Samsung launches Galaxy Book 6 at $1,049, rolls out $380 Galaxy Tabs and wins Upcycle

Samsung’s new Galaxy Book 6 line arrives in the United States on March 11, with a base model priced at $1,049.99 and two higher‑end variants— the Book 6 Pro at $1,599.99 and the Book 6 Ultra at $2,449.99— according to Samsung’s official launch page cited by 9to5Google. The series, unveiled at CES 2026, swaps the traditional numeric keypad for a slimmer Ultra chassis, adopts Intel’s 13th‑gen Core Ultra Series 3 silicon and, in the top tier, pairs that CPU with an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU. Samsung also bundles “Galaxy AI” features across the lineup, though the company has not disclosed specific use‑case details beyond standard productivity enhancements. Retailers such as Best Buy are expected to carry the devices, and Samsung is offering a $30 reservation credit plus trade‑in incentives that can reach $900, mirroring the promotional structure used for its upcoming Galaxy S26 phones.

The tablet side of the announcement focuses on price competitiveness. 9to5Google reports that the current‑generation Galaxy Tab S series now starts at $380, making it the most affordable entry point for Samsung’s premium Android tablets. The same outlet highlights a $120 discount on the Tab S11, suggesting that Samsung is using aggressive markdowns to clear inventory ahead of the S26 launch. These pricing moves come as Samsung seeks to reclaim market share from rivals such as Apple and Lenovo, whose mid‑range tablets often sit above $500. By positioning the Tab S at sub‑$400 price points, Samsung hopes to attract cost‑sensitive consumers while still leveraging its high‑refresh‑rate displays and integrated S‑Pen support.

Beyond hardware, Samsung’s sustainability program earned formal recognition this week. XDA‑Developers notes that the Galaxy Upcycle initiative— which lets owners repurpose legacy Galaxy phones as IoT sensors, Linux terminals, or retro gaming consoles— won an award for “giving up” on traditional device retirement cycles. The program, originally announced at Samsung’s Developer Conference in 2017 and co‑launched with iFixit, remains open‑source on GitHub, allowing the community to extend its functionality. While the award’s specific criteria were not detailed, the coverage underscores Samsung’s broader strategy to differentiate itself through eco‑friendly features, a narrative that complements its hardware rollouts.

Collectively, the three announcements signal a coordinated push to broaden Samsung’s ecosystem ahead of the Galaxy S26 unveiling. The $1,049 entry price for the Book 6 places the laptop in direct competition with Microsoft’s Surface Go 3 and Apple’s MacBook Air, both of which hover around the $1,000 mark but lack the integrated S‑Pen and Android‑centric software suite Samsung touts. Meanwhile, the $380 Tab S price undercuts Apple’s iPad 10th gen, which starts at $449, potentially swaying budget‑conscious buyers toward Android. Finally, the Upcycle award adds a sustainability halo that may appeal to corporate procurement teams increasingly scrutinizing the environmental impact of their device fleets. If Samsung can convert these pricing advantages into sustained sales, the company could solidify its position as the most diversified consumer‑tech maker in the post‑AI‑boom market.