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In a mature and competitive mobile market where most consumers already own a device, retaining users has become critical, especially for industry leaders like Samsung. The South Korean tech giant announced the launch of its new Galaxy S series – its most sophisticated and expensive line – on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in San Francisco.
Three models will be available in Brazil, priced from R$7,499 to R$11,499.
Production of the devices has already begun in Campinas (SP) and Manaus, and they will be available for display in stores within three weeks, with initial sales stock arriving shortly after.
The most significant feature of the Galaxy S26 series is its advanced integration of artificial intelligence, but the company’s strategy for customer retention extends far beyond that. It includes further innovations in the newly launched devices, as well as consumer credit options and a range of applications in which the company has invested for some time, such as health and wellness and electronic wallets.
“The smartphone business is an ecosystem business. It goes far beyond simply selling devices,” says Gustavo Assunção, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Samsung Brazil.
The mobile phone market is experiencing volatility. The shortage of memory chips, which began to have an impact in 2025, is expected to lead to a decline in global sales this year, with repercussions extending into 2027. Last year, global shipments increased by 1.9% in units, totaling 1.26 billion devices. The fourth quarter saw a 2.3% increase (336.3 million units), according to preliminary data from IDC.
The positive result was largely influenced by demand for premium products, which is the segment of the Galaxy S26. Samsung had its best fourth quarter since 2013 and closed the year with 7.9% growth. Apple, with the iPhone, grew 6.3%. Both companies lead the market, with a 19% share each. This performance underscores the continued demand for high-end smartphones despite broader economic challenges.
Brazil, the largest mobile phone market in Latin America, drove performance in the region, where shipments grew 3% to 140.5 million units in 2025, according to consultancy Omdia. Samsung is the leader in the country, with a 40% market share, followed by Motorola (24%), Xiaomi (16%), Apple (7%), and realme (6%).
Competition in the country intensified starting in 2024 with the arrival of new Chinese brands. Companies such as Oppo, Honor, Transsion (with the Infinix brand, in partnership with Positivo), and vivo (operating under the Jovi brand) entered the market during that period.
These companies began competing in a practically stable market, where a large portion of the population already owns a device – the average, as indicated by the Fundação Getulio Vargas, is 1.3 smartphones per inhabitant. Consumer behavior has changed since the pandemic: instead of replacing their phones annually, as was common, Brazilians now keep the same device for about three years. This combination of increased brand offerings and lower device turnover rates means that companies must win customers from the competition rather than relying solely on natural market expansion.
According to Samsung, the retention rate in the Galaxy S line is almost 90%, meaning that out of every 10 people who buy a new device, 9 were already users of a previous model. “This gives us confidence to launch the S26,” says Assunção.
This is the third generation of Galaxy with AI. The first was in 2024, when the technology was still new to mobile phones. In 2025, the line gained more automation features. Now, Assunção says, it’s time for agentic AI, which performs actions almost imperceptibly. “It’s a silent transformation. Artificial intelligence will become more relevant as people become less aware of how it works.”
In the higher price range, the S line is one of the most likely to benefit from Samsung’s financing programs. The company initiated this strategy with a partnership with Itaú bank, which has been ongoing for some time. Last year, the company launched the New Galaxy Clube, with a similar model. The customer pays a kind of monthly fee, which already includes insurance, and has 18 months to trade in their phone for a newer one. The used phone is worth 50% of the value in the trade.
Partnerships with carriers, which offer discounts, and retail networks, which divide the value into up to 36 installments, are other options that will be available for the S26.
The mobile phone universe is divided by two major operating systems – Android, from Google, is shared by most manufacturers and represents 70.7% of devices worldwide, according to the Statcounter website. IOS, exclusive to Apple, accounts for 28.6%.
The challenge for Samsung is that some consumers choose their device based on the operating system, making it demanding to win over those who are not Android users, regardless of the quality of the device.
“We are working hard to bring differentiators to Android,” says Assunção. “There is a level of customization [of the system] that is developed by Samsung and exclusive to our devices. Galaxy AI technology is an example of this.”
