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The Galaxy S26 Ultra is a huge (early) hit in both the US and South Korea. | Image by PhoneArena
After South Korea, Samsung is ready to share official details about the pre-order numbers of its latest ultra-high-end handsets in the always crucial US market as well, and although these also look great at first glance, a few interesting things stand out, diminishing the Galaxy S26 trio's early regional achievements... to a certain degree.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is now available for up to $720 off
$579
99
$1299
99
$720 off (55%)
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has been announced, bringing a Privacy Screen feature, insanely fast processor, and multiple Galaxy AI enhancements. Right now, you can save up to $720 at the Samsung Store with eligible trade-ins. You also get 15% off the Buds 4 series with your purchase. Alternatively, you can get $150 credit for add-ons, no trade-in required.
The Galaxy S26+ is now available for up to $480 off
$619
99
$1099
99
$480 off (44%)
The Galaxy S26+ is here, bringing improved software and a more powerful processor. The device can now be yours for up to $480 off with eligible device trade-ins. Users also get 15% off the Buds 4 series with their purchase. The official store gives you a $150 credit for add-ons without trade-ins.
The Galaxy S26 is currently available at the Samsung Store with an exciting trade-in discount. Right now, you can buy the model with a $380 maximum price cut. Samsung also gives you 15% off the Galaxy Buds 4 or the Buds 4 Pro with your smartphone purchase.
At least for the time being, it's almost like the "vanilla" S26 and the S26 Plus don't exist, as a whopping 80 percent of the family's US pre-orders so far have gone to the state-of-the-art 6.9-inch model with a built-in S Pen and Privacy Display functionality.
You don't have to think too hard about what makes the S26 Ultra so much more appealing than the S26 and S26 Plus. | Image by PhoneArena
Pre-orders, mind you, are still open until tomorrow, March 11, at which point the Galaxy S26 lineup will be considered actually released, but clearly, there's nothing the Ultra's little brothers can do to make up that ground now. Interestingly (although also unsurprisingly), Samsung isn't saying what slice of the remaining 20 percent of regional pre-orders has gone to the compact Galaxy S26, which I'm pretty sure is still a lot more popular than the 6.7-inch S26+.
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This is similar to how the company communicated in its domestic market of South Korea, where the Galaxy S26 Ultra actually held a smaller initial advantage over the S26 and S26 Plus, "only" accounting for "about" 70 percent of the 1.35 million unit pre-orders counted by Friday, March 6.
That's definitely a solid improvement over the Galaxy S25 trio in a similar timeframe last year, but with the S26 Ultra so dominant in its family, you really have to wonder how much (or how little) the base Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus have contributed to this progress.
Probably, extremely little, which makes it difficult for Samsung to sustain the box-office growth of the S26 trio in the long run, as super-expensive devices like the S26 Ultra tend to lose some of their mass appeal after a few months in stores (especially if they're not substantially and frequently discounted).
Technically, the S26 family as a whole is a hit... for the time being. | Image by PhoneArena
Still, this is a clear and undeniable (early) victory for the world's number two smartphone vendor, which definitely needed to put one in the win column after a shaky 2025 and some risky price hikes (for the S26 and S26+ in particular).
Interestingly, Samsung claims that major US carriers have registered "more than a 70 percent increase in pre-orders" compared to the S25 series, while retailers "including Best Buy" are seeing "more than double the pre-order volumes than the previous generation." As impressive as that sounds, it doesn't really explain how Galaxy S26 series pre-orders are up only 25 percent in the US, making me believe that the family's numbers are (massively) down on Samsung's official regional e-store. Otherwise, I don't think the math is mathing.
What's next for the Galaxy S26 trio?
Well, Samsung might make a similar announcement for European markets like the UK or even the entire old continent, but only if the numbers are good enough in those regions as well. Otherwise, we'll probably get radio silence, then some of the best pre-order deals will go away and... hopefully get replaced with better ones soon, at least as far as the Galaxy S26 and the S26+ are concerned.
Those two phones clearly need all the help they can get to find their audiences, and as chunky as the S26 Ultra profit margins might be, I believe that Samsung badly needs at least one of the smaller models to succeed as well. Otherwise, it's going to be pretty hard to release next year's Galaxy S27 in more than an (Ultra) variant.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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