Americans Switch to Android in Droves, Samsung Galaxy S26 Model Proves Hugely Popular
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series has broken pre-order records in several countries, demonstrating strong enthusiasm for the South Korean tech giant’s latest flagship amid the global chip shortage crisis affecting smartphone industry growth.
First-week pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S26 reportedly exceeded the bookings for the previous flagship series in South Korea. Samsung claims to have received 1.35 million pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 series, surpassing the 1.3 million units ordered for the Galaxy S25 series during the same period.
Beyond South Korea, the Galaxy S26 series achieved a 25% pre-order surge compared to its predecessor in the United States through various channels. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, the most premium variant of the new series, contributed 80% of total pre-orders in the US, indicating a growing trend of American consumers turning to Android devices rather than remaining exclusively loyal to iPhone.
Globally, Galaxy S26 pre-orders have also surpassed the previous generation with significant double-digit growth. The Ultra variant performed exceptionally, accounting for 70% of total sales worldwide.
US mobile operators reported stronger interest in the latest Galaxy flagship series, with pre-orders increasing by 70% compared to the Galaxy S25. Retailers such as Best Buy observed the same trend, reporting pre-order numbers double those of the previous Galaxy flagship model.
Strong Sales Despite Price Increases
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series officially launched globally on Thursday, 26 February 2026, with prices higher than the previous generation at initial release in Indonesia and several other countries.
The most notable price increase occurred in the Ultra variant, which now reaches nearly Rp 32 million for the highest capacity. The official Galaxy S26 pricing in Indonesia is as follows:
Galaxy S26 Ultra
12GB+256GB: Rp 24,499,000
12GB+512GB: Rp 27,499,000
16GB+1TB: Rp 31,999,000
Galaxy S26+
12GB+256GB: Rp 19,499,000
12GB+512GB: Rp 22,499,000
Galaxy S26
12GB+256GB: Rp 16,499,000
12GB+512GB: Rp 19,499,000
For comparison, the official Samsung Galaxy S25 pricing at initial launch in Indonesia was:
Galaxy S25 Ultra
12GB+256GB: Rp 22,999,000
12GB+512GB: Rp 24,999,000
12GB+1TB: Rp 28,999,000
For the Ultra variant:
256GB increased by Rp 1.5 million
512GB increased by Rp 2.5 million
1TB increased by Rp 3 million
Galaxy S25+
12GB+256GB: Rp 17,999,000
12GB+512GB: Rp 19,999,000
For the Plus variant:
256GB increased by Rp 1.5 million
512GB increased by Rp 2.5 million
Galaxy S25
12GB+256GB: Rp 14,999,000
12GB+512GB: Rp 16,999,000
For the standard variant:
256GB increased by Rp 1.5 million
512GB increased by Rp 2.5 million