Phone prices are going up, and Samsung is the latest company to feel it.
On October 8, 2026, the Korean outlet Money Today reported that Samsung plans to cut its phone production by 20% to 30% for the last three months of the year. The report says Samsung asked its suppliers to send fewer parts. Samsung has not confirmed the report. Android Headlines, Phandroid and Android Authority all covered it on October 8 and 9.
The reason is memory. AI data centers are buying huge amounts of memory chips, and phone makers are paying much more for what is left. Samsung already raised the US price of most Galaxy S26 models by $100 on October 1, 2026.
Here is what this means if you are shopping for a phone.
Key dates
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 2026 | Galaxy S26 series goes on sale |
| August 2026 | Galaxy S26 FE launches at $700 |
| October 1, 2026 | Samsung raises US prices on most Galaxy S26 models |
| October 8, 2026 | Samsung gives Q3 earnings guidance: record profit of about 107.4 trillion won |
| October 8, 2026 | Money Today reports a 20% to 30% production cut for Q4 |
| Late October 2026 | Samsung's full Q3 results are expected |
| Early 2027 | Galaxy S27 series expected (Samsung usually launches Galaxy S phones in Q1) |
Galaxy S26 prices: before and after
These are Samsung's US starting prices, as reported by The Next Web. Old prices are the new prices minus the increase.
Check Galaxy S26 price on Amazon
| Model | Before Oct 1 | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 | $899.99 | $999.99 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26+ | $1,099.99 | $1,199.99 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | $1,299.99 | $1,399.99 | +$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra (1TB) | $1,799.99 | $1,999.99 | +$200 |
| Galaxy S26 FE | $700 | $700 | No change |
| Galaxy Z foldables (incl. Z Fold8) | No change | No change | No change |
Reports differ a little on which storage sizes went up. Android Authority says the $100 rise covers the 256GB and 512GB versions of all three S26 models, with the 1TB Ultra going up $200. Analytics Insight says "most" models rose by $100 or more. Prices at other stores, including Amazon and carriers, can be different from Samsung's own store, so check before you buy.
Why memory costs so much now
- AI is eating the supply. Data centers for AI need a special kind of memory called HBM. It earns chipmakers more money, so Samsung, SK hynix and Micron have moved factory space to it. A Micron executive has said HBM takes about three times as much factory capacity per gigabyte, according to Phandroid.
- Phone memory got much more expensive. Android Headlines cites TrendForce data showing 12GB of LPDDR5X phone memory sold for about $145 to $146 in Q2 2026. That is nearly three times the price a year earlier. Phandroid reports everyday memory chip prices rose 171% last year. The Next Web says DRAM prices doubled in the six months after the S26 launched. The numbers vary by source and by chip type, but they all point the same way.
- Samsung wins and loses at the same time. Samsung makes memory chips, so its chip business is booming. Its Q3 guidance shows operating profit of about 107.4 trillion won, up from 12.17 trillion won a year earlier. Phandroid puts that at about $80 billion. But reports say the phone business is now making little or no profit. Samsung's short guidance release only gives company-wide numbers, so we do not have an official phone-only figure yet.
- It is not just Samsung. The Next Web reports that Apple raised iPhone 18 Pro prices and Google raised the Pixel 11 price in the same quarter, both citing memory costs.
What the production cut means for you
- Your current phone is fine. The cut affects how many new phones Samsung builds. It does not change phones people already own.
- Fewer phones may mean fewer deals. When a company builds fewer phones, it has less stock to discount. This is our reading, not something Samsung has said. Black Friday deals on Galaxy S26 models may be smaller than last year.
- Some colors or storage sizes may be harder to find. A 20% to 30% cut is large. Money Today did not say which models are affected.
- Next year may not be cheaper. In July, a Samsung memory executive said supply limits will be "even more severe in 2027 than 2026," according to Phandroid.
Which should you buy?
- Your phone is broken or very slow: buy now. Waiting is unlikely to save you money this year.
- You want the best value Samsung: get the Galaxy S26 FE. It stayed at $700 and was not part of the price rise.
- You want a cheaper Samsung that still lasts: look at the Galaxy A line, such as the Galaxy A37 5G. It has a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen, IP68 water resistance and a 5,000mAh battery.
- You want the best camera and the S Pen: the Galaxy S26 Ultra is still Samsung's top phone. Check prices at more than one store, since Samsung's own store now charges $1,399.99 to start.
- You want a foldable: Samsung did not raise prices on its Galaxy Z foldables, including the Z Fold8, so there is no extra reason to rush.
- Wait: if your phone still works well and you want the Galaxy S27, wait for its launch in early 2027. Just do not wait expecting lower prices. Every sign says prices will stay high or rise.
Check Galaxy S26 Ultra price on Amazon
Curious about what is coming next? Read our Galaxy S27 Ultra leak breakdown, see our list of new phones in October 2026, or line up any two phones with our comparison tool.
Other tech news this week
- Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra went on sale in the US on October 7. See our Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro M5 guide.
- Apple has a "Welcome Home" event on October 13. A new home hub, HomePod mini and Apple TV are expected. Read our Apple October 13 event preview.
- Amazon's new Alexa Tablet is set to ship on October 14. See our Alexa Tablet 12 Pro breakdown.
Sources
- Samsung Global Newsroom: Earnings Guidance for Third Quarter 2026
- Android Headlines: High component costs force Samsung to cut Galaxy phone output
- Phandroid: Even Samsung can't escape the memory crisis it helped create
- Android Authority: Samsung smartphone production cut
- The Next Web: Samsung lifts prices across most of the Galaxy S26 range by $100
- Android Authority: Galaxy S26 series price increase
- Analytics Insight: Galaxy S26 gets another $100 price hike in the US
Image: Samsung press materials (Galaxy Unpacked 2026, Galaxy S26 Ultra).
