Rising semiconductor costs are putting new pressure on premium smartphone prices, and Samsung Electronics is preparing an unusual response. The South Korean company, one of the world’s largest smartphone makers and a major producer of memory chips, is considering higher prices for its Galaxy S26 lineup while pushing manufacturer certified refurbished versions of the same phones at prices about 15% below new models.
The strategy offers an early look at how one of Apple’s biggest smartphone rivals is trying to deal with a problem spreading across the handset industry. Manufacturers want to protect margins as chips become more expensive, but raising flagship prices too aggressively could push consumers toward cheaper devices or persuade them to postpone upgrades. Samsung is trying to address both pressures at the same time.
The timing places the strategy directly into the latest round of competition with Apple.
Samsung introduced refurbished Galaxy S26 models in several major markets around the Sept. 9 launch of Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro series, only about six months after the Galaxy S26 reached consumers. Previous Galaxy flagships generally remained on the market much longer before refurbished versions appeared.
Samsung is reviewing price increases across its premium Galaxy S series as higher semiconductor costs raise production expenses. Industry officials say similar pressure is affecting Apple and Chinese smartphone manufacturers.
South Korean wireless carriers expect the 256GB Galaxy S26 to rise from about $930 to roughly $1,040. The 256GB Galaxy S26 Plus could move from about $1,080 to $1,190, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra could climb from about $1,337 to more than $1,443. The figures are estimates for the South Korean market, and Samsung has not finalized the increases.
At the same time, Samsung is expanding its Certified Re Newed program. The company takes back previously sold smartphones, inspects and repairs components, reassembles the devices and conducts its own quality checks before reselling them with manufacturer backing.
A refurbished 256GB Galaxy S26 is priced at about $790, compared with roughly $930 for a new model at its current price. The refurbished Galaxy S26 Ultra costs about $1,170.
That creates a second price tier without forcing Samsung to broadly discount its newest flagship phones. Buyers willing to pay for a new device remain at the top of the market, while more price sensitive customers can choose an officially refurbished Galaxy instead of moving to a cheaper competing phone.
Samsung has also expanded the refurbished program beyond South Korea and the U.S. The company introduced it in the U.K., France, Germany and India this year, bringing the strategy into both wealthy premium markets and countries where lower priced smartphones dominate sales.
India illustrates why that expansion matters. Smartphones priced below $600 accounted for 87% of shipments there during the first quarter, according to IDC figures cited by the industry. Refurbished flagship devices give Samsung another way to reach consumers who want a premium Galaxy phone but are unwilling or unable to pay the full price of a new model.
What makes the Galaxy S26 rollout particularly notable is its speed. Samsung waited about 15 months after the January 2024 launch of the Galaxy S24 before selling refurbished versions. The Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy Z Flip7 and Fold7 took roughly nine months.
With the Galaxy S26, that window has fallen to about six months. By bringing cheaper refurbished flagships to market just as Apple launches its newest iPhones, Samsung is turning what was once largely an aftersales business into a more immediate competitive tool.
The result is a different approach to an increasingly expensive smartphone market. Rather than choosing between higher flagship prices and discounts, Samsung is trying to do both by charging more for new devices while creating a manufacturer backed lower price tier beneath them.
