Preorders for Samsung’s S26 phones come with up to $200 in gift cards

The Verge · Feb 25, 2026 · Collected from RSS

Summary

As expected, Samsung has taken the wraps off its flagship lineup for 2026. Introduced during the company's recent Unpacked event, the new Galaxy devices - which include the standard S26, the larger S26 Plus, and the high-end S26 Ultra - will be available on March 11th. Preorders are now open ahead of launch, with pricing starting at $899.99 for the base-model S26, $1,099.99 for the Plus, and $1,299.99 for the Ultra. Overall, the forthcoming S26 lineup looks largely similar to last year's S25 series, only with a handful of notable upgrades. The biggest changes this year are on the software side, with Samsung introducing a privacy display in … Read the full story at The Verge.

Full Article

As expected, Samsung has taken the wraps off its flagship lineup for 2026. Introduced during the company’s recent Unpacked event, the new Galaxy devices — which include the standard S26, the larger S26 Plus, and the high-end S26 Ultra — will be available on March 11th. Preorders are now open ahead of launch, with pricing starting at $899.99 for the base-model S26, $1,099.99 for the Plus, and $1,299.99 for the Ultra.Overall, the forthcoming S26 lineup looks largely similar to last year’s S25 series, only with a handful of notable upgrades. The biggest changes this year are on the software side, with Samsung introducing a privacy display in the S26 Ultra that hides what you’re looking at from others. You also get new AI-powered features enabled by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, including a call screening tool and generative photo editing tools that allow you to type what you want changed. Samsung is also rolling out early support for a more advanced version of Gemini, which can handle certain tasks in supported apps without you having to do everything manually.We’ve published our hands-on impressions of the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra, and full reviews are on the way. In the meantime, if you’re ready to reserve your preorder, here’s where you can secure an S26, S26 Plus, or S26 Ultra ahead of their release next month.Where to preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26At $899.99, the Galaxy S26 is the most affordable option in Samsung’s 2026 lineup. It comes with 12GB of RAM and your choice of either 128GB or 256GB of storage (the latter costs $200 more). The phone is available for preorder from Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung, the latter of which is offering it in several exclusive colors.The S26 remains the smallest phone in the lineup, though its display has expanded slightly to 6.3 inches, up from 6.2 inches on the S25. Like the other phones in the S26 lineup, it runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. It also features a slightly larger battery than its predecessor (4,300mAh vs. 4,000mAh ), but is otherwise similar, with a 120Hz refresh rate and the same camera setup: a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, a 10-megapixel telephoto, and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.If you’re looking for a deal, Amazon is currently offering a $100 gift card when you preorder either the 256GB or 512GB models for $899.99. Best Buy, meanwhile, is offering a $200 discount on the 512GB model, sans gift card.$900Where to preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26 PlusAs of right now, you can preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus starting at $1,099.99 directly from Samsung, Amazon, and Best Buy (the 512GB model is available from the same retailers for $200 extra). Like the S26, it’s available in a range of colors, with Samsung offering several exclusive shades online.The S26 Plus is the middle child of the S26 lineup. It offers all the same features as the S26 — including the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor and 12GB of RAM — but with a larger, sharper 6.7-inch display. It also features a larger 4,900mAh battery to power its bigger display, making it a good choice for those who want a large screen without splurging on the step-up S26 Ultra.In terms of deals, Amazon is offering a $100 gift card when you preorder either the 256GB or 512GB model for $1,099.99, which is a $200 discount. Samsung is also offering $150 in credit with each preorder, while Best Buy is offering a free storage upgrade, allowing you to purchase the 512GB model for $1,099.99 ($200 off).$1100Where to preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraThe base Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM and starts at $1,299.99 for 256GB of storage, $1,499.99 for the 512GB, and $1,799.99 for 1TB. The S26 Ultra is currently available for preorder from Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung, with the silver and pinkish gold colorways exclusive to Samsung’s online store.The 6.9-inch S26 Ultra is the largest and most capable phone in the S26 lineup. It’s also the only phone in the lineup to offer the new privacy display feature, which makes it harder for people nearby to see what’s on your screen. The Ultra also includes Samsung’s S Pen stylus and a more advanced camera system with two telephoto lenses and a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera. You also get a 5,000mAh battery, the largest in the lineup.If you’re looking to save, Amazon is throwing in a $200 gift card when you preorder the 256GB model for $1,299.99 or the 512GB variant for the same price, which is a $200 discount. Samsung is also offering $150 in credit when you preorder the phone, while Best Buy is offering a $200 discount on the 512GB model.$1300Carrier offers and promotionsVerizon is offering a 256GB Galaxy S26 Ultra — or any Galaxy S26 model — for free when you add a new line on its Unlimited Ultimate plan and trade in an eligible device that meets Verizon’s criteria, with the discount applied as monthly bill credits over 36 months. You can also get the Galaxy S26 Plus for free when you add a new line to an Unlimited Ultimate or Unlimited Plus plan (or for $10 a month on its Unlimited Welcome plan).New and existing customers can potentially get the base Galaxy S26 phones for free when they preorder through AT&T. The carrier is currently offering up to $1,300 off the Galaxy S26 Ultra, $1,100 off the Galaxy S26 Plus, or $900 off the entry-level Galaxy S26 via 36 monthly bill credits when you trade in an eligible device and activate or upgrade on a qualifying unlimited plan. You can also preorder any S26 phone with a 40mm Galaxy Watch 8 and a Galaxy Tab A11 Plus 5G for $0.99 a month each (after bill credits) when you activate a new line for both. Again, all credits are applied over a 36-month installment plan.T-Mobile is offering a wide range of promos on the S26 lineup, with all discounts delivered via 24 monthly bill credits. You can grab an S26 Ultra for free when you trade in an eligible device in any condition or add a new line to your Experience Beyond plan; you can also score the standard S26 for free when you trade in an eligible device or add a new line to an Experience More plan, or an S26 Plus when you trade in an eligible device on your Experience More plan. Verge DealsSign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we’ve tested sent to your inbox weekly.Email (required)Update, February 25th: Added preorder details for both AT&T and T-Mobile.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sheena Vasani

Share this story

Read Original at The Verge

The Vergeabout 7 hours ago

How the new Galaxy S26 phones stack up against each other on paper

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 phones introduce a slate of new AI-powered features, including some new photography tools. | Image: Samsung Samsung has just announced its new Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. While they aren't radical departures from last year's models, they bring a handful of notable upgrades. All three run on Qualcomm's Galaxy-centric Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which delivers improved performance and powers a slew of new AI-based features. This includes the ability to screen unknown calls and edit photos by typing what you want changed, along with an update to Google Gemini that can carry out certain tasks in supported third-party apps, like Uber and DoorDash, on your behalf. Starting at $899.99, the S26 is the smallest and mo … Read the full story at The Verge.

Gizmodoabout 8 hours ago

Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. iPhone 17: Is It All About AI?

On paper, the Apple and Samsung's latest phones are nearly neck and neck on all major features.

Ars Technicaabout 8 hours ago

The Galaxy S26 is faster, more expensive, and even more chock-full of AI

Samsung's Galaxy S26 series is available for preorder today and ships on March 11.

Engadgetabout 8 hours ago

Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked: The Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy Buds 4 and more

Mobile World Congress is right around the corner, but Samsung got out ahead of many rivals that will be showing off new handsets at that event by running the latest edition of Unpacked on Wednesday. At its event in San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, the company revealed the Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the base S26, the S26+ and the S26 Ultra. We've got some hands-on time with all three handsets as well, and you can read about our in-person experience with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, as well as our S26 and S26+ impressions in those articles. In addition to those, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds 4 along with (you guessed it) some AI updates. All the devices unveiled today are already available for pre-order, should you already be dying to get your hands on them. Here's a look at everything Samsung announced at the latest Unpacked: Galaxy S26 and S26+ Sam Rutherford for Engadget New-ish year, new Samsung phones. Let's deal with the out-and-out bad news first. The S26 and S26+ are each $100 more expensive than their predecessors (the RAM shortage isn't exactly helping to keep prices down). They start at $900 and $1,100, respectively, for variants with 256GB of storage. Samsung has tweaked the design a bit this time by rounding the corners to align them more with the S26 Ultra's look. The base model has a slightly larger display than the S25 at 6.3 inches, though the S26+ still has a 6.7-inch screen (albeit with a higher resolution than the S26 can handle). The S26 has a larger battery capacity than the S25 too at 4,300mAh. In North America, China and Japan, Samsung is sticking with Qualcomm chips rather than using its own Exynos 2600. If you pick up an S26 or S26+ in those markets, it will run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. The camera modules are the same as last year, but Samsung is aiming to supercharge them with upgrades elsewhere, such as ProScaler image upscaling and an MDNIe chip that's said to greatly improve color precision. There's also a vi

The Vergeabout 10 hours ago

Here’s how the new Samsung Galaxy S26 compares with last year’s S25

Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S26 lineup at its recent Unpacked event in San Francisco. As expected, the new series consists of the baseline S26, which starts at $899.99, and the bigger S26 Plus, which starts at $1,099.99. At the high end, there's also the $1,299.99 S26 Ultra, which is the largest in the lineup and comes with a bigger battery, better cameras, S Pen support, and expanded options for both storage and RAM. The price difference between Samsung's cheapest and most expensive S26 phones is $400 (last year, it was $500). While some of its updated Galaxy AI software features are new, it's another year of minor hardware updates for Sam … Read the full story at The Verge.

Engadgetabout 12 hours ago

Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: What’s changed and which one should you buy?

Following Samsung’s Unpacked event, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is available for pre-order, and it looks very familiar. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Like recent updates in the Galaxy S line, Samsung is refining its flagship rather than dramatically reinventing it. Both phones share a lot of core DNA, including compact designs, high-refresh AMOLED displays and similar camera hardware. The S26 does introduce a handful of meaningful updates, however, including a slightly larger battery and newer software out of the box. Those changes also come with a higher starting price: the Galaxy S26 begins at $899.99 compared to the S25’s $799.99 launch price. The entry model now includes 256GB of storage instead of the S25’s base 128GB. Here's how the Galaxy S26 compares with last year’s Galaxy S25 on paper and whether the newer model is worth your attention. Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Design, display and performance Physically, the Galaxy S26 stays very close to the design Samsung established with the S25. You still get a compact handset with flat edges, an aluminum frame and IP68 water and dust resistance. The overall look and feel should be immediately familiar to anyone who used last year’s phone. The display story is similarly steady. Both phones use Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, and the S25 is rated for peak brightness of up to 2,600 nits. In everyday use, whether you are scrolling, gaming or watching video, the viewing experience should feel broadly similar between the two devices. Under the hood, the Galaxy S25 is powered globally by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset paired with 12GB of RAM. The Galaxy S26 continues to target flagship-class performance. While Samsung has made internal refinements, overall speed should remain firmly in high-end territory for routine tasks, multitasking and mobile gaming. On the software front, the S25 launched with Android 15 and One UI 7, while the Galaxy S26 ships with a ne