Samsung Galaxy S26 launches with a price hike – here are the best pre-order deals

Samsung is going hard on AI this year, and the S26 Ultra boasts a neat privacy display feature to stop shoulder surfing The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?ExtrasIndyBestTechPhones & AccessoriesSamsung Galaxy S26 launches with a price hike – here are the best pre-order dealsSamsung is going hard on AI this year, and the S26 Ultra boasts a neat privacy display feature to stop shoulder surfing Alex Lee Senior tech critic Wednesday 25 February 2026 18:39 GMTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in galleryThe tech giant has launched three new phones (Alex Lee/The Independent ) The wait is over. After months of leaks and teasers, Samsung has officially unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra at its Galaxy Unpacked event, ushering in what it calls the era of the “AI phone”. This year, Samsung has plopped AI firmly at the centre of its Galaxy phones. With Galaxy AI, the S26 line-up can automatically categorise screenshots, search messages and documents using natural language, suggest when to leave based on your calendar and even respond to calls with live captions or text-to-voice replies. It can also dampen background audio inside third-party apps like YouTube and Netflix, while expanded generative tools let you edit photos with short prompts. Basically, Samsung wants the phone to anticipate what you need rather than wait to be told. In terms of hardware, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is slimmer than ever at 7.9mm thick, but still manages to squeeze in a larger vapour cooling chamber. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and gains a new 50MP ultra-wide lens, improved low-light processing and a 360-degree horizon stabilisation feature designed to keep video steady even when you’re moving. The most interesting addition, though, is a built-in privacy display aimed at stopping shoulder surfers. The S26 and S26 Plus see more modest hardware changes, boasting Samsung’s new Exynos 2600 processor with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as standard.The catch, however, is the price. All three models cost more than last year’s S25 range in the UK, with the steepest price hike coming to the S26 Plus. Launching on 11 March and available to pre-order now, here’s everything you need to know. Samsung Galaxy S26 price: How much does the S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra cost in the UK?While rumours suggested the S26 line-up would be getting a price hike in its home country of South Korea due to the rising costs of RAM, we weren’t expecting an increase to come to the UK as well. But after keeping prices broadly the same for the S23, S24 and S25 phones, Samsung has bumped up the price of the entire S26 line-up this year. The Samsung Galaxy S26 now starts from £879 for the 256GB model, while the 512GB model costs £1,049. That’s a £30 price hike on last year’s S25. The S26 Plus starts at £1,099 for the 256GB model and £1,269 for the 512GB model – a steep £100 jump compared with its predecessor.As for the Galaxy S26 Ultra? That one starts at £1,279 for the 256GB model, £1,449 for the 512GB and £1,699 for the 1TB model. That’s £30 more than the S25 Ultra at launch. All three models now start at 256GB as standard, which Samsung will likely argue helps soften the blow. When can you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra?open image in gallery(Alex Lee/The Independent)Right now. The Samsung Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra are available to pre-order now in the UK. It will start shipping on Wednesday 11 March. The Samsung Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra come in black, white, cobalt violet and sky blue. If you pre-order from Samsung directly, you can also get the S26 Ultra in pink gold or silver. Samsung is also running bonuses for anyone who pre-orders the phones. Customers who order any Galaxy S26 model during the pre-order window will receive double the storage at no extra cost, meaning if you purchase a 256GB phone, you’ll get a 512GB phone at no extra cost, while 512GB models will be bumped up to 1TB. This pre-order bonus applies to every retailer and carrier.Pre-order now at Samsung Best Samsung Galaxy S26 pre-order dealsMobile phone carriers are starting to drop pre-order deals on the latest handsets. If you’re looking to pair your smartphone with a new contract, we’re rounding up the best pre-order deals as they land. Best Sky Mobile Samsung Galaxy S26 pre-order deals open image in gallery(Alex Lee/The Independent)Sky Mobile is the first carrier to announce its Samsung Galaxy S26 pre-order deals. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra starts from £45 per month, while the S26 Plus starts from £38 per month and the standard S26 from £30 per month. There’s also a £12 up-front cost on the handsets. Do note you’ll need to add a data plan on top, which pushes the monthly price higher. Sky’s 5GB and 10GB data plans are currently half price for the first six months, costing £6 and £7 per month respectively before rising to their usual rates. There’s also a 40GB plan for £18 per mo