Samsung Galaxy S26 series sets preorder record in Korea, slow start in Europe
Samsung says it has already sold 1.35 million units of the Galaxy S26 series in South Korea during the pre-order period. This is more than the 1.3 million units of the S25 series sold during the same period. However, these figures are limited to Samsung's home market, where brand loyalty is traditionally higher.
The S26 Ultra accounted for 70% of total sales, with Samsung selling nearly one million units in South Korea alone. This indicates a further shift toward the Ultra segment, protecting Samsung's margins despite stagnant overall sales.
The Plus model has historically been the lowest-selling variant, and this year will likely be the same. There were rumors prior to release that the model would be replaced by a thin Edge model; however, the commercial failure of the S25 Edge forced Samsung back to the conservative trio.
| Series | Preorder (units) | Duration of preorder period | Average per day | ||||||||||||||||
| Galaxy S26 | 1.35 million | 7 days | ~192,000 | ||||||||||||||||
| Galaxy S25 | 1.3 million | 11 days [1] | ~118,000 | ||||||||||||||||
| Galaxy S24 | 1.21 million | 7 days | ~173,000 | ||||||||||||||||
| Galaxy S23 | 1.09 million | 7 days | ~155,000 |
[1] The preorder period for the S25 series was longer (11 days) due to national holidays surrounding Seollal (Korean New Year).
Price Increase Inhibits European Adoption
While numbers in Seoul are rosy, our platform registers a striking trend: European consumers appear to be holding back. Click-through rates and preorder conversions on NieuweMobiel.NL lag significantly behind the launch of the S25 series. While rival Apple maintained starting prices despite increasing base model storage, Samsung risks pricing itself out of the market in the current economic climate.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series went on preorder Feb. 25, and Samsung shipped the first units a week later on March 4. For the S26 Ultra, the most popular color was neither Cobalt Violet, the new purple color, nor Samsung's exclusive Silver Shadow or Gold Pink. The standard white and black versions have been the most popular so far.
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