Samsung Galaxy S22’s price hike could actually be good – here’s why

Some potentially bad news has surfaced for anyone anticipating the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S22, which is expected to happen in a month or two. If you’re planning on buying the next iteration of Samsung’s flagship phone, it looks like you need to budget a little extra cash compared to last year’s models.

This is because only one leak claims that Samsung will increase the price of the three Galaxy S22 models over what it charged for the three comparable Galaxy S21 phones. As you may remember, Samsung slashed flagship prices last year, introducing the Galaxy S21 to $ 799. The Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra received similar discounts, costing $ 999 and $ 1,199 respectively.

But leaker @ chunvn8888, Twitter post, said to add $ 100 more to the price of the various S22 models. That would mean a starting price of $ 899 for the Galaxy S22, while the Plus and Ultra versions would cost $ 1,099 and $ 1,299, respectively.

It’s worth pointing out that we don’t know for sure if this price hike is set in stone or if it’s even something Samsung is considering. That’s the word of a leaker at this point and not one of the most established at this time. If you see similar prices repeated by other sources, then it’s time to recognize that there might in fact be fire in this smoke.

Even if the rumor of the price hike turns out to be true, it’s not the end of the world. I don’t want to minimize the impact of rising costs – not in this economy – but there may be some silver lining if Samsung finds it necessary to charge more for the Galaxy S22.

Higher price suggests bigger Galaxy S22 update

Not many would blame Samsung for increasing the cost of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, based on the rumors surrounding this particular model. Not only is this phone expected to have a new design closer to the Galaxy Note, but the S Pen is likely to be included with the S22 Ultra – and not just as a standalone accessory, but an upgrade where the phone itself is. even comes with a slot for the stylus. The Galaxy S21 Ultra also supports the S Pen, but only as an optional accessory. so you had to add that cost to the phone’s asking price of $ 1,199. With the S22 Ultra, it looks like Samsung is taking that into account for you.

In contrast, the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus look like more modest updates, at least compared to the more complete Ultra. The phones are expected to have a more advanced chipset in the form of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and we could get some pretty substantial camera improvements as well. But at the same time, the screens of the two new phones are said to be getting smaller compared to the S21 and S21 Plus, which could also mean smaller batteries.

In other words, there will have to be some functionality to justify a $ 100 increase in the starting price. Maybe it’s increased storage. Perhaps the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus also adapt the updated LTPO 2.0 display technology that is expected to power the newly announced OnePlus 10 Pro. Or maybe there’s more to the camera updates than just a main camera with more megapixels and a telephoto lens with better optical zoom.

At this point, it’s just speculation about what features Samsung might reveal. But one thing that can’t be denied is that asking people to pay $ 100 more for a phone requires an explanation of why this year’s model is at least $ 100 better than the current version. It will be up to Samsung to deliver on this point.

Samsung already has a low-cost alternative

If the Galaxy S22 turns out to be too rich for your blood, you won’t have to look too far for a more affordable option. Earlier this week, the Galaxy S21 FE went on sale and it performs just as well as the Galaxy S21 line it shares a name with.

I wrote our Galaxy S21 FE review, and really, my biggest complaints with the phone were the odd timing of its release – just over a month before the Galaxy S22’s supposed launch – and the fact that the difference between price between this and the standard Galaxy S21 is not that big. A $ 200 price difference between the Galaxy S21 FE and the Galaxy S22, however, is much more noticeable.

You can criticize Samsung for the S22’s price hike if you want to, and wonder if rewarding the company for such a move by buying its cheaper phone sends the wrong message. But the point is, the Galaxy S21 FE gets a lot easier to recommend if this year’s entry-level Galaxy S phone costs $ 899.

Samsung Galaxy S22 price outlook

If I were a gambler – and betting on the phone outs is a sign of serious gambling addiction, then please don’t – I guess the price of the Galaxy S22 will go up. The more premium features of the phone justify this decision.

On the flip side, I would expect Samsung to try to stay the course on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus – or at least raise prices less than this latest rumor claims. Either that or Samsung could have a more impressive update than we thought.