Off the Document
Off the Document is a weekly column written by Android Central’s editor-in-chief. The column appears to increase and go in-depth on subjects within the Android area with none limitations.
Samsung simply launched the Galaxy S25 collection at its annual Galaxy Unpacked occasion. The telephones include all the Galaxy AI options, and a few cellphone upgrades. However most notable is that the Galaxy S25 Extremely is now obtainable on the similar worth because the Galaxy S24 Extremely. Not growing the worth of its newest flagships is a transfer that I feel could be favorable for Samsung.
The premium Galaxy S25 Extremely begins at $1,299, the identical worth that the S24 Extremely launched at. On the time of the S24 Extremely launch, nevertheless, the worth of the cellphone was elevated by $100 from the Galaxy S23 Extremely.
Throughout Android Central’s briefing for the S24, a Samsung consultant mentioned that the worth enhance for the S24 Extremely was due to upgrades to the cellphone itself.
“Over the past three years, we’ve added and improved Extremely dramatically and we’ve prided ourselves in offering an best possible worth that we will to our clients,” the consultant mentioned.
“Nevertheless, right now with a lot of the additions and enhancements that have been introduced from extra enhancements from chipsets to cameras, sensors and features, it was simply one thing that we’re unable to soak up this go round.”
A way more spectacular chipset and a greater worth
I discover it most spectacular and fascinating that this yr Samsung was in a position to get a model new, and far more highly effective, chipset into the gadget and nonetheless didn’t have to extend the worth of the cellphone. Your entire collection launched with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy and extra importantly is that it’s not simply the Extremely that obtained the brand new chipset, however all the lineup of units, which incorporates the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus. These telephones additionally didn’t get a worth enhance.
Jitesh Ubrani, analysis supervisor for IDC’s Worldwide Cell Gadget Trackers, mentioned that whereas it’s widespread that the majority producers launch new telephones with new chips, it’s “quiet notable that Samsung isn’t elevating costs.”
However on the similar time he did point out that in 2025, most producers are seemingly not going to be elevating costs.
“I don’t [think] we’ll see many worth hikes this yr from different distributors both as a result of inflation is cooling and costs are quiet excessive anyway,” he mentioned.
Then again, OnePlus not too long ago launched the OnePlus 13, which additionally runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The corporate raised the worth of the cellphone to $899, and enhance of $100 in comparison with the earlier mannequin, which was priced at $799, already undercutting its closest rivals. That mentioned, it nonetheless prices lower than the $999 Galaxy S25 Plus.
A poor performing 2024 is about to turnaround
The previous yr was a difficult yr for Samsung. Whereas the Galaxy S24 collection had a profitable launch, it didn’t actually assist enhance the downard trajectory of Samsung’s gross sales. And in April of that yr, the corporate initiated a six-day workweek for executives to create “a way of disaster” among the many firm’s management workforce.
The place Samsung started to actually wrestle was after launching its Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6, which in lots of tech circles have been extra iterative updates to what it launched the earlier yr. The telephones weren’t tremendous thrilling and weren’t as modern as they’ve been in earlier years. It obtained the purpose Samsung needed to apologize for its lack of innovation final yr.
IDC confirmed Samsung misplaced smartphone market share as of Q2 2024 in comparison with the earlier yr and that the corporate’s market share dipped to 18.4%, down from 20%.
And albeit, if Samsung needed to have a greater 2025, elevating costs wouldn’t be the precise transfer.
Ubrani agrees, but in addition provides, it in all probability gained’t be a great look to shareholders both. “After a poor efficiency in 2024, elevating costs would seemingly damage them from a share perspective,” he mentioned. “That is much more true in markets like Europe or Asia the place there tends to be extra model range.”
IDC, in an e-mail first-look report, indicated that the S24 collection took up the growing share of Samsung’s shipments throughout its launch quarter, including that it contributed “to 22% of Samsung shipments in 1Q24.”
Due to its focus, IDC mentioned that the corporate’s share within the worldwide premium market finally rose to as a lot as 20% up to now yr, up from 15% in 2021.
The place the corporate has all the time shined is thru their promotional exercise and Ubrani notes that the foldable market will probably be a bit quiet permitting for the S collection to win.
“Moreover, the marketplace for foldable smartphones is anticipated to point out some softness this yr as the expansion price slows. This might doubtlessly result in elevated promotional exercise throughout Samsung’s S lineup significantly within the premium worth manufacturers later within the yr which may additionally assist the corporate promote extra telephones,” he mentioned.
Finally, I am glad, as a result of Samsung did the precise factor right here by not elevating costs. It’s a greater search for the corporate and it’s a higher factor for patrons. I feel if clients are in search of new telephones they need to significantly contemplate the most recent cellphone as a substitute of selecting to purchase an older mannequin due to worth hikes.
I look ahead to seeing how Samsung improves this yr.
The final word AI cellphone
Are you able to improve to probably the most highly effective Android cellphone up to now? Now’s the proper time as Samsung’s providing some unimaginable offers on the Galaxy S25 Extremely.
