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Samsung Galaxy S26 pre-orders are now alive and well, but not all trade-in offers and discounted accessory bundles are built equally. With Amazon and Samsung jostling for the best unlocked prices and T-Mobile and Verizon running their handset costs all the way down to zero, there's plenty of competition already. I've been running the numbers to find you the best Samsung Galaxy S26 pre-order deals in the US and UK right now.
To get straight down to business, those looking for an unlocked device should be heading to Samsung or Amazon in the US. The former is offering larger trade-in promotions, but if you don't have a device to hand over Amazon has a far more flexible $100 gift card up for grabs. Looking to add a new line? Verizon and T-Mobile will both give you a free handset for signing up, but T-Mobile has the cheaper activation cost.
If you're in the UK, EE has the best plan deal available now, with big trade-in discounts and savings on its monthly SIM plans as well. Meanwhile, Samsung is doubling your storage for free with its own additional savings as well.
With that beefy Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor at the helm, the Ultra model could well take on some of the best gaming phones on the market right now, but smaller upgrades see cheaper models offering their own benefits as well. You'll find all the best Samsung Galaxy S26 pre-order deals in the US and UK just below.
Samsung Galaxy S26 pre-order deals in the US
Samsung Galaxy S26 pre-order deals in the UK
What's new with the Samsung Galaxy S26?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 is the brand's latest range of flagship smartphones, spanning the base S26, the S26+ and the S26 Ultra. The new generation is focusing on its 'Galaxy AI experiences', but in everyday life it's more of an iterative update on what came before.
The S26 juices up its charging abilities with Super Fast Charging 3.0 and doubles its starting storage at 256GB, while also sporting a boosted processor under the hood. Samsung reckons you'll get 23% improved graphics performance and 7% faster processing out of its new entry level handset, with the brand's ProScaler display tech giving that screen a boost in impact as well.
Most notably for those looking for a gaming device, Samsung has beefed up its vapor chamber cooling, reportedly improving heat dissipation by 29%.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra boosts screen size up to 6.9-inches, but carries additional weight in the process, with the full power of a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset (the same processor that broke my benchmark records inside the RedMagic 11 Pro recently). It also adds a QHD+ AMOLED display, where the S26 only runs at a FHD+ resolution.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Samsung Galaxy S26 | Samsung Galaxy S26+ | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
Starting Price | $899 / £879 | $1,099 / £1,099 | $1,279 / £1,279 |
Processor | Custom Exynos 2600 | Custom Exynos 2600 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
Battery | 4,300mAh | 4,900mAh | 5,000mAh |
Display | 6.3-inch 2340 x 1080 AMOLED | 6.7-inch 3120 x 1440 AMOLED | 6.9-inch 3120 x 1440 AMOLED |
Weight | 167g | 190g | 214g |
Cameras | 50MP Wide, 12MP Ultra Wide, 10MP Telephoto, 12MP Front | 50MP Wide, 12MP Ultra Wide, 10MP Telephoto, 12MP Front | 200MP Wide, 50MP Ultra Wide, 50/10 MP Telephoto, 12MP Front |
I'm also hunting down all the best gaming tablets, but if you're after more portable play options check out the best gaming handhelds and best mobile controllers.
