Report reveals Apple’s pricing strategy forced Samsung to shift its Galaxy S26 focus from a slim phone to cutting costs to hit $799.
• Samsung originally planned a slimmer Galaxy S26 with a larger battery but reversed course due to Apple’s decision to maintain a $799 price tag for the iPhone 17.
Samsung’s revised plan appears to retain the previous dimensions of the S26, with a smaller increase in battery capacity, while focusing on maintaining competitive pricing.
Samsung will differentiate Galaxy S models by intent, offering a price-focused base model, a balanced Plus version, and a feature-rich Ultra model.
The Galaxy S26 series has been in the news a whole lot before its launch, primarily for all the plan changes that Samsung is making at a relatively late stage of product development. The company reportedly killed the Galaxy S26 Edge and revived the Galaxy S26 Plus, but it has also been making a few other tweaks to the lineup. A new report now sheds light on the reason behind some of these changes, and the answer is surprisingly simple: Apple.
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According to South Korean publication NewsPim (via Jukanlosreve on X), Samsung was focusing on making the Galaxy S26 lineup slimmer. However, Apple’s decision to maintain the $799 price tag on the iPhone 17 forced Samsung to reconsider its strategy. Consequently, the company shifted its focus from an initial target of a “slim premium” phone with a thinner body and larger battery capacity to reducing the cost burdens associated with the phone.
