The best Samsung Galaxy S26 deals — free phones, gift cards, trade-in offers, and more

Samsung Galaxy S26 display
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The preorder period has come to an end, but there are still plenty of Samsung Galaxy S26 deals hanging around if you know where to look. I'm hard at work tracking down the best of these offers so you don't have to go searching, and while these S26 discounts aren't quite as good as the preorder promotions we saw earlier this month, they come pretty darn close.

I'm talking about deals like T-Mobile's offer that will get you the Galaxy S26 Ultra for completely FREE, no trade-in required, or Amazon's offer that'll land you a free storage upgrade and $100 gift card when you grab the base model Galaxy S26.

Samsung Galaxy S26 quick links

Samsung Galaxy S26 deals

T-Mobile: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 with eligible unlimited plan
FREE w/ new line
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T-Mobile: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 with eligible unlimited plan

The Galaxy S26 just hit shelves today and you can already get the phone for FREE by ordering and adding a line on T-Mobile's Experience More or Go5G Plus plan.

Verizon: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 with eligible unlimited plan
FREE w/ line
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Verizon: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 with eligible unlimited plan

Add a line with the Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan and Verizon will give you a FREE Galaxy S26, no trade-in required.

AT&T: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 with new line and ANY Samsung trade-in
FREE w/ new line
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AT&T: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 with new line and ANY Samsung trade-in

Add a qualified line and trade in any newer Samsung S or Z series phone at AT&T, regardless of condition, and the carrier will hook you up with enough promo credits to make your Galaxy S26 order totally free.

Samsung: Score up to $380 of trade-in credit, free storage upgrade
Storage upgrade
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Samsung: Score up to $380 of trade-in credit, free storage upgrade

Buy the Galaxy S26 directly from the source and you'll be eligible for up to $380 of instant trade-in credit. Samsung will also give you a free storage boost to 512GB (a $200 value), plus there are some additional discounts available if you bundle the phone with select Samsung accessories.

Amazon: Get a free $100 gift card, storage upgrade
Gift card
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Amazon: Get a free $100 gift card, storage upgrade

If you prefer the flexibility offered by an unlocked phone, order the Galaxy S26 through Amazon's site and you'll score a free storage boost to 512GB AND a $100 gift card, no strings attached.

Best Buy: free gift card, up to $500 of trade-in credit
$50 gift card
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Best Buy: free gift card, up to $500 of trade-in credit

Buy the Galaxy S26 with the trade-in of an old or broken phone and Best Buy will hook you up with up to $500 of promo credit. You'll also get a free $50 gift card for the retailer.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus deals

T-Mobile: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 Plus with eligible unlimited plan
FREE w/ line
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T-Mobile: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 Plus with eligible unlimited plan

Add a line with T-Mobile's Experience More or Go5G Plus plan and you'll get enough promo credits to make the Galaxy S26 Plus completely free. No trade-in required!

Verizon: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 Plus with eligible unlimited plan
FREE w/ line
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Verizon: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 Plus with eligible unlimited plan

Similar to T-Mobile's deal, if you add a line with the Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan Verizon will hook you up with a FREE Galaxy S26 Plus. There's also some trade-in credit up for grabs if you'd rather go that route.

AT&T: FREE with qualified line and any Galaxy trade-in
FREE w/ trade-in
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AT&T: FREE with qualified line and any Galaxy trade-in

Just like the base model, AT&T will give you a FREE Galaxy S26 Plus when you add a qualified line and trade in any newer Samsung phone, regardless of condition.

Samsung: Up to $480 off the Galaxy S26 Plus with trade-in, $150 off without
Up to $480 off
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Samsung: Up to $480 off the Galaxy S26 Plus with trade-in, $150 off without

Samsung is offering up to $480 of trade-in credit when you order the Galaxy S26 Plus, or you can score a $150 discount if you skip the trade-in process altogether. You'll also get a free upgrade to the 512GB storage configuration!

Amazon: Get a free $100 gift card, storage boost to 512GB
Free gift card
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Amazon: Get a free $100 gift card, storage boost to 512GB

Just like the base model S26, ordering the Galaxy S26 Plus through Amazon will land you a $100 gift card and twice the storage for free.

Best Buy: free gift card, up to $700 of trade-in credit
Storage upgrade, trade-in credit
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Best Buy: free gift card, up to $700 of trade-in credit

Go with the super-balanced Galaxy S26 Plus and you'll be eligible for up to $700 off your order when you trade in, plus Best Buy will hook you up with a free $100 gift card.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra deals

T-Mobile: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 Ultra with new line on Experience Beyond plan
FREE w/ line
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T-Mobile: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 Ultra with new line on Experience Beyond plan

Yep, you read that right. Add a line with the Experience Beyond plan and T-Mobile will hook you up with a FREE Galaxy S26 Ultra. That's a $1,300 value, no trade-in required!

Verizon: Get the Galaxy S26 Ultra for only $5 per month with eligible data plan
$5 per month
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Verizon: Get the Galaxy S26 Ultra for only $5 per month with eligible data plan

New and existing Verizon customers can add a line with the Unlimited Ultimate plan and get the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra for only $5 per month for 36 months.

AT&T: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 Ultra with eligible trade-in and new line
FREE w/ trade-in
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AT&T: Get a FREE Galaxy S26 Ultra with eligible trade-in and new line

You guessed it: add a line with the right unlimited plan and trade in an old or broken phone and AT&T will hook you up with up to $1,300 of promo credit. That's enough to make the premium Galaxy S26 Ultra completely free!

Samsung: Up to $720 off with trade-in, $150 without
Up to $720 off
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Samsung: Up to $720 off with trade-in, $150 without

Similar to the Galaxy S26 Plus offer described above, buying the Galaxy S26 Ultra through Samsung's website will land you up to $720 of instant trade-in credit. Don't have anything to trade in? Samsung will still give you a straight $150 off your purchase, plus you'll get a free storage upgrade no matter what.

Amazon: Get a FREE $200 gift card
FREE gift card
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Amazon: Get a FREE $200 gift card

Buy the powerful Galaxy S26 Ultra from Amazon today and you'll score a free $200 gift card, plus some trade-in credit that could land you additional Amazon savings.

Best Buy: get up to $900 off with trade-in, plus free $100 gift card
Up to $900 off with trade-in
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Best Buy: get up to $900 off with trade-in, plus free $100 gift card

Order the Galaxy S26 Ultra from Best Buy and you'll be eligible for up to $900 of trade-in credit. The retailer will also throw in a free $100 gift card, just for kicks.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FAQ

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra's S Pen

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

When does the Samsung Galaxy S26 come out?

The entire Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup — which includes the base model S26, the balanced S26 Plus, and the super-powered Galaxy S26 Ultra — finally hit store shelves on March 11th.

What phones are included in the Galaxy S26 series?

Similar to past Samsung flagship lineups, the Galaxy S26 series includes the base model S26 alongside the Galaxy S26 Plus and the premium Galaxy S26 Ultra. All three phones are powered by the super-efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and boast gorgeous Dynamic AMOLED displays, seven years of OS and security upgrades, and all of the latest Galaxy AI software features.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is really the star of the show, however, coming complete with a new-and-improved ergonomic build, up to 16GB of RAM, and a built-in S Pen stylus. Simply put, the Ultra is setting itself up to be one of the best Android phones released in 2026 — if you can afford it.

How much does the Galaxy S26 cost?

Unfortunately (but unsurprisingly), Samsung has decided to increase the cost of the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus by $100 each. That means that the starting price of the phones will now be $899.99 and $1,099.99, respectively, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra will remain at $1,299.99 for the 256GB configuration. With prices this steep, it's clear that deals like the money-saving opportunities above are more essential than ever.

I already own a Samsung phone. Should I upgrade to a Galaxy S26?

This is the tricky bit. After all, the Galaxy S25 series (released in early 2025) is still slated to receive six years of OS/security upgrades, so if you're the owner of last year's flagship, there's very little reason to upgrade unless you just really want to.

If, on the other hand, you're using a Galaxy S24 or older, you might want to check with your wireless carrier via the deals above to see if you're due for an upgrade when you trade in.

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Patrick Farmer
eCommerce Editor

After almost a decade of working in the e-commerce space, Patrick Farmer (he/him) began his career at Android Central as a Deals and Commerce Writer before moving into a new role as AC's eCommerce Editor in 2023. When he's not hunting down the best deals and offering shopping advice for our readers, you'll often find him listening to music, camping out at a brewery, or treating his cat like a human child. 

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