We expect Samsung to announce a line of three phones when it launches Samsung Galaxy S21 devices on January 14, which is also the last day of CES 2021, and a new rumor suggests that the company is focusing on cheaper devices. main level model – both increasing its production and reducing its price tag, along with price drops for the other two models, at least in Korea.
The new report from the Korean technology website ETNews states that the standard S21 will cost 990,000 won (about $ 904 / £ 666 / AU $ 1,163), which is a big discount over last year’s Samsung Galaxy S20 price, which cost 1,248,000 won (which converts to $ 1,141 USD, but we all know the S20 ended up being $ 999 / £ 899 / AU $ 1,499 [so that rumored S21 won-to-USD $904 number could be even lower])
Likewise, today’s rumor suggests price drops for the S21 Plus to 1,199,000 won (about $ 1,095 / £ 807 / AU $ 1,410) from the S20 Plus’s price of 1,353,000 won ($ 1,199 / £ 999) / AU $ 1,649) and a drop in the S21 Ultra to 1,450,000 won (about $ 1,324 / £ 976 / AU $ 1,706) from the S20 Ultra price of 1,595,000 won ($ 1,399 / £ 1,199 / AU $ 1,999).
The point of the price drop is obvious – to increase sales – and to compete better with the iPhone 12 (which starts at $ 799 / £ 799 / AU $ 1,349 / about 1,090,000 won). The report noted strong competition between high-performance phones and growing consumer frustration with the continued rise in smartphone prices.
The report spoke only of Korean prices and it is not clear whether this price drop will be repeated in other regions.
To achieve the lowest price, the S21 (and S21 Plus) are reducing their resolutions to Full HD (about 2400 x 1080), below the QHD (about 2880 x 1440) of the S20 line. This is not very surprising, given that the Note series has quietly done the same with its lower-tier models since the Samsung Galaxy Note 10. The phones will also save costs by coming without charge blocks, as previously rumored.
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S21: higher bets, more production?
While it is never clear how much of each model is produced with the latest phone line each year, the new rumor suggests that Samsung will concentrate 60% of its production volume on the Samsung S21. If true, the phone maker is apparently betting heavily that its low-cost models will be more attractive to consumers.
This is probably wise, given the defeat the phone industry took last year with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak sales and production capabilities, which Samsung certainly sense. The economy and personal consumption habits have recovered somewhat, but more affordable smartphones certainly seem to be more suitable for a world where companies and consumers have tightened their belts.
Then again, consumer ire at rising smartphone prices is not new – and neither are the industry’s course corrections. Google may have the most obvious example, as it reduced the features that made the transition from Pixel 4 to Pixel 5 cheaper, but both Apple and Samsung launched phones that bring the main specs for lower prices on the iPhone 12 mini and Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition.
By AndroidAuthority