After some dilemma, Samsung seems to have finalized the pricing structure of its Galaxy S23 series. Sadly, it’s bad news for consumers. A fresh rumor coming out from South Korea says the new Samsung flagships will cost substantially more than their respective predecessors.
According to the new rumor, Samsung will retail the base Galaxy S23 model at KRW 1,199,000 (approx. USD 960 currently). The Galaxy S23+ will start at KRW 1,397,000 (approx. USD 1,120) and the Galaxy S23 Ultra cost KRW 1,599,400 (approx. USD 1,285). If true, we are looking at a 10-20 percent price hike from last year. The Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra debuted at a retail price of KRW 999,900, 1,199,000, and 1,452,000, respectively, in Samsung’s home country.
As you can see, the base Galaxy S23 model is getting the biggest price hike. It now costs as much as last year’s Plus model. Since the profit margin is higher for costlier devices, we can see where this added cost is stemming from. The global inflation crisis and the rising component prices may have increased Samsung’s manufacturing costs. The company may have taken a massive profit hit if it kept the retail prices of the new flagships unchanged.
That said, these aren’t official numbers. Perhaps this is the first leak of its kind where we have the precise retail price of each Galaxy S23 model. Shared on Twitter by @OreXda, the source claims to have obtained the information from South Korean wireless telecommunications operator SK Telecom. But we advise you against taking this information at face value. We will have to wait for more credible sources to confirm the Galaxy S23 pricing structure.
We may soon get a confirmation of the Galaxy S23 prices
The wait for that may not be much longer now, though. Samsung has already confirmed the long-rumored February 1 launch date for the Galaxy S23 trio. It hasn’t issued a press release but accidentally revealed the date for the next Galaxy Unpacked event on its official website. The now-deleted promotional material featured the vertical camera array of the new flagships, with the tagline “Epic moments are coming.”
With just over three weeks remaining for the big event, leaks about the Galaxy S23 series should soon start coming thick and fast. Samsung doesn’t seem to be even trying to plug the leaks. Maybe it’s fine with all the free promotion it’s getting. Anyways, we expect leaks to reveal the prices of the new Galaxy flagships before the Korean behemoth takes the stage with them on February 1. We will keep you posted.
2023-01-09 15:06:06