[Report] Phone "Holy Sites" Stay Quiet Ahead of Galaxy S26 Launch... "Consumers Only Care About the Price"

Staff at "holy places for phones": "Pre-orders are low due to price burden"
"Chipflation-driven price burden" vs. "High expectations for AI features"
Close watch on whether it can replicate the Galaxy S25's success

"What are you looking for today?" "I'm just here for a consultation!"

At around 11:00 a.m. on the 20th, as you went up to the 6th floor of Gangbyeon Techno Mart in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, everyone noisily tried to strike up a conversation. The 6th floor of Gangbyeon Techno Mart is packed with mobile phone stores and is known as a so-called "holy place for mobile phones" because you can buy phones at low prices. However, most of the people you ran into at Gangbyeon Techno Mart that day were employees of mobile phone stores. As soon as they saw someone, they tried to stop them to sell a smartphone. Only two people had actually come to look at phones, and they just glanced over the Galaxy S25 and iPhone 17 advertisements posted on the stands and walked past.

At 11 a.m. on the 20th, the cellphone store on the 6th floor of Gangbyeon Techno Mart in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, was quiet. By Gong Byungseon

Carriers scrambling for customers after hacking incident..."I've already changed my smartphone"

The situation was the same on the 10th floor of Sindorim Technomart in Guro-gu, Seoul, another so-called holy place for mobile phones, at the same time. The walls were still dominated by advertisements for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Fold 7 and the iPhone 17. When asked about pre-orders for the Galaxy S26, a store employee took a passive attitude, saying, "The subsidies from the carriers have not been finalized yet." He said that if you left your phone number, they would contact you after the carrier subsidies were confirmed. A man running a mobile phone store in Sindorim Technomart said, "Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 are definitely lower than for the Galaxy S25 last year," and added, "I think the factory price is having an impact, more than the functions themselves."

Consumers are currently focused on the yet-to-be-announced price of the Galaxy S26. As it is affected by so-called "chipflation," the rise in semiconductor prices, there are forecasts that the factory price of some Galaxy S26 models will exceed the 2 million won range. Taking the overall circumstances into account, whether the Galaxy S26 can replicate the box-office success of its predecessor, the S25, is expected to depend on the price as a key variable. On top of that, the three mobile carriers already waged a battle to attract customers last year due to incidents such as hacking. KT even waived penalty fees for cancellations or number porting until the 13th of last month. According to the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA), the number of people who switched their mobile numbers last month was 999,344, an increase of 68.3% from the previous month.

Lee (33, female) said, "No matter how many AI features are included, paying more than 2 million won is burdensome," adding, "Last month I switched carriers and bought the Galaxy S25, which also showcases AI features, with the help of subsidies."

Galaxy S26 packed with camera AI and real-time translation..."Expecting help when traveling"

Samsung Electronics said on the 13th that, after releasing the Unpacked invitation on the 11th (Korea Standard Time), it is running 3D outdoor advertisements at major landmarks in 17 countries worldwide, including South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom, to showcase the Galaxy AI features of its new Galaxy products. The photo shows the 3D outdoor advertisement currently running at COEX in Seoul, South Korea. Photo by Yonhap News.

On the 25th (local time), Samsung Electronics will hold the "Galaxy Unpacked 2026" event in San Francisco, United States, and unveil its new Galaxy S26. The new product will include a variety of AI features, such as camera AI that handles everything from editing to sharing, real-time translation, and text summarization. In addition, to boost AI performance, the Exynos 2600 chipset will be installed in the standard and Plus models. The Exynos 2600 is the world's first high-performance smartphone application processor (AP) to apply the 2-nanometer GAA process.

Consumers have high expectations for the AI functions of the Galaxy S26. As the translation and other AI features of its predecessor, the Galaxy S25, received favorable reviews, expectations for the Galaxy S26 have naturally grown. Song (32, female) said, "I'm planning to switch my phone to the Galaxy S26 this time, and I'm looking forward to the real-time interpretation feature. I think it will be helpful for traveling and studying English," adding, "Because of the camera AI function, I don't think I will need to use separate applications."

With the launch of the Galaxy S26 approaching, the three mobile carriers have begun competing to attract customers. SK Telecom will select 10 customers who apply for Galaxy S26 pre-order notifications by the 25th and present each of them with 1 don of gold in the shape of a horse. It is also running a promotion that offers up to 150,000 won in additional compensation on a first-come, first-served basis to 3,000 people who trade in their existing devices. KT will also provide up to 100,000 won in additional compensation to customers who apply for pre-notification and trade in their used devices. It has also decided to distribute, on a first-come, first-served basis, 50,000 won coupons each for device discounts and accessories. LG Uplus will offer a zero-penalty benefit even to customers whose 18-month contract period with the company has passed but who still have remaining contract obligations, and will run a promotion giving pre-notification applicants coupons worth up to 200,000 won.

The reason the three mobile carriers are scrambling to attract customers is that they are hoping for a hit following the Galaxy S25. In February last year, when pre-orders for the Galaxy S25 were underway, the number of subscribers who switched carriers via number portability was 575,642, the highest figure in seven years since 2017. In addition, the Galaxy S25 set a record as the best-selling model in the history of the Galaxy S series, with domestic pre-sales exceeding 1.3 million units.

On the 20th at 11 a.m., an advertising flyer announcing Samsung Electronics' new Galaxy S26 Unpacked was posted in front of a mobile phone store on the 10th floor of Sindorim Technomart in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Lee Eunseo