Galaxy S25 vs S26: The Huge Price Gap You Need to Know About Now

The Galaxy S25 vs S26 choice just got very lopsided in India. Amazon now lists the Galaxy S25 at Rs 61,800 ahead of the Great Indian Festival. Meanwhile, the base Galaxy S26 costs Rs 1,02,999 after last week’s price hike.

That is a gap of about Rs 41,000. For that money, you could almost buy a second phone.

So what does the newer model actually give you? We compared the two on paper. The honest answer is: not enough for most people.

The Short Version

• Galaxy S25 price today: Rs 61,800 on Amazon for 12GB + 128GB, down from an MRP of Rs 74,999.
• Galaxy S26 price today: Rs 1,02,999 for 12GB + 256GB, after a Rs 15,000 hike.
• What the S26 adds: a newer Exynos 2600 chip, a 4,300mAh battery and 256GB of base storage.
• What stays the same: the same 25W charging and the same three rear camera specs.
• Buy the S25 if you want a small Samsung flagship and can live with 128GB.
• Consider the S26 only if you need the extra battery and plan to keep it for years.

Galaxy S25 vs S26: Price in India Today

Here is where the two phones stand on 29 September 2026.

| Model | Variant | Price now | Where |

|—|—|—|—|

| Galaxy S25 | 12GB + 128GB | Rs 61,800 | Amazon |

| Galaxy S25 | 12GB + 128GB | Rs 69,999 | Flipkart listing |

| Galaxy S26 | 12GB + 256GB | Rs 1,02,999 | Samsung retail |

| Galaxy S26 | 12GB + 512GB | Rs 1,22,999 | Samsung retail |

The S26 numbers come from our report on the Galaxy S26 price hike in India. Before 23 September, the base model cost Rs 87,999.

By contrast, the S25 has only become cheaper. Digit puts its launch price at Rs 80,999 back in January 2025.

One thing to keep in mind: the storage is not equal. The S25 deal is for 128GB, while the S26 starts at 256GB. Even so, no storage upgrade is worth Rs 41,000.

What the Festive Sales May Add

The sales have not even started yet. Amazon’s Great Indian Festival begins on 8 October, and Flipkart’s Big Billion Days follows on 9 October.

On Amazon, SBI credit and debit card users get a 10% instant discount, according to BusinessToday. However, the article does not say what the maximum discount is. So check the cap before you pay.

Flipkart, meanwhile, has teased the Galaxy S25 at under Rs 60,000. Cashify reports that this is a teased figure, not a confirmed price. It is also unclear whether it includes bank offers.

Flipkart is expected to reveal exact prices on 1 October, as Digit reports. Our Flipkart vs Amazon sale guide compares the bank offers on each site.

By contrast, no festive deal on the Galaxy S26 has been announced so far. Bank offers usually shave a few thousand rupees. They rarely close a gap this wide.

Design and Display

Both phones are small by today’s standards. The S25 has a 6.2-inch Full HD+ screen, while the S26 grows slightly to 6.3 inches.

According to Digit’s S26 launch report, the S26 uses a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate.

The looks changed a little, too. Beebom notes that the S26 groups its cameras on a single island. On the S25, each lens sits on its own.

Honestly, you will not notice 0.1 inch in daily use. If you like one-handed phones, both suit you.

Performance and Battery

This is where the S26 has a real edge on paper. In India, it runs on Samsung’s Exynos 2600 chip. The S25, on the other hand, uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy.

We have not tested either phone ourselves, so we cannot say which feels faster. Still, the Snapdragon chip in the S25 is already a flagship processor. It will handle games and heavy apps easily for years.

Battery is the bigger change. The S26 has a 4,300mAh cell, while the S25 has 4,000mAh. That is 300mAh more, roughly 7.5% extra.

However, charging did not move at all. Both phones charge at 25W wired and 15W wireless, according to Beebom. That is slow for a phone at Rs 1 lakh.

Camera

On paper, the cameras are the same. Both phones use a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom.

Both also have a 12MP front camera. Samsung may have improved the image processing on the S26. But the hardware itself did not change.

In other words, you are not paying Rs 41,000 for better lenses. If photos matter most to you, the S25 gives you the same camera kit for far less.

Software and Updates

Both phones get long support. Samsung promises seven years of OS updates for the S25, as Digit notes. The S26 gets the same promise, and it launched about a year later.

As a result, the S26 will be supported for roughly one extra year. That matters only if you keep phones for six years or more.

Meanwhile, the S25 is on the list for One UI 9, Samsung’s latest update. Our One UI 9 India rollout guide explains which Galaxy phones get it and when.

Galaxy S25 vs S26: Which Should You Buy?

Buy the Galaxy S25 if you want a compact Samsung flagship for around Rs 60,000. You get the same cameras, the same charging and years of updates.

Wait for 1 October if you prefer Flipkart. Its exact S25 price may beat Amazon’s, but that is not confirmed yet.

Consider the Galaxy S26 if battery life is your top concern and money is not. Also consider it if you need 256GB and do not use cloud storage.

Skip both if you want fast charging or a bigger battery. Neither phone is the right pick for heavy users.

Also worth a look is the Galaxy S26 FE at Rs 79,999. It sits between these two on price, although it is not a like-for-like rival.

Quick Answers

Is the Galaxy S25 still worth buying in 2026?

Yes, at around Rs 60,000. It still gets updates for years and shares its camera hardware with the S26.

How much cheaper is the Galaxy S25 than the S26?

About Rs 41,000 right now. The S25 is Rs 61,800 on Amazon, and the S26 is Rs 1,02,999.

Will the Galaxy S26 get a festive discount?

Nothing has been announced. Bank offers may apply, but they are unlikely to erase the gap.

Is 128GB enough on the Galaxy S25?

For most people, yes, if you back up photos to the cloud. Heavy video shooters should look for the 256GB model.

The Bottom Line

The Galaxy S25 vs S26 decision is easy for most buyers in India. The S25 costs about Rs 41,000 less, yet the cameras and charging are the same.

Yes, the S26’s newer chip and bigger battery are real gains. Still, they are small gains for that money.

However, some things are still unknown. Flipkart’s final S25 price arrives on 1 October, and the SBI discount cap on Amazon is not clear. Nor do we know if Samsung will offer any S26 deal during the sales. We will update this post when those prices are out.