When you consider the cost of gadgets compared to what we had ten years ago, it’s almost shocking. Prices in 2026 have skyrocketed; manufacturers have either cut back on hardware upgrades to reduce costs or raised prices to cover inflation. In Samsung’s case, the number of phones has almost doubled since 2016. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge cost around $650 and $750, respectively.
Now in 2026, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series starts at $900, while the high-end Galaxy S26 Ultra sells for $1,300. Looking at Samsung’s budget and mid-range offerings in 2016 versus 2026, the prices are quite different. In 2016, Samsung offered the Samsung Galaxy A3, Samsung Galaxy A5 and Samsung Galaxy J3, priced at $329, $399 and $110 – $192 respectively (carrier specific). In 2026, the Korean giant’s mid-range and budget phones, including the Samsung Galaxy A57 5G, Samsung Galaxy A37 5G, and Samsung Galaxy A17 5G, are priced at $550, $450, and $250, respectively.
Samsung launched the Samsung Note 7 in 2016; it filled a different niche as the most premium smartphone (in reality, it was more of a phablet), and this entry was notorious for being recalled after launch. This 2016 phone, when first used, cost around $834, depending on the carrier. Samsung has long since discontinued its Note line aimed at power users; However, it now offers premium foldables that consumers love, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8, with MSRPs of $1,900, $2,100, and $1,200, respectively.
Why are Samsung phones so expensive now?
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The cheapest Samsung phone in 2026 is the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G at $250, while the cheapest in 2016 was the Samsung Galaxy J3 at $110. These phones are entry-level smartphones. This means they won’t be the fastest and may have fewer software features because they don’t have the hardware to support them. So you’re essentially getting a daily-use phone that can run light apps fine, but may not work well once you do more of them.
In 2016, AI didn’t exist in the form it does in 2026: it was mostly basic machine learning (it falls under the same umbrella, but works differently) and cloud-based voice assistants. Since Samsung launched Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 series, AI has evolved significantly. Part of the cost is creating the hardware that can support it. Plus, with Samsung now promising seven years of updates on the newest devices, they need to design their phones to handle it long term. Memory costs have also increased since 2016, something the entire consumer technology market has to contend with; this is reflected in the pricing of mobile DRAM, NAND flash, and AI chipsets. Then there’s the issue of adding new processors, for which major manufacturers like MediaTek and Qualcomm have raised prices which these companies then pass on to the consumer.
