As news goes, ‘Samsung making expensive phones more expensive’ perhaps isn’t the most surprising story in the world.
All the same, anybody who was hoping that the company’s recent intergenerational price cuts for its foldables would extend to its regular common-or-garden ‘flat’ handsets looks set to be disappointed, according to the leaker @chunvn8888 on Twitter.
According to the leaker’s tweet, each one of the Samsung Galaxy S22 handsets will be US$100 more expensive, taking the S22 to US$899, the S22 Plus to US$1,099 and the S22 Ultra to US$1,299.
That’s NZ$1,315, NZ$1,607 and NZ$1,900 each, which certainly makes the phones a tough sell, especially the regular S22 and S22 Plus, which apparently won’t look too different from the S21 units they’re replacing. Yes, the phones will no doubt be faster and the cameras better but, for most people, 2021’s top handsets are already fine in these respects — and significantly cheaper now, too.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, despite being the most expensive, may fare slightly better as it looks set to be the Samsung Galaxy Note in all but name, with a larger curved screen and a built-in S Pen. Given the Galaxy Note has always sold for a bit more, that may be a slightly easier pill to swallow for those that like big handsets — a faction that now seems to be in the majority.
For now, this is all extremely likely rumour, but all is expected to be confirmed soon. Leakers reckon that Samsung will be unveiling the S22 line on February 8, with phones being in early adopters’ hands two-and-a-half weeks later on the 24th. So best get saving if you want one on day one, though remember that Samsung handsets aren’t brilliant at holding their value, so it really does pay to wait…