Samsung's Galaxy S26 series is shattering pre-order records ahead of its March 11 launch, with U.S. demand up nearly 25 percent compared to last year's model despite price increases for base configurations.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra accounts for an unprecedented 80 percent of all U.S. pre-orders, according to Samsung's official data released today.
In South Korea, the premium model represents about 70 percent of early purchases after Samsung recorded 1.35 million reservations during a seven-day booking window ending March 5. That Korean figure surpasses the previous Galaxy S series record of approximately 1.3 million pre-orders set by last year's S25 lineup.
Major U.S. carriers report more than a 70 percent increase in reservations compared to the previous generation, while retailers including Best Buy are seeing more than double the volume.
Samsung increased prices for the base Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus models in the United States to $899 and $1,099 respectively while maintaining the Ultra's starting price of $1,899 for the 256GB configuration. The company's trade-in program offers up to $900 credit toward purchases through tomorrow's launch date.
The Privacy Display technology built into the Galaxy S26 Ultra appears to be driving significant consumer interest across social media platforms and hands-on events. Samsung describes it as the world's first smartphone display that can shield content from off-angle viewing through pixel-level technology integrated directly into the screen.
Early adopters at Samsung's Gangnam store launch event in Seoul cited privacy features and improved AI tools as primary motivations for upgrading. One customer who received the first unit told reporters he had previously used AI capabilities on his Galaxy S25 Ultra to translate academic papers and was excited about enhanced functionality.
Beyond privacy protection, Samsung highlights AI-powered camera enhancements including Nightography low-light photography, Generative Edit tools for photo manipulation, and a Super Steady horizontal lock feature for video stabilization.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor powering the series includes a neural processing unit reportedly up to 39 percent faster than last year's chipset.
Pre-order promotions end March 11 when devices begin shipping to customers who secured early reservations with boosted trade-in values and accessory discounts.
