Hadley Simmons/Android Authority
TL;DR
- Initial sales of the Galaxy S26 series are reportedly 29% higher than initial sales of the Galaxy S25 range in the US.
- The Galaxy S26 Ultra accounted for 71% of initial sales in the market, compared to 61% of the S25 Ultra a year ago.
- This news comes despite price increases for most Galaxy S26 models.
Counterpoint Research The report states that sales of the Galaxy S26 series in the US in the first three weeks of availability have increased by 29% compared to sales of the Galaxy S25 series during the same period. See the firm’s graphic below.
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The graphic also notes that Ultra models accounted for 71% of all Galaxy S26 series models sold during this initial period. That’s a full 10% more than the Galaxy S25 Ultra during its first few weeks on sale. Counterpoint says the price increase for the S26 and S26 Plus is a big reason people are switching to the Ultra. Samsung has actually increased the price of most models, although the base Galaxy S26 Ultra is priced the same as last year’s model. The firm said that the privacy display was also another major selling point that was not available on other models. Furthermore, the S26 Ultra has apparently received more carrier sales incentives than its predecessors.
It’s also worth noting that the US market isn’t exactly swimming in premium Android phones. The only other major Android flagship family available on US carriers is the Google Pixel series, while the OnePlus flagships are no longer available on the network. However, Counterpoint says the Galaxy S26 series sales still saw double-digit growth in Western Europe. And there are plenty of major Android alternatives in the region from Samsung, Google, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Honor.
What about the global reception of the Galaxy S26 series? Sujeong Lim, Associate Director, Counterpoint revealed Some details:
Cumulative sales of Samsung smartphones during the first three weeks of the launch of the Galaxy S26 series were 4% higher than those of the Galaxy S25 series during the same period in 2025.
In any event, it’s clear that more people are buying the Galaxy S26 series than the Galaxy S25 range at this stage. However, the Ultra model is doing most of the heavy lifting, and we wonder about the long-term viability of the base and Plus models if Samsung doesn’t bring major upgrades next year.
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