Samsung has openly acknowledged that a price adjustment for its upcoming products is on the table, including the Galaxy S26 expected to launch in late February. Speaking during a recent briefing, Wonjin Lee, President of Global Marketing at Samsung, confirmed that rising production costs are forcing the company to reassess its pricing strategy.
The main pressure comes from component costs, particularly semiconductors and memory, which have continued to climb over recent months. While some industry sources suggest the US market could be spared in order to protect sales volumes, consumers in Canada and other international markets may not be as fortunate.
Rising costs that also benefit Samsung
There is a clear paradox behind this situation. The surge in memory prices, which weighs heavily on manufacturing costs, has also boosted Samsung’s own results. The company’s DRAM division reportedly posted record revenue of 19.2 billion dollars in the final quarter of 2025.
At the same time, higher component prices are not the only challenge. Increases in labour and marketing costs are also part of the equation. Samsung now finds itself walking a fine line between preserving profit margins and keeping its flagship devices competitively priced.
A market-by-market pricing strategy
Protecting the US market appears to be a priority. Keeping prices stable there would reflect the intense competition Samsung faces from Apple and other Android brands. In contrast, markets such as Canada, where competitive pressure is often less aggressive, could absorb part of the cost inflation through higher retail prices.
As the Galaxy S26 launch approaches, expected around February 25, 2026, Samsung’s strategy remains cautious. The company will need to balance the value of its technological upgrades with clear messaging on pricing, at a time when consumers are already highly sensitive to inflation.
