Samsung raised the list price of most Galaxy S26 models by US$100 on October 1 — and by US$200 on the 1TB S26 Ultra — according to GizmoChina and Trusted Reviews. The phone did not change. The number it gets discounted from did.
Here is the number that did not move: at JustSell, a Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB in Like New condition pays $1,010 in Canada, and the model's full range runs $1,010 to $1,110 on that anchor. Judge every Black Friday “deal” against the old price, not the new list.
You know the scene. You open Samsung's store, see a Galaxy S26 Ultra with a big line struck through $1,399.99, and think: deal. Except that phone launched at US$1,299.99 in March. The discount got bigger because the starting price got bigger first.
This is not a scandal. It is something more useful than a scandal: a pricing trick you can learn to read in about four minutes — and a genuine reason to check what your current Galaxy is worth before the sale season rewrites every number again.
What actually happened on October 1
According to GizmoChina's November 6 report, Samsung raised US prices on October 1, 2026. The S26 Ultra 256GB went to US$1,399.99, the 512GB to US$1,599.99, and the 1TB to US$1,999.99. MyElectricSparks, reporting Memeburn's October 31 price checks, puts the standard S26 256GB at a US$999.99 list, up US$100 like most of the line.
Trusted Reviews confirmed the same move from the buyer's side on November 5: the S26 Ultra “originally had a starting RRP of £1279/$1299,” and buying direct from Samsung now starts at US$1,399.99. Three reports, one story.
One model escaped. The Galaxy S26 FE still lists at US$699.99, according to MyElectricSparks — it had already taken a US$50 rise over its predecessor at launch, and Samsung left it alone this time.
Why Samsung says it moved
Coverage of the rise points to memory costs: AI data centres buying memory in bulk have pushed up what phone makers pay. MyElectricSparks names memory chip costs as the driver, and it is the same pressure showing up in storage pricing — Samsung charges US$200 to step an S26 from 256GB to 512GB. You do not need to love the reason. You do need to know the floor under flagship prices just rose.
The timeline that exposes the “deal”
Follow one phone — the S26 Ultra 256GB, in US dollars, as reported — and the whole trick becomes visible:
- March 11, 2026: S26 Ultra launches at US$1,299.99, according to GizmoChina.
- October 1: Samsung raises the list to US$1,399.99.
- October sale: the Ultra sells for US$979 at its low, according to MyElectricSparks — the cheapest it has been.
- October 31 checks: the same phone sits at US$1,144.22 on Amazon — US$165.22 above the October low, yet still advertised against the higher list.
- November 6: Amazon US lists it at US$949.99 — US$350 under launch, but a full US$450 “off” the new list, according to GizmoChina. Same phone, same final price story, two very different discount claims.
A discount is only as honest as the price it is measured from — and on October 1, that measuring stick grew by $100.
GizmoChina also notes the US$949.99 price is the lowest in 90 days and matches October's Prime Big Deal Days price. In other words, the genuinely good price is the October-level price. Anything that merely “beats” US$1,399.99 is beating a number that did not exist before October.
What the phone itself is — and is not — worth upgrading for
The S26 Ultra is a strong phone, and the details explain why it holds value. GizmoChina's hands-on summary lists a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X display at 2,600 nits with a built-in Privacy Display that hides the screen from people beside you — no film needed — a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, and a 200MP main camera with 50MP ultrawide, 50MP 5x and 10MP 3x telephotos.
Two niche details matter for resale. First, the 16GB of RAM comes only with the 1TB model; every smaller Ultra has 12GB. Second, there are still no built-in Qi2 magnets, so magnetic accessories need a case. Add a built-in S Pen, a 7.9mm, 214g body, a 5,000mAh battery and seven major OS updates, and you have a phone built to stay relevant — which is exactly why used buyers keep paying for it.
Trusted Reviews, in its hands-on time, found performance smooth across AI tasks and gaming, and called Privacy Display genuinely useful — it can even be switched on for specific apps and notifications only. That is the kind of feature a second owner will still care about in two years.
So what is your Galaxy worth in Canada, in real money?
Forget list prices for a second. These are cash payouts from JustSell's live price book, in Canadian dollars, for unlocked phones. The anchor is the S26 Ultra 512GB — the middle storage tier most owners actually bought:
| Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB | JustSell pays |
|---|---|
| Sealed | $1,060 |
| Like New | $1,010 |
| Good | $910 |
| Fair | $810 |
The full S26 Ultra range runs to $1,110 for the 1TB Like New model. One tier down, a Galaxy S26 512GB in Like New condition pays $600, and an S26+ 512GB pays $690. You can see every configuration on the Galaxy S26 Ultra page and the Galaxy S26 page.
Own the previous generation? An S25 Ultra 512GB in Like New condition pays $810 — real money sitting in a phone many owners assume is “last year's model, probably not worth much.” It is worth checking before Black Friday, not after: once sale prices on new phones genuinely drop, used values usually follow them down a step.
Money tip
Lock a quote before you shop. A JustSell quote is locked for 7 days, so you can hold today's number while you watch whether Black Friday beats the October lows — or merely beats the inflated list.
Canada's Black Friday wrinkle: read Samsung's own fine print
Samsung Canada's Early Black Friday campaign is already live. Its own offer page puts the period at November 6 to December 10, 2026, with up to $200 in extra trade-in promotional credit toward a Galaxy Z Fold8 or Flip8 when you trade in an eligible Galaxy. Black Friday itself falls on Friday, November 27.
Trade-in credit is not cash — it only spends inside Samsung's store, toward those foldables, and the traded phone cannot be returned to you afterwards, even if you return the new one. That may still be the right deal for a committed Fold or Flip buyer. But compare it honestly against cash in hand: $1,010 for an S26 Ultra 512GB you can spend anywhere, on anything, including a phone bought on a better day.
If you are weighing the routes, our guide to where to sell your phone in Canada compares buyback cash, trade-in credit and Marketplace side by side.
Ready to sell? Four steps, no listing photos
Settings, then About phone. Quote the storage you actually have — on an Ultra, 512GB and 1TB are different money.
JustSell buys unlocked phones only. Remove your Samsung and Google accounts, then factory reset — a phone still tied to your account cannot be set up by its next owner.
The quote takes about 30 seconds and shows the price before any contact details are asked for. Keep the S Pen with the phone — a complete Ultra is the Ultra buyers want.
Meet at a GO station, ship it free from anywhere in Canada with free return, or — if you are nearby — JustSell can collect it free from your doorstep; check whether your city is covered and save yourself the trip.
The bottom line
Samsung did not make your Galaxy better on October 1. It made the new one more expensive on paper — which quietly makes a well-kept used one easier to justify. At JustSell, that is $1,010 for an S26 Ultra 512GB, Like New, locked for 7 days, paid the same day. Read sale prices by their final number, and sell by yours.
Frequently asked questions
Did Samsung really raise Galaxy S26 prices?
Yes, according to multiple reports. GizmoChina and MyElectricSparks report that on October 1, 2026 Samsung raised most Galaxy S26 list prices by US$100, and the 1TB S26 Ultra by US$200, to US$1,999.99. Trusted Reviews confirmed the Ultra now starts at US$1,399.99 direct from Samsung, up from US$1,299 at launch. The Galaxy S26 FE was not raised.
How much is a Galaxy S26 Ultra worth in Canada?
At JustSell, the S26 Ultra 512GB anchor pays $1,060 Sealed, $1,010 Like New, $910 Good and $810 Fair. The model's full range runs from that $1,010 Like New anchor to $1,110 for a 1TB Like New phone. Prices are in Canadian dollars for unlocked phones.
Is a Black Friday discount on the S26 a real deal?
Only if the final price beats the October lows — about US$979 for the Ultra in the October sale, according to MyElectricSparks — not merely the new US$1,399.99 list. A price can show a bigger “savings” figure than in October while costing more, because the list it is measured from rose on October 1.
Should I trade in to Samsung or sell for cash?
Samsung Canada is offering up to $200 in extra trade-in credit toward a Galaxy Z Fold8 or Flip8 during its November 6 to December 10 campaign, per its offer page. Credit only spends at Samsung and the traded phone cannot be returned. Selling to JustSell pays cash — $1,010 for an S26 Ultra 512GB, Like New — that you can spend anywhere.
How fast do I get paid, and how long is my quote good for?
Payment is the same day JustSell checks your phone matches its description — cash at a GO-station meetup or Interac e-Transfer for pickup and shipping sales. Your quote is locked for 7 days, and JustSell's Price-Beat Promise means it will beat any legitimate written Canadian quote.
Get your Galaxy number before the sales rewrite it
Your Galaxy's value today is a real number, not a strikethrough. See it in about 30 seconds, lock it for seven days, and decide with the actual figure in front of you: Get your Galaxy offer.
Sources: GizmoChina, November 6, 2026; MyElectricSparks, November 3, 2026; Trusted Reviews, November 5, 2026; Samsung Canada Black Friday offers. US list and sale prices are as reported by those sources; JustSell payouts are in Canadian dollars from its live price book.
