By estherdidsang@gmail.com 
Samsung’s recently announced their newest phone lineup, the Galaxy S26 series at the Samsung Unpacked event. You can officially preorder the Galaxy S26 lineup and the phones will launch on March 11. With a starting price of $900 for the base model, this new flagship starts at a higher price than the previous S25 lineup. However, there is good news. We’ve found a few ways to pay less than sticker price and get a new S26 series phone in your hand at launch. You might even be able to put one in your pocket for free.
CNET’s team of deals experts has rounded up the best preorder offers available right now. With an eligible trade-in, you can knock a significant amount off the total. If you’re planning to upgrade and don’t want to pay full price, these early offers are worth a look. We’ll continue to update this page with new offers as they drop, so keep checking back.
Best Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra preorders deals
You can save up to $550 when you preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26. You can get up to $900 off with an eligible trade-in. The amount you get depends on the device you’re trading in. If you don’t have a device to trade in, you can still get an instant credit of $150. That brings the phone down to $1,150.
Best Buy is offering a straightforward $200 off the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Plus, if you connect the phone to either Verizon or AT&T, you can save another $100. That brings it down to $1,200 for the 512GB option. In addition, you can get up to $900 off with a trade-in.
You can score the S26 Ultra for free when you trade in a deivce in any condition or open a new line on the Experience Beyond plan. If you have the Experience More plan, you can still get up to $1,100 off with a trade in or up to $900 iff with a new line.
On most T-Mobile plans, you can save $600 on the S26 Plus phone when you add a new line. You can also get up to $500 back on most plans with a trade-in. You can also score $40 off the Samsung Galaxy Buds when you preorder this phone.
Best Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus preorders deals
You can score the S26 Plus for free when you trade in a device Experience More plan. If you add a new line on the Experience More plan, you can save up to $900.
On most T-Mobile plans, you can save $600 on the S26 Plus phone when you add a new line. You can also get up to $500 back on most plans with a trade-in. You can also score $40 off the Samsung Galaxy Buds when you preorder this phone.
Best Samsung Galaxy S26 preorder deals
You can save up to $500 when you preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26. You can get up to $900 off with an eligible trade-in. The amount you get depends on the device you’re trading in.
When you preorder from Amazon, you can also score a $100 Amazon gift card. But best of all, you can double the storage. Just select the 512GB gift card bundle for the deal. Keep in mind, the gift card may ship separately.
Best Buy is knocking $200 off the Samsung S26 512GB model. That knocks it down to $900, which is essentially a free storage upgrade. If you decide to connect to AT&T or Verizon, you can shave another $100 off that price, bringing it down to $800.
If you’re on the Experience More plan at T-Mobile, you can snag the S26 phone for free when you trade in another device or add a line. The value depends on what you are trading in. These offers still require a $35 activation fee.
For all other plans, you can score $600 off when you add a new line or up to $500 when you trade in another device.
Lastly, you can save up to $800 when you switch from Metro to T-Mobile.
When you add a new line on an Unlimited plan, you can save $900. This nets you the phone for free. You’ll see the savings in bill credits across 36 months.
What’s new about the S26 series?
As revealed in the Samsung Unpacked event last month, the S26 series will consist of the base model, along with the S26 Plus and S26 Ultra. The S26 and S26 Plus have a $100 price hike when compared to their predecessors, but all three phones in the series have top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip and Galaxy AI. The base model got a larger display and battery, too. And the Ultra now has a slimmer and lighter build with an aluminum frame, plus it has an improved battery, camera and display. You can read more about these changes in our coverage from CNET’s Abrar Al-Heeti and Patrick Holland.
How much does the S26 series cost?
Prices differ depending on the model and the amount of storage you buy.
- Samsung Galaxy S26: From $900
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus: From $1,100
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: From $1,300
What colors does the S26 series come in?
The S26 series comes in cobalt violet, sky blue, black and white. There are also two online exclusive colors: silver shadow and pink gold.
Shopping for a previous Samsung Galaxy model? Our roundup of the best S25 deals includes sales on the entire Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup.
How does S26 series trade-in offers work?
Both Samsung and carriers often offer trade-in savings, giving existing phone owners a great way to pick up the latest phone at a discounted price. Some of the best trade-in offers can even make the new phone free.
Not a fan of contracts? Some retailers also offer trade-in programs, which could offer gift cards toward future purchases instead. This can be a great way to take advantage of savings without necessarily being locked into a contract. Retail offers may not provide as much of a deal as traditional trade-in offers from carriers, though, so keep that in mind as you shop and more offers come online.