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Samsung's S22 Ultra kicks the Galaxy Note to the curb
Samsung's S22 Ultra kicks the Galaxy Note to the curb
Samsung hasn't officially said the Galaxy Note is gone for good, but it doesn't have to. Just take one look at the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung's new premium phone, and you can see it's the spitting image of the Note.
The Galaxy S Ultra line has been inching towards Galaxy Note status for years. It was particularly clear in 2021 when it added S Pen compatibility. But the newest model, which Samsung announced at Unpacked on Wednesday, seems like the final push in that direction.
And it's about time.
Both phones serve the same purpose in Samsung's lineup by catering to customers willing to pay top dollar for a bigger screen and more camera features. Simply put, there's no room for the Galaxy Note to stand out now that the Ultra exists.
The Galaxy Note helped popularize larger phones back when the industry was fixated on making gadgets as small as possible. But that's no longer the case, and the S Pen alone clearly isn't enough to keep the Galaxy Note relevant.
There's no place for the Galaxy Note anymore
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (left) alongside the S20 Ultra (right)
Lexy Savvides/CNET
Don't get me wrong, I was a longtime Galaxy Note fan. The device's nearly tablet-sized screen and the old-fashioned feeling of jotting down notes by hand intrigued me.
But the Galaxy Note's heyday came at a time when phones were still growing -- literally. Smartphone sales outsold feature phones for the first time in 2013, according to Gartner, roughly two years after the original Galaxy Note's 2011 debut. The smartphone market was relatively young back then, so features like a larger screen and a stylus were considered novel at the time.
Most phones that were popular in the Galaxy Note line's early days, like the Samsung Galaxy S3, Apple iPhone 5 and Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, had screens that were smaller than 5 inches. The 5.3-inch Galaxy Note seemed gigantic by comparison, but also distinctive.
Yet in 2022, the characteristics that once made the Note feel fresh no longer seem innovative. Just about every phone has a giant screen that's about 6 inches or larger, including devices from Apple, Google, Motorola or OnePlus. In other words, big phones are now the norm rather than the exception. Even budget phones, like Samsung's $250 Galaxy A13, often include 6-inch screens or bigger now.
Read more:Galaxy S22 vs. S21 FE: How Samsung's phones compare
The Galaxy Note undoubtedly played a big role in that shift. But that's exactly the point; the shift already happened, and the Galaxy Note no longer feels as special as it once did. Evidence of this can be seen in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Samsung's most recent high-end Note that debuted in 2020.
Other than the S Pen, there was little that distinguished the Note 20 Ultra from the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which launched in the same year. Both phones had spacious 6.9-inch screens and multilens cameras. The differences were nuanced and came to certain hardware details.
The S20 Ultra, for example, had a sharper 48-megapixel telephoto lens compared to the Note 20 Ultra's 12-megapixel telephoto lens. It also had additional memory options and a bigger battery, but was $100 more expensive than the Note 20 Ultra at launch.
Read more:The Galaxy S22 Ultra fails to excite this pro photographer. And that's a problem
Samsung's attempt to maintain two different premium phone brands created confusion for people who just wanted to buy Samsung's top-of-the-line phone. In 2019, it was the Note 10 Plus. In 2020, it was either the S20 Ultra or the Note 20 Ultra. Eliminating the Note brand from Samsung's lineup simplifies that structure. It also means people who prefer giant phones no longer have to decide between a stylus or a better camera, as they did in 2020.
Samsung's foldables are now filling that role
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has nearly all the refinements you could ask for but still feel like it's missing a purpose.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The Galaxy Note started out as a niche device for people who wanted more screen space and power than the average phone allowed for. Its large size and high price meant it wasn't for everyone. But it still served as an early indication of where the industry was going.
In the best-case scenario for Samsung, the same could be said for the company's foldable phones. Like the Galaxy Note, Samsung's foldables are more expensive than the standard phone. And the appeal of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is in the extra screen space it offers, just like the Galaxy Note. Samsung seems to be hoping that the Z Fold 3 and flip phone-style Z Flip 3 will set the pace for where smartphones are headed, just as the Note once did.
Who knows whether today's foldables will lay the foundation for future phones. But the Note certainly did, and its influence has shaped Samsung's most important launch of the year.
For more, check out everything else Samsung unveiled at its recent Unpacked event including the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and Galaxy Tab S8. (Here's how you can preorder the devices now.) You can also learn more about how the Galaxy S22 compared to the S21 and nightography.
Galaxy Note 9 may not get on-screen fingerprint sensor
Galaxy Note 9 may not get on-screen fingerprint sensor
It looks as if the upcoming Galaxy Note 9 may not sport a fingerprint reader underneath the screen after all.
According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via AppleInsider), who previously speculated himself that the phone would have the sensor, Samsung is postponing the feature due to technical difficulties.
An embedded fingerprint scanner that reads your prints through the display has been rumored to come to Samsung's Galaxy phones for awhile. In December 2016, there was speculation that the Galaxy S8 would have it (instead, it featured a fingerprint sensor on the back). Suspicion continued for the Note 8, but that phone ended up having a scanner on the back, too. Now that the current Galaxy S9 flagship phone sports the same design, we're continuing to wait for Samsung to adopt the new tech.
The KGI analysis reported that Samsung may be skipping this feature for the Note 9 because current ultrasonic and optical sensing solutions do not "meet Samsung's technical requirements." Samsung may include the feature in another phone in the future though, possibly on the next Galaxy S phone at the earliest, according to Kuo.
Currently, we've seen only one phone with an under-display fingerprint reader. Known as the Vivo Apex, the phone also allows two fingerprints to be read at the same time for extra security. Vivo unveiled the Apex at MWC 2018 as a concept phone, but it was reported on Thursday that it will go into production mid-year.
If Kuo's prediction about the Galaxy Note 9 is true, it 'll mean that Samsung will have to find another way to differentiate the Note 9 from the Galaxy S9. CNET's Jessica Dolcourt came up with six ways that the Note 9 could still beat the Galaxy S9. Perhaps we'll see one of these ideas come to fruition.
Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Galaxy S9 review : Two steps forward, one step back
MWC 2018 : All of CNET's coverage from the biggest phone show of the year.
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Samsung Should Forget the Galaxy S22 FE. Here's Why
Samsung Should Forget the Galaxy S22 FE. Here's Why
What's happening
Samsung has launched a cheaper "Fan Edition" version of its flagship Galaxy phones for the past two years. But a rumor suggests the Galaxy S22 FE may have been canceled.
Why it matters
Samsung's smartphone lineup already has plenty of options, making the Galaxy S21 FE feel lost in the shuffle. It should focus on its flagship Galaxy S and midtier Galaxy A phones instead.
Samsung already has a dizzying selection of phones to choose from. There's the super-sized Galaxy S22 Ultra, the pocketable Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the wallet-friendly Galaxy A series. But there's one way Samsung could simplify things: Skip the Galaxy S22 FE.
Don't get me wrong; the $700 Galaxy S21 FE (short for "fan edition") has plenty going for it. When I reviewed the phone in January, I was impressed with its decent battery life and solid camera for the price. However, it risked feeling lost in Samsung's lineup once the Galaxy S22 launched. And I was right. If Samsung does have a successor to the Galaxy S21 FE in the works, rebranding it as a more premium Galaxy A phone would be a wiser move. A rumor from the blog SamMobile suggests Samsung may have canceled the Galaxy S22 FE, and I can understand why. Between the $800 Galaxy S22 and $450 Galaxy A53 5G, it's too hard for the Galaxy S21 FE to stand out.
The Galaxy S20 FE.
Juan Garzon/CNET
The Galaxy S21 FE lacks what made the Galaxy S20 FE so special
The 2020 Galaxy S20 FE had a major advantage that the Galaxy S21 FE lacks: a sizable gap in price compared to Samsung's Galaxy S phone. The Galaxy S20 launched at $1,000, making the $700 Galaxy S20 FE feel like a significant bargain. It earned a CNET Editors' Choice in 2020, with Andy Lanxon writing that its "great balance of performance and value" makes it a better value proposition than the S20 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra.
There are a couple of reasons why the Galaxy S21 FE didn't strike the same chord. Samsung's lineup and the broader smartphone landscape were different in 2020. While 5G support, multiple camera lenses and screens with higher refresh rates were starting to trickle down to cheaper devices, these features were considered premium just one year earlier in 2019. Remember the Galaxy S10 5G? Samsung's first 5G-ready phone commanded a high price of $1,300 when it launched through Verizon in spring 2019.
Things changed the following year in 2020. Every device in the Galaxy S20 lineup supported 5G, but that also meant a higher starting price of $1,000. With that in mind the 5G-equipped S20 FE, which also has a triple-lens camera and speedy processor, was a great alternative for cost-conscious shoppers that didn't want to make big sacrifices on quality.
In other words, the Galaxy S20 FE came at just the right time and the right price. I can't say the same for the Galaxy S21 FE. It launched roughly one month before Samsung introduced the Galaxy S22, which offers superior camera quality, a more refined design and a newer processor. The Galaxy S20, on the other hand, debuted in September 2020, which meant it had a longer runway before the Galaxy S21's arrival in January 2021.
At the same time, the Galaxy S21 FE does have advantages over the S22, particularly for people who prefer larger phones. But the differences aren't drastic enough to prevent it from being overshadowed by the S22 and competitors like Google's cheaper Pixel 6.
Pricing is another important factor. It's great that Samsung dropped the price of the S21 compared to the S20, but the problem is that it didn't lower the Galaxy S21 FE's price to match. The Galaxy S20 FE was $300 cheaper than the Galaxy S20, while the S21 FE costs only $100 less than the Galaxy S21 did at launch.
The Galaxy S21 FE feels more like an A-series phone
Samsung's Galaxy A53 5G (left) and Galaxy S21 FE (right).
Samsung
The Galaxy S21 FE would feel right at home in Samsung's lineup of midrange and budget devices, aka the Galaxy A series. These phones are usually significantly cheaper than those in the Galaxy S line and inherit certain features like large displays, multiple cameras and 5G, while compromising elsewhere.
It's an approach that's seemingly paid off so far. Samsung's $180 Galaxy A12 was one of the world's top-selling phones in 2021, according to Counterpoint Research. No phones from the Galaxy S series made the list. Separate data from Counterpoint Research provided to CNET also suggests A-series phones accounted for 58% of Samsung's smartphone sales last year.
If the Galaxy S21 FE were slightly cheaper -- perhaps priced around $600 -- it would make a great upper-tier Galaxy A phone. Both the Galaxy S21 FE and A53 5G have big screens, very similar designs, regular and ultrawide camera lenses and high resolution front cameras, making them feel like they're aimed at a similar audience.
The Galaxy S21 FE has an edge in performance and camera quality, making it a solid choice for those who need more than the Galaxy A53 has to offer at a lower price than the S22. Dropping the price to $600 would also put the phone right between the $450 Galaxy A53 5G and $800 Galaxy S22. If it were branded as an A-series phone, the Galaxy S21 FE could be a worthwhile alternative to the Galaxy A73 in markets where that device isn't available. The Galaxy A73 5G is the Galaxy A series' top-tier phone with a 108-megapixel camera, but it's only available in select regions such as Australia and India.
Samsung hasn't shared details about its future smartphone plans, so it's unclear whether it will continue the FE line. But dropping the FE's price and possibly moving it over to its Galaxy A series could go a long way in boosting its appeal. It wouldn't be the first time Samsung has merged two of its phone brands recently. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, for example, has essentially replaced the company's previous Galaxy Note phones, which stood out for their giant screens and included stylus.
Otherwise, the Galaxy S22 FE could end up like Samsung's current "fan edition" phone and struggle to find its place.
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G review: Samsung's premier phone is pretty badass
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G review: Samsung's premier phone is pretty badass
The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, unveiled alongside Samsung's Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus phones, proves that sometimes you have to do something twice to get it right. While just as bold as last year's Galaxy S20 Ultra, the S21 Ultra is a refined second take on the concept. There's still the 100x Space Zoom, but it's easier to use. There is still the "big for the sake of being big" design, but it looks more appealing. And there's still a high price, but at $1,200 (£1,149, AU$1,849) it costs $200 less than the S20 Ultra in the US.
If you want the absolute best specs and features, the S21 Ultra is undoubtedly appealing. The phone will also attract camera nerds, thanks to the improvements. The addition of S-Pen support -- it's the first Galaxy S phone to support the stylus -- will likely catch the eye of Galaxy Note users looking for a different option.
Like
Gorgeous phantom black finish
Two telephoto cameras
The screen is spectacular
S-Pen support
Don't Like
It's heavy
Lacks a microSD card slot
$1,200 is still expensive
Last year's Ultra model seemed like it came out of nowhere. It was a phone all about excess that, by sheer fate, was launched at the beginning of a global pandemic and recession. Its bold, behemoth take on the Galaxy S line was undercut by its $1,400 (£1,199, AU$1,999) price and issues with its nearly domino-size camera system.
Overall, the S21 Ultra is a major update both in terms of hardware and software over the S20 Ultra. And when you factor in a lower price, it all kind of makes sense. And that's why the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra earned a CNET's Editors' Choice Award. The whole Galaxy S21 lineup is available to purchase -- here's how you can buy one.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. S21 Plus vs. S21 Ultra
The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the best black finish
I wouldn't call the S21 Ultra's design radically different, but my review unit has the best black finish I've ever seen on a phone. It's the stuff that goth dreams are made of. The color is called phantom black, and seeing it in person makes you understand why Samsung made a nearly three-minute video explaining the blackest black finish. The S21 Ultra also comes in phantom silver and there are limited-edition phantom finishes in titanium, brown and navy, which can only be found on Samsung's website.
The camera bump is large and melts into the sides of the phone, which are glossy black. And while the regular S21 and S21 Plus looks snazzy in their two-tone colors, the all-black S21 Ultra is cool, elegant and badass all at the same time.
Read more: Galaxy S21 drop test: It broke on the first drop
The S21 Ultra is heavier than last year's S20 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It's the second heaviest phone I have tested in the past year, just behind the Asus ROG Phone 3.
The display is brighter and adds S-Pen support
Around the front is one of the most impressive displays I've seen. It has a Wide Quad HD resolution and a variable refresh rate between 10 and 120Hz, which is determined by what's on the screen. And just to be clear, it can be set to 120Hz without the hit to resolution that the S20 Ultra had. The 6.8-inch display is bright and the contrast is gorgeous. Covering the front and back is Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus.
Support for the S-Pen means you can draw, write, edit photos and sign documents on the S21 Ultra.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Under the screen is a larger ultrasonic fingerprint reader which feels peppy. I had a hard time telling if it was faster than the one on the S20 Ultra. The display also has S-Pen support.
The Galaxy Note phones line always tempted me, but I didn't think I'd use the S-Pen enough to justify getting one. I like the iPad Pro-Apple Pencil approach Samsung took with the S21 Ultra. Without an S-Pen, you can still enjoy using the S21 Ultra. But if you're S-Pen curious, you can buy a new S-Pen or find an old one and it will work. There's a lot you can do like draw, take notes and sign documents. I love editing photos and making adjustments with the S-Pen.
There are a few S-Pen considerations. The S21 Ultra doesn't come with an S-Pen and doesn't support Bluetooth or gesture functionality. For example, the S21 Ultra can't send you a notification if you leave your S-Pen behind. Also, the Ultra doesn't have a built-in slot to store an S-Pen. Samsung does sell cases for the phone that include S-Pen storage.
The S21 Ultra has two telephoto cameras
The S21 Ultra's camera system received several significant updates. There are four rear cameras: one wide, one ultrawide and two telephoto cameras. The time-of-flight sensor on the S20 Ultra is gone; in its place is a laser autofocus module.
The 108-megapixel sensor on the main camera is new and has better autofocus for both photos and videos. There's even a new focus enhancer tool that pops onscreen to help the phone focus faster. The tool looks like it might be switching to a wider view to do so.
Read more: S21 Ultra vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Pixel 5: Which phone has the best night mode?
There are four rear cameras: wide, ultrawide and two telephotos.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The dual-telephoto cameras add a number of benefits. One has 3x magnification and the other 10x. This means when you zoom in, there are two places in your zoom range where the image isn't cropped and where you'll capture the best image quality. Another benefit is stability. The two cameras are paired to help make zooming in, even at 100x, easier and more steady.
At 30x or higher, a zoom guide appears to help you find the specific spot that you're zoomed in at. You can lock it so the cameras don't move, which turns the guide yellow. This works quite well. Obviously you have to be careful not to move the phone around too much, but it's less finicky and frustrating than the S20 Ultra.
Photos from the S21 Ultra are excellent, with good detail and a wide dynamic range. There is a 108-megapixel mode, but I found that the 12-megapixel photos that come from pixel binning look consistently great.
Below are several photos I took with the S21 Ultra.
The main camera was set to 12 megapixels, which uses pixel binning to combine nine pixels into one.
Patrick Holland/CNET
One benefit of pixel binning is that it can bring out the details in a photo. Notice the different textures and details.
Patrick Holland/CNET
I used the single-take mode in the camera app to capture photos and videos of this cute dog. Here's one of the pictures my S21 Ultra chose.
Patrick Holland/CNET
There's so much for the S21 Ultra to capture correctly here: the barren tree branches, the water and the white fluffy clouds in the blue sky.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Here are three different photos I took from the exact same spot using the wide 1x camera (left), the 3x telephoto camera (middle) and the 10x telephoto camera (right).
Patrick Holland/CNET
In low light, the S21 Ultra's night mode is outstanding. Flaring on the lens is minimized and photos look bright without a bunch of image noise or noise-reduction smearing. Below are a few night mode photos I took:
This might be my favorite night mode photo of the bunch.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Here's another night mode capture. I like how the S21 Ultra brought out the colors in the sculpture.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Night mode on any of the S21 Ultra's cameras. I took this shot with the ultrawide.
Patrick Holland/CNET
For selfies there's the same 40-megapixel camera that the S20 Ultra had. You now have an option to change the color tone to either bright or natural which is excellent.
Here is a selfie I took with the natural setting.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Samsung added the ability to take raw 12-bit color photos. There's a new video feature called Director's View, which gives you a thumbnail preview of the video feeds coming from all of the cameras on the phones. As you record, you can switch between them. Within Director's View, there's a vlogger setup that gives you a side-by-side video view or a stacked one if you're shooting vertically. This means you can record yourself with the selfie camera and show what you're seeing or reacting to with any of the rear cameras.
On paper, Director's View seemed like something I might try once and not really use. But after some time using it, some people will definitely be into the feature. A downside to Director's View is that the final video is saved in HD instead of 4K or 8K. I'd love to see a similar thumbnail preview interface of all the rear cameras when recording a regular 4K video.
I'm excited to pit the S21 Ultra and its cameras against the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Google Pixel 5. Each phone takes a different approach to photography and will appeal to different people.
S21 Ultra has a Snapdragon 888 chip and 12 or 16GB of RAM
Powering the S21 Ultra is the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip, along with 12GB of RAM, or 16GB in the most expensive model -- which also has 512GB of storage (see the chart below for prices). In my benchmark tests, the S21 Ultra scored better than last year's S20 Ultra. And in use, it handled everything I threw at it, even playing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate games on it.
You can use the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate app to play Xbox games on your S21 Ultra.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Supplying juice to the phone is a 5,000-mAh battery. I've easily been averaging a day and a half on a single charge. Battery tests on the S21 Ultra for continuous video playback on Airplane mode clocked an average of 22 hours and 57 minutes with the refresh rate set to Auto 120Hz. That's actually an hour less than the S20 Ultra lasted in the same test. Though keep in mind, in real world use my colleague Jessica Dolcourt found the S20 Ultra's battery drained like it was being bitten by a "thirsty vampire."
Below are the results of my benchmark tests for the S21 Ultra.
3DMark Slingshot Unlimited
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Geekbench v.5.0 single-core
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Geekbench v.5.0 multicore
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Android 11 and 5G support
The Galaxy S21 Ultra runs Android 11 with Samsung's OneUI 3.1 top layer. And I like it a lot. I can now default to Google Pay or Google Discover News feed instead of Samsung's versions. The look for everything from settings to pop-up windows is clean and contemporary. And with a phone this big, OneUI helps make it easier to use one-handed.
Last, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has 5G and supports both sub-6 and mmWave flavors of 5G. You shouldn't get the Ultra for its 5G. But as 5G networks get better, so will your 5G speeds and connection. And then we'll really have something to talk about.
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Samsung's cheaper Galaxy A phones get the spotlight at Unpacked
Samsung's cheaper Galaxy A phones get the spotlight at Unpacked
Samsung tends to use its splashy Unpacked events to show off the newest high-end gadgets in its Galaxy S, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Z families of phones. But it's the company's midrange A Series, which last year started at $110, that will take center stage at its next big product event.
On 7 a.m. PT Wednesday, Samsung is set to host its second virtual Unpacked event of 2021. Samsung called Wednesday's event "Galaxy Awesome Unpacked" and said it will explain how it's "bringing Awesome to everyone." (Yes, capital "A" Awesome). Its first Unpacked, in mid-January, marked the introduction of Samsung's flagship phones for the year, the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra. All come with 5G, and the devices start at $800, which is $200 less than their predecessors.
The Galaxy S may be Samsung's most high-profile flagship lineup, and the Galaxy Z foldables are its future, but neither offers the most popular devices the South Korean giant sells. That title goes to the Galaxy A, which represented more than three out of every four Samsung phones shipped around the world last year, according to Strategy Analytics. The line's quiet rise as a major contributor to sales for Samsung underscores the notion that while high-end specs and cutting-edge features are nice for attention and buzz, people still care about what they're spending on phones -- especially in these times.
Samsung will bring more attention to the lineup than ever when it makes the Galaxy A the focus of Wednesday's Unpacked.
When Samsung first jumped into the Android market in 2010, it was with its Galaxy S devices, which propelled the Korean company to the position of world's biggest phone vendor, a title it's held for most of the past decade. Similarly, the Galaxy Note ignited a trend for jumbo phones and the Galaxy Fold touched off a new wave of foldables.
Generating much less fanfare is the Galaxy A lineup. The phones have been viewed as devices for people who are more price-sensitive -- if anyone thought about the A Series at all. They've been sold internationally for years but didn't come to the US as a full lineup until 2020.
In the past, "every time [Samsung] rolled out the S series, even after carrier subsidies disappeared, that was what sold," Strategy Analytics analyst Ken Hyers said. "Things like the A Series or equivalent product, those were for the people who didn't have the money for a premium phone."
Last year's Galaxy A lineup included four 4G LTE phones and two 5G models. They ranged from $110 for the Galaxy A10 to $650 for the Galaxy A71 5G on Verizon's network (it's $600 at other carriers without super-fast 5G millimeter-wave connectivity). All came with some high-end features, though they weren't nearly as premium as the specs found in the Galaxy S, Note and foldables. And none came close to the price tag for Samsung's premium phones, which started at $1,000 for the Galaxy S20. Though the Galaxy A lineup may not have the flash of Samsung's high-end phones, what it does have is a lot of buyers across the world.
In the US, where there's often a bigger market for pricey phones than in many other regions, the A Series' shipments surpassed those of the S Series, 26% to 19%, according to Strategy Analytics. In the key fourth quarter of the year, nearly half of Samsung's phone shipments in the US came from the A Series. That included models like the $180 Galaxy A11, $250 Galaxy A21 and $500 Galaxy A51 5G.
People are increasingly choosing less expensive phones, even if they can afford the pricier models like the Galaxy S, Strategy Analytics' Hyers said.
Today's phone market looks very different from the industry a few years ago. In the past, many consumers bought the latest and greatest on a regular two-year cadence, and Apple and Samsung made $1,000 the standard starting price for high-end phones. Now people in the US are content holding onto their phones an additional year, and when they upgrade, they're often seeking out less expensive phones. Today's mainstream devices ship with many higher-end features -- like fast processors, big screens and several camera lenses -- that consumers deem to be good enough, especially for the price. Samsung even cut the starting price of its Galaxy S lineup by $200 for this year's S21 models.
"The price of premium products has gotten out of whack with what people think is justifiable for a smartphone," Hyers said. "And midtier phones like the A51 ... don't feel like you're making a compromise."
Samsung declined to comment ahead of Wednesday's event.
The new A Series
This year, Samsung is expected to introduce Galaxy A52 and A72 phones, successors to last year's A51 and A71. The devices likely will come with 4G and 5G variants right away (last year's 5G models arrived after the 4G versions) and several improvements over the older models.
The A52 is rumored to sport a bigger battery, a better processor and more RAM, while keeping the 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display found in the A51. And the A72 is believed to feature a new camera design, with five back lenses, a first for any Samsung device. It also may become the first midrange phone with optical image stabilization to optimize shots.
Refreshing the higher end of the A Series could have a lower boost on Samsung's unit sales than introducing newer cheap models. It's the company's least expensive Galaxy A models that have proved to be the most popular with consumers, said Mark Bachman, lead tech and telecom analyst at M Science. His firm tracks how well phone models sell.
Looking at the first 20 weeks of sales for each device, the data analytics provider found that the budget models, like the $180 Galaxy A10e and A11 or the $250 A20 and A21, sold in higher numbers than the higher-priced $500 A51 5G and $600 A71 5G (or $650 at Verizon). US consumers bought nearly 2.5 million units of the A11 in its first five months of sales, while they purchased only about 300,000 Galaxy A51 5G units.
"While the launch of the A52/A72 series will refresh Samsung's midrange offerings, we believe these phones will have less impact to Samsung's sales in the US when compared to their budget A series and premium priced S series handsets," Bachman said.
Still, Samsung hasn't yet said what its new A Series devices will cost. It could lower the prices for the models, like how it cut Galaxy S pricing.
Hitting the 'sweet spot'
Samsung highlighting its less expensive phones follows a trend found across the mobile industry. The first 5G devices on the market in 2019 cost significantly more than their 4G counterparts. Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G both retailed for $1,300. That's $400 and $200 more than the 4G variants, respectively.
But the coronavirus pandemic has forced companies to reevaluate their launch plans and drop pricing for 5G phones much more quickly than expected. In September, Samsung introduced its Galaxy S20 FE for $300 less than its S20 sibling. Then in January, Samsung said its new Galaxy S21 models would cost $200 less than their Galaxy S20 sibling from a year earlier. It's partly because component costs have fallen but also recognition that it's getting harder to convince people to shell out $1,000 for a phone.
The Galaxy S21 lineup meets "sweet spots" in the market when it comes to pricing and features, Drew Blackard, Samsung Electronics America's vice president of product management, said in an interview ahead of January's Unpacked event. And he said the lower starting point is likely here to stay.
The Galaxy A devices are even more affordable, without having to sacrifice features like strong cameras.
A new smartphone that won't drain your bank account may be worth the trouble of all that Unpacked fanfare after all.
