What you need to know
- Sources allege that Samsung is contacting suppliers to begin increasing Galaxy S26 production; however, one is being left out.
- The Galaxy S26 Ultra is reportedly rising by 200,000 units (1.5 mil total in April), while the base S26 jumps by 500,000 units (1.3 mil in total for April).
- Reports add that Samsung is pulling back on the S26 Plus for April by 100,000 units, as well as a couple of mid-range phones.
There was talk that Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series was breaking pre-order records; now, another wave suggests the company is boosting production.
Today (Apr 9), ZDNet Korea reported that Samsung will ask its suppliers to increase production of the Galaxy S26 in April (via SamMobile). According to the publication’s sources, Samsung is trying to play catch-up after the number of S26 orders from March “was higher than initially expected.” It’s been stated that Samsung will look to increase its Galaxy S26 Ultra production by 200,000 units; however, the Galaxy S26 may see the highest increase at 500,000 units.
This will bring the Ultra’s April units up to 1.5 million, while the S26 rises to 1.3 million. The missing player here is the Galaxy S26 Plus, but that’s less exciting, as Samsung is supposedly cutting back. Sources allege the S26 Plus is cutting back by 100,000 units, meaning its April totals sit at ~200,000.
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While this sounds like good news for Samsung’s flagships, the publication says it won’t last long (and not every phone is happy).
Allegedly, Samsung’s big April increase to meet demand might see it relaxing a little for the S26 series in May. What’s more, Samsung might cut back by a few hundred thousand units for its mid-range Galaxy A57 and A17.
The Galaxy S26 has been busy
It’s probably pretty certain as to what’s influenced such a strong showing for the Galaxy S26 Ultra: the Privacy Display. In March, reports surfaced in a hurry, stating how incredibly popular the S26 series pre-orders were in South Korea. Leading the charge is the Galaxy S26 Ultra due to its Privacy Display, as it takes up ~70% of the pie. But there’s more to it. Samsung upgraded the Ultra the most this year, adding better cameras, a thinner build, and a more one-handed-friendly design at the same price as the S25 Ultra.
What’s not so surprising is Samsung’s ease of the S26 Plus. This phone sits right between the base model and the Ultra, but without the new fancy goodies. This year, the S26 Plus received the fewest number of upgrades, aside from the new camera island. More than that, consumers would look at the S26 for its smaller size, but great flagship features, while others look at the Ultra for more and a bigger display. The Plus only adds a meager 0.4-inch difference from the base model, so there’s a lot to be desired.
Android Central’s Take
We’ve gone through reports twice now of Samsung having to boost production due to an increase in demand. We saw this with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and now the Galaxy S26 series (minus the Plus). The Ultra seeing the largest portion is no surprise; that Privacy Display has likely caught a lot of eyes, and people are just interested. I, for one, would love to go and get one (but I kinda got the S25 Ultra, so I’ll just wait).
