Samsung was one of the first companies to introduce a price increase for its smartphones in 2026, confirming higher starting prices for its Galaxy S26 series phones complete with OLED panels, a new Qualcomm chipset, and updated software among some other key changes from last year’s phones. What followed were price increases from other brands like Google, Apple, and even companies like Sony and Nintendo with prices on consoles going up. Also, laptops cost more to consumers now, and RAM and storage are the main reasons. These now cost more for manufacturers to obtain, which increases their bill of materials. That translated into higher prices for consumers.
Only now, it won’t just be RAM and storage that drive up costs. Smartphones are reportedly making a comeback for a completely different, but related, reason. And it has to do with display.
Samsung OLED panels will receive a price increase in the future
It’s not yet clear how many devices this will affect, but it will come down to which phones use Samsung’s OLED panels. According to ITHome, a Chinese supply chain source called Channel Gate says that Samsung has notified its suppliers to let them know that OLED panel costs will increase. The cost will be somewhere around $10 to $20 more than what it is now, with prices increasing in 2027.
If this is the case, phones using Samsung OLED panels will increase. That’s in addition to reported potential further price increases in RAM and storage costs. Samsung also uses its own OLED panels on its own devices, so Samsung phone prices also increase. What is not clear is when price increases will start happening and for which devices specifically, nor is it known what the price increases will amount to.