[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Samsung raised prices for the Galaxy S26 series on its U.S. website by at least $100 (about 135,000 won).

Engadget reported on Wednesday (local time) that prices rose for all models of the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra. Among bar-type smartphones currently on sale, only the Galaxy S26 FE, released a month ago, was excluded from the hike.

With the adjustment, the Galaxy S26 series now starts at at least $1,000 (about 1.35 million won) unless consumers opt for the FE model or wait for discounts. The base 256GB Galaxy S26 rose to $1,000, making it $200 (about 270,000 won) more expensive than the same-capacity Galaxy S25.

Detailed prices also rose across the board. The 512GB Galaxy S26 is priced at $1,200 (about 1.63 million won). The Galaxy S26+ is set at $1,200 for 256GB and $1,400 (about 1.90 million won) for 512GB. The Galaxy S26 Ultra costs $1,400 for 256GB, $1,600 (about 2.17 million won) for 512GB and $2,000 (about 2.71 million won) for 1TB. The 1TB model saw the biggest jump, rising $200 rather than $100.

Samsung had already set higher prices than comparable models a year earlier when it launched the Galaxy S26 series in March. The latest increase adds to the burden on consumers. Engadget noted that Black Friday is approaching and Amazon has a discount event scheduled for next week, but the entry price of the Galaxy S26 has moved up to the $1,000 level at list price.

A worsening in profitability in the mobile business is cited as a background factor. Samsung's mobile division posted a loss for the April to June quarter for the first time ever. Samsung pointed to rising costs and higher prices for parts such as RAM and storage devices as reasons for the decline in operating profit. Since the company directly cited an expanding cost burden as the background for the "operating profit decline", there is speculation that the price increase is not unrelated to such cost pressure.

The semiconductor division, meanwhile, showed a different trend. Samsung's chip business helped the company achieve record quarterly revenue and operating profit. Performance trends diverged between mobile and semiconductors even within the same company. That is also why the smartphone price hikes are seen as aimed at defending earnings.

There is also a possibility the price increases will not end with this round. Related reports say Samsung Electronics could set higher prices for storage upgrades in the Galaxy S27 lineup. The pricing strategy for higher-capacity models of Samsung's flagship smartphones is expected to remain a key variable next year.