We don’t think we will ever run out of things to report about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ until the official announcement. The idea began as early as July last year when we said the S9 phone would have the same display size and shape as the S8. That is somehow expected because the South Korean tech giant doesn’t easily and usually deviate from tradition. It has learned many lessons from the Note 7 fiasco so it’s being more careful this time.
We haven’t heard anything about the pricing yet until this week when TechRadar shares some information from a source within the mobile phone market in the UK. The Samsung Galaxy S9 is said to be more expensive than the S8 by £100 which is about $140 in the United States. So if the Galaxy S8 was originally priced at $850, then the Galaxy S9 will cost around $990. In the UK, it will be from £689 to £789. As for the Samsung Galaxy S9+, the bigger variant may go over a thousand dollars now.
We can’t say we’re surprised about this change but we’re more interested to see how the market will change. We want to know if Samsung will sell more S9 phones compared to the S8 series. Will the high cost turn off people? Or will loyal fans show more willingness to purchase the new phone? Remember, the Galaxy S7 was sold for only £569 ($790) when it was launched two years ago. The trend seems to be upwards. Meanwhile, Chinese OEMs are trying to bring down their prices even in premium flagship models.
Of course, we’re not discounting the fact the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be more powerful and more high-end than ever. We’re expecting the phones will have better displays, faster response, enhanced security with the facial and iris recognition, and a longer-lasting battery that isn’t exactly bigger.
The high costing is one reason why profits are high even if sales are going down. James Rivingto, TechRadar’s Editor in Chief for eCommerce, noted this: “The upshot of this is that Apple and Samsung’s profits are at record-breaking highs, despite the fact that total handset sales are down, such is their dominance of the smartphone industry.”
The pricing scheme isn’t confirmed yet but price point could be around that–close to $1000/£1000.
VIA: TechRadar
