Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus Production Sample Reportedly Hits Craigslist for $1,650 Ahead of Official Reveal

Photo credit: Kakooli98
A Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus production prototype appeared on Craigslist this week, and the seller is asking a whopping $1650 for it. It’s unusual that someone outside of Samsung would have access to it this early, given that Samsung plans to publicly announce the entire Galaxy S26 series, including the normal model, the Plus, and the Ultra, on February 25th at its next Unpacked event.

Now that date is still a week and a half away, but photographs of what appears to be a working test unit have begun to circulate after a tipster shared a copy of the Craigslist listing. The seller claims it’s a Galaxy S26 Ultra, but a closer look at the camera layout suggests they have a Plus model in their hands.

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When you look at the back of the phone, you can see the same old pill-shaped camera island that we’ve been expecting the S26 plus to look like based on all the leaks we’ve seen for months. It also sports a greyish-black finish on the back panel, which “insiders” say will be available in stores rather than merely on test models. The Samsung wallpaper on the phone’s screen tells us one thing: it’s an engineering sample. That wouldn’t normally be a major thing, but having a functional pre-launch phone circulating around raises concerns about supply chain security. This is not an uncommon occurrence, as we have seen many incidents of Galaxy phones leaving controlled environments prior to formal release, although usually through workers or contractors.

The asking price of $1,650 is enough to make most people think twice, since the phone is far more expensive than the estimated retail pricing for a Galaxy S26 Plus, which is said to range between $1,000 and $1,070, depending on storage and location. So, anyone interested in bidding on this offering would be facing significant risks: no warranty, no official support, and the phone could just end up being a brick.
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