Overview
- Mass production has begun, with the launch now expected in late February and retail likely slipping into March, a timing shift that could miss the Chinese New Year sales window and benefit rivals.
- Rising costs for mobile DRAM, OLED panels and camera modules—driven in part by AI data center demand for memory—are complicating the pricing calculus, according to Korean reports.
- To contain expenses, Samsung plans wider regional use of its in‑house Exynos 2600 in some Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus models, while Qualcomm Snapdragon chips are set to power the Ultra and key markets like the United States.
- The company recently priced the limited Galaxy Z TriFold below its manufacturing cost, but reports emphasize that Samsung cannot take a loss on high‑volume S‑series phones.
- Samsung leadership is pressing suppliers for cuts as it weighs holding last year’s price tiers against a modest increase, and unverified regional pricing rumors continue to circulate without confirmation.