The Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup is scheduled to hit store shelves on March 11th, but if you don't want to wait, there are a ton of preorder deals that could make the upcoming flagship phones extremely cheap (or even free) if you play your cards right.
Many of these offers involve a trade-in or some cash down upfront, but Verizon has decided to surprise us all with a deal that gets you a FREE Galaxy S26 Plus when you add a line with an eligible unlimited plan. That's $1,099.99 of promo credit over 36 months, and all you need to do is sign up for Verizon's Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan.
The Galaxy S26 Plus is positioned as the perfect middle child between the base model Galaxy S26 and the super-powered Galaxy S26 Ultra, coming complete with a gorgeous 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and a suite of useful Galaxy AI features.
Starting at $1,099.99 for the 256GB configuration, the Galaxy S26 Plus also sports a large 4,900mAh battery with lightning-fast wireless charging, 12GB of RAM, and seven years of OS and security upgrades guaranteed.
As for the unlimited plans, Verizon's Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate plans start around $70/mo and $80/mo for a single line, respectively, although you can drop that price down significantly by adding multiple lines. Both plans get you unlimited talk, text, and 5G Ultra Wideband data, plus you get a free mobile hotspot and the ability to mix-and-match additional perks through Verizon's myPlan program.
What's the catch? Well, as with all Verizon deals, you aren't getting out the door without dealing with a bunch of fine print first. Folks who are happy with their existing wireless service or those who prefer the simplicity of unlocked phones may want to preorder the S26 Plus through Amazon or Best Buy.
The S26 Plus also isn't a dramatic transformation from its predecessor, so if you're already the owner of a Galaxy S25 Plus, you may not want to upgrade just yet. Directly comparing the two phones, it's obvious that the new S26 Plus has a better Snapdragon processor and faster wireless charging, but you're stuck with the same camera hardware and battery size from 2025. Those specs aren't bad by any means (in fact, the S25 Plus still holds up as one of the best phones in the biz), but keep that in mind before you take the leap.
So who is this deal really for? Well, if you're a Verizon user or you're willing to switch, this deal stands out as a solid opportunity for getting a new phone AND a new wireless service in one fell swoop. Additionally, if you own a Galaxy S24 or older and can meet the eligibility requirements, this S26 preorder deal gives you the chance to upgrade.
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