Inflation and price hikes in the supply chain for essential components will be passed on, at least in part, to Samsung customers, as the company prepares a new pricing grid for the Galaxy S23 series.
According to the price list assigned to South Korean phone operator SK Telecom, Samsung’s upcoming flagships will be considerably more expensive than the models they replace. Thus the cheapest Galaxy S23 model is expected to arrive in South Korean stores priced at 960 dollars. The Galaxy S23 Plus version will cost approx. 1120 dollarswhile the top of the range S23 Ultra would cost $1285. Compared to asking prices for the current S22 range, the increases are between 10 and 20%, with the highest increases being applied to the top range.
Thus, it would seem that Samsung will pass on the increased costs disproportionately, trying not to discourage too much buyers who are moving towards the Galaxy S23’s base trim. Instead, profit margins may be somewhat higher for the Plus and Ultra series, with Samsung betting on consumers’ willingness to pay extra for the desired trim version.
However, the realization that the Galaxy S23’s base trim costs as much as an iPhone Plus from last year’s “crop” might give those undecided buyers even more pause, and the balance might not necessarily tip in Samsung’s favor.
Confirmed by Samsung itself for February 1, the S23 launch is now close enough for pricing to be known by at least some of Samsung’s partners, and it remains to be seen whether or not those figures will be confirmed from multiple sources