in the pre-order phase. Announced on February 25 during the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco, the lineup has generated strong interest.
For context, the Galaxy S25 reached approximately 1.3 million pre-orders last year. While Samsung has yet to disclose official figures for this generation, Lim Sung-taek, Vice President of Samsung Electronics Korea, shared notable upgrades during MWC 2026 in Barcelona. In a meeting with SK Telecom President Jung Jae-heon, Sung-taek stated
Sales of the Galaxy S26 series have increased by approximately 15% compared to its predecessor, with the Ultra accounting for 70% of those sales. This is probably a Guinness (new record).
Lim Sung-taek, Vice President of Samsung Electronics Korea
Based on those figures, the Galaxy S26 might have reached 1.5 million units during the pre-order period alone, and the window remains open. However, it remains unclear whether these figures reflect global demand or are limited to South Korea.
In the US, pre-orders will remain open until March 10, while the Korean market closes them in just two days. The Galaxy S26 lineup will be officially released on March 11.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra, expectedly, holds the crown
As Samsung Electronics Korea’s VP Sang-taek said at MWC 2026 in Barcelona, the Galaxy S26 Ultra remains the most highly sought model. This follows a familiar trend. Over the past two years, the Galaxy S Ultra models have accounted for over 50% of all orders.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra‘s Privacy Display is the new must-have! | Video by PhoneArena
What stands out this year is just how popular the Galaxy S26 Ultra has become. Accounting for nearly 70% of all orders, the flagship might indeed be setting a new record. In contrast, the Galaxy S25 Ultra reached about 55% of all orders, while the S24 Ultra peaked at 65% of all S24 orders. Samsung has been betting heavily on its Ultra models over the past few years, and 2026’s lineup is no different. The S26 Ultra comes with incredibly useful upgrades, most notably the Privacy Display.
This feature allows users to shield on-screen content from prying eyes. It’s built on a hardware level, allowing extensive customization, including blocking notifications from unwanted eyes.
Other changes this year include more advanced on-device AI features as well as an upgraded Circle to Search. The Galaxy S26 camera, naturally, has also been upgraded.
Is it just the Privacy Display — or not exactly?
Some might argue the Galaxy S26 Ultra has received the biggest upgrades this year, and I couldn’t agree more. But is it really the Privacy Display and powerful on-device AI features that have made users want the S26 Ultra more than all other options?
I don’t think so. For one thing, Samsung has raised prices for the “vanilla” model and Galaxy S26+ in almost all markets, while the base storage configuration of the Ultra has remained unchanged in the US. The pricing situation, combined with the upgrades of the Ultra, easily accounts for its higher demand.
All Galaxy S26 models look great, but there can be only one king! | Image by PhoneArena
Another thing is that the Galaxy S26 arrives later this year. Even before the announcement, many US carriers either froze discounts for the S25 or completely removed them entirely.
In other words, those looking to upgrade simply had to wait for the Galaxy S26. After all, who wants to buy a Galaxy S25 at full price when the S26 Ultra packs new features and significantly more attractive promotional pricing?
