Samsung Galaxy S26 Momentum Cools After 6 Weeks as $100 Price Hikes Deter Buyers

2 articles · Updated · Android Central · May 18

Counterpoint said Galaxy S26 sell-through slipped behind the S25’s pace after week six, signaling Samsung’s strong launch is already losing momentum.
First-six-week sales were still about 15% above the Galaxy S25, and Samsung’s overall smartphone sales rose 5% during the launch window.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra drove much of that early demand, accounting for roughly 70% of pre-orders in key markets, while U.S. sales ran nearly 30% ahead of the S25.
Samsung raised base S26 and S26 Plus prices by $100 in some regions, blaming soaring memory costs and broader supply-chain pressure even as hardware upgrades remained relatively modest.
The slowdown adds to pressure on Samsung’s device business, which faces shrinking margins, higher component costs and weaker consumer upgrade demand across the smartphone market.

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