that, they’re a decent choice, but I would suggest going with Samsung or Amazon if you don’t want to trade a phone in.
Again, if you do need to trade a phone in, check out Samsung’s website. Best Buy’s trade-ins are not nearly as enticing.
Carriers
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are offering the Galaxy S26 series for pre-order, though the deals on that side are a little underwhelming. For instance, Verizon has the Galaxy S26 available for $24.99/month when you sign up for a contract, and there’s no free storage upgrade as far as we can tell.
AT&T and T-Mobile, however, has the Galaxy S26 for $0/month with an eligible trade-in.
Any carrier is going to require a new plan in order to get the best benefits, so we suggest avoiding these unless you know you’re going into a new agreement with a carrier.
With inevitable price increases and Samsung’s self-imposed restraints, Galaxy S26 deals aren’t going to be game-changing. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, seems to be a great option since it doesn’t get a price bump, and it actually brings some interesting changes to its display, cameras, and design.
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