![A person uses a Samsung smartphone [Generated with ChatGPT AI]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/01/news-p.v1.20261001.82e0c7c423984e83b2c4f888275f8474_P1.png)
1,254,000 won → 1,403,600 won (Galaxy S26 256GB model)
Samsung Electronics raised the prices of its flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone lineup Thursday, about seven months after the series launched in March, as rising memory chip costs ripple through the market.
Depending on the model, prices climbed between 149,600 won and 276,100 won. Apple has also raised the price of its new iPhone 18 by around 200,000 won over its predecessor. The back-to-back increases have drawn widespread reaction as a "price shock," with consumers facing a growing financial burden.
According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics raised Galaxy S26 series prices by between 149,600 won and 276,100 won starting Thursday.
The standard Galaxy S26, the Plus and the Ultra models each saw a uniform increase of around 149,600 won.
As a result, the base S26 256GB model rose from 1,254,000 won ($925) to 1,403,600 won. The S26 Plus (256GB) went from 1,452,000 won to 1,601,600 won, while the Ultra (256GB) moved from 1,797,400 won to 1,947,000 won.
The Ultra 1TB model saw a steeper hike of 276,100 won, pushing its price from 2,545,400 won to 2,821,500 won.
![The Galaxy S26 Ultra [Cha Min-ju/chami@]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/01/news-p.v1.20260714.0226a8f6f08a42d78642030d24891670_P1.png)
The price increases are not limited to Samsung. Apple's newly launched iPhone 18, which went on sale last month, also carries higher price tags than its predecessor.
The iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) is priced at 1,990,000 won, up 200,000 won from the previous model. The Pro 1TB version comes in at 2,890,000 won, a 500,000 won increase over its predecessor.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB) also launched at 2,190,000 won, 200,000 won more than the prior model. The Pro Max 1TB and 2TB variants rose by 500,000 won and 800,000 won respectively, pushing their prices past 3,000,000 won.
Rising memory chip prices have squeezed the cost of smartphone components, driving the increases.
According to Counterpoint Research, memory chip prices for smartphones surged more than 80 percent in the second quarter of this year compared with the previous quarter. Component costs for premium smartphones also rose about 50 percent year-on-year.
As a result, average global smartphone prices climbed 15 percent this year, while new model prices rose an average of 25 percent compared with last year.
Meanwhile, as rising component costs push the smartphone market toward the premium end, production of budget and mid-range devices is shrinking.
According to market research firm Omdia, the share of smartphones priced below $200 in global shipments is forecast to fall from 40.6 percent last year to 25.6 percent by 2027. Devices in the $100–$199 range are expected to decline from 28.0 percent to 22.6 percent over the same period.
sjpark@heraldcorp.com
