The Samsung Galaxy S9 is expected to be more expensive than last year's S8. Although the tech giant has yet to announce the exact price, a new report claims the 2018 flagship would cost £50 more than its predecessor.
Citing mobile industry insiders, Tech Radar says the new smartphone will cost £739 (more than $1000) when it launches this weekend in the United Kingdom. That price hike is £50 cheaper than the initial £100 reported previously. As recalled, the Samsung Galaxy S9 was rumored to cost around £789 at launch.
"Expect the S9 to be priced roughly £50 cheaper than what everybody is saying," the publication's inside source claims. "A £100 price hike from the S8 is no longer on the cards and it's looking much more like a £50 increase instead."
Assuming this is the case, the larger S9 Plus could then cost around £839 ($1,175). Patrons should note, though, that retail prices are significantly more expensive in the UK than in the US as the former includes sales tax. The S8, for example, cost £689 ($965) in the UK whereas it only retailed at $750 in the US. Forbes estimates the Samsung Galaxy S9's US pricing to fall around $800-$850 and the S9 Plus' to be somewhere between $900-$950.
For that price, buyers can expect a 5.8-inch QHD+ screen, smaller bezels and easier to use finger scanner. CPU model will vary by region, but those from the US will likely get a Snapdragon 845 paired with either 4 gigabytes of RAM in the standard Galaxy S9, and 6GB of RAM in the Galaxy S9+. The S9 will be powered by a 3,000 mAh battery while the S9 Plus would house a larger 3,500 mAh.
Both models are expected to be launched at Samsung's "Unpacked" event on Sunday, Feb. 25 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. They will reportedly be made available for pre-order on March 1, to be followed by its wide release on March 16.
