Samsung phone pricing shouldn’t be like Apple’s

On October 3, 2023, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S23 FE. All its press supplies mentioned the telephone prices $599 for the 128GB mannequin. Nonetheless, when the telephone truly went up on the market at Samsung.com, the unlocked mannequin didn’t value $599 — it value $629, a $30 enhance. This was uncommon, so we contacted Samsung in regards to the discrepancy.

In its response, the corporate identified which you can nonetheless get the telephone from its on-line retailer for the $599 worth — in case you purchase a service model over the unlocked mannequin. It additionally informed us that Amazon, Finest Purchase, and different retail companions nonetheless promote the unlocked mannequin for $599. The one exception right here is shopping for the unlocked mannequin instantly from Samsung. Nonetheless, the corporate didn’t clarify why it made this alteration.

Maybe Samsung has a last-minute purpose to hike the value that it received’t inform us about (and pre-existing offers that preserve some retailers at $599). Nonetheless, I’m suspicious that this may very well be a brand new technique for Samsung as a result of that is precisely what Apple does for its entry-tier iPhones. For instance, the iPhone 15 has an MSRP of $799. However in case you head to Apple.com to purchase an unlocked model, you’ll truly pay $829. In the event you decide as an alternative for a service model, you get the unique $799 worth. Apple began doing this in 2020 with the launch of the iPhone 12 collection.

Curiously, Apple doesn’t do that switcheroo with Professional-level telephones — the iPhone 15 Professional and 15 Professional Max value the identical at Apple.com whether or not you go unlocked or carrier-locked. It’s all about making these entry-level fashions seem extra inexpensive.

This weird “punishment” for purchasing an unlocked iPhone 15 or 15 Plus instantly from Apple is fairly irritating, regardless of the way you slice it. However Apple can be Apple, and strikes like this don’t appear to stain its popularity with Apple followers. However Samsung followers aren’t practically as forgiving. I sincerely hope this new telephone pricing coverage isn’t going to proceed outdoors the Galaxy S23 FE.

Let me be clear by saying I’ve no drawback with Samsung discounting a telephone in case you determine to purchase a carrier-locked mannequin. For instance, shopping for a T-Cellular-branded Galaxy S23 Extremely from Samsung.com proper now prices $1,169, or $30 lower than the $1,199 MSRP. This low cost is sensible as a result of Samsung is probably going making extra revenue from that telephone because of service subsidies. It’s passing on these financial savings to you, the buyer, because it ought to.

However there’s a giant distinction between charging lower than the MSRP for a service mannequin and rising the value of an unlocked mannequin so the service mannequin has a perceived low cost. That’s not a reduction — that’s extra like a tax. The MSRP ought to be the start line for reductions, not the value after reductions.

You may assume this isn’t a giant deal as a result of it’s simply the Galaxy S23 FE. My concern is that Samsung is utilizing this telephone’s launch as a testing floor. The corporate might wish to see if it will probably get away with this Apple-style worth switcheroo for particular units. May we see wonky Samsung telephone pricing like this within the upcoming Galaxy S24 collection? I really hope not.

In the event you’re a Samsung fan who thinks charging more cash for an unlocked mannequin is a horrible concept, pontificate within the feedback under and the ballot above. Hopefully, we are able to let the corporate know that simply because Apple can do one thing that pulls one over on the buyer doesn’t imply Android followers will settle for the identical therapy.

Within the meantime, if you’d like an unlocked Galaxy S23 FE, try the hyperlink under to seize it from Amazon so that you don’t needlessly spend $30 extra on it.