Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10a Prices Jump in Canada: The New Price List

A few weeks ago you could buy a Pixel 10a in Canada for CA$529 on sale. On Oct. 2, Google’s regular price for the same phone became CA$849. Nothing about the phone changed.

Google’s hike landed one day after Samsung Canada quietly raised Galaxy S26 prices on its website, by CA$150 on most models and CA$250 on the top Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung also lifted U.S. prices on its Galaxy A-series, 9to5Google reported on Oct. 2, and Nvidia repriced its DGX Spark desktop AI computer upward while launching a cheaper model with half the memory. None of these companies has published a reason. The outlets covering the hikes point at the same culprit: memory chips.

Galaxy S26 price in Canada, before and after

Samsung made no announcement. According to MobileSyrup, the changes simply appeared on Samsung.ca on Oct. 1, and iPhone in Canada reports that Samsung “has not announced the price changes or explained why.” Both outlets list the same figures:

The pattern inside the Samsung table is worth a second look. Every tier went up by the same CA$150 except the one with the most storage, which absorbed an extra CA$100. That is what you would expect if the cost being passed on scales with memory. Our read, not Samsung’s.

The cheaper Galaxy S26 FE was left alone, at least for now. Canada wasn’t singled out either. SamMobile reports matching increases in the U.S., the UK and Europe, and Android Headlines says U.S. prices rose US$100 per model, with the Galaxy S26+ 256GB going from US$1,099.99 to US$1,199.99 (about CA$1,667).

Pixel 10a price hike: CA$849 now, for last year’s phone

In the U.S., the Pixel 10a went from US$499 to US$599 (CA$849) for 128GB, and the 256GB model is US$699 (about CA$972), according to 9to5Google. In Canada the increase is CA$170, MobileSyrup reports, on top of a launch price of CA$679.

Google hasn’t explained it. “Google hasn’t said anything about the reason behind the price increase,” Android Central wrote on Oct. 2. 9to5Google, which attributes the hike to “skyrocketing costs of components such as memory,” notes that Google had already warned, while raising Pixel 11 prices, that rising costs would eventually reach phones already on sale. It also points out the awkward part: the 10a runs a Tensor G4, a chip two generations old. MobileSyrup adds that the 10a has the same screen, processor, memory, storage, cameras and battery as the Pixel 9a.

The Pixel 10a’s Canadian price is now 60% higher than the sale price it carried a few weeks ago, for hardware that matches the Pixel 9a.

Galaxy A-series and the DGX Spark: the hikes outside Canada

Samsung’s U.S. store now lists the Galaxy A57 at US$599.99 for 128GB and US$679.99 for 256GB (about CA$834 and CA$945), up from US$549 and US$609 according to 9to5Google. The Galaxy A17 is US$269.99 (about CA$375). 9to5Google says that is its second increase this year, after a US$199 launch in January. The A37 and A27 also went up, by US$30 to US$70 depending on storage. We found no matching Samsung Canada announcement for the A-series as of Oct. 4.

Budget phones are where memory hurts most, because it makes up a bigger share of a cheap phone’s parts bill. We covered that mechanism in our explainer on why your next console, laptop or phone costs more.

The starkest number belongs to Nvidia. Its DGX Spark, a compact desktop for running AI models locally, launched at US$3,999 with 128GB of memory. Hardware Busters reports that it rose to US$4,699 in early 2026 and now sits at US$6,950 (about CA$9,660), an increase of 74% over launch. On Oct. 2 Nvidia announced a 64GB configuration starting at US$4,999 (about CA$6,950), shipping Oct. 23 through partners including Acer, Asus, Dell and HP, per StorageReview. Nvidia’s announcement says the new model “keeps the platform at an accessible price point.” It is more expensive than the original 128GB machine, with half the memory.

Buy now or wait? What to do

Waiting for prices to drift back down is a weak bet. Hardware Busters, citing Micron’s chief executive, says memory supply is expected to stay tight through 2028. Some practical rules:

• Use promo codes against the new price. When we checked on Oct. 4, Samsung.ca was advertising an OCTSALE code worth up to CA$550 off select Galaxy S26 models. A discount on a raised price can still beat the old sticker; do the math on the model you want.
• Check carrier and retailer stock. Third-party sellers may still hold stock bought at the old wholesale price. Big Deal Days runs Oct. 6 and 7 on Amazon.ca; our Big Deal Days guide explains how to use price history to spot a fake discount.
• Don’t skimp on storage. Phone storage can’t be upgraded later, and the jump between tiers didn’t widen except on the 1TB Ultra.
• Consider the S26 FE. At CA$1,049.99 it is now CA$350 below the base S26, a gap that was CA$200 on Sept. 30.

The last word on value goes to the Pixel 10a. At CA$849 it costs CA$200 less than the Galaxy S26 FE, which is still the same CA$1,049.99 it was before any of this started.