European prices for the Samsung Galaxy S21 leaked a few weeks back, but now that we know when Samsung's unveiling its new phones, it's worth revisiting the rumored pricing info to get an idea of what we might pay for the upcoming Android flagship. That's especially true since there's some good and bad news.
According to established leaker Ishan Agarwal, two models of Galaxy S21 will see a modest price drop on the Galaxy S20. But the Galaxy S21 Ultra model will apparently see a small price increase.
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The basic Galaxy S21 will start at €849, the S21 Plus will be €1,049 (with a 256GB model for €1,099) and the S21 Ultra will cost €1,399. In dollars, those prices range from $1,040 to $1,715. But given European taxes, this conversion to dollars isn't a true reflection of the price U.S. phone fans can expect to pay for the Galaxy S21.
A more sensible approach is to look at the Euro prices for the Galaxy S20 and see how they’ve changed, and it’s pretty straightforward. In short, the basic S21 and S21 Plus are €50 cheaper than their entry-level S20 equivalents, while the S21 Ultra is €50 more than the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
While a price change of €50 (around $61) either way isn’t exactly life-changing when discussing a device with a four-figure price tag, it’s nonetheless interesting that Samsung is bucking its pricing trend at all.
You don’t have to look hard to find the likely cause for the price drop. COVID-19 has not only created problems for businesses making phones, but shoppers are not as flush with cash either. Despite the promise of COVID vaccines, an economic recovery won’t happen overnight.
In some respects, it’s surprising that any price cut is limited to just €50, but then again Samsung can always lower prices if sales are slow.
That’s assuming the rumor is correct, of course, but we won’t have to wait long to find out. Since the rumored prices have leaked out, Samsung has announced a Galaxy Unpacked event for Jan. 14. While there's no official word on what's launching there, the S21 is almost certain to be the main attraction, especially with Samsung taking reservations for pre-orders on a new Galaxy phone.
As for the handset themselves, all three models are expected to share the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset in the U.S., with the European models making use of Samsung's own Exynos 2100. And all models will use a 120Hz refresh rate display, though only the Ultra is expected to have a dynamic refresh rate that adjusts based on your activity.
However, while the standard and Plus models are expected to have a trio of rear cameras, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is apparently going sport dual telephoto zoom lenses and will come with S Pen support. This upgrade could be the reason for its price hike.
We'll know for sure in a little more than a week, and we'll be excited to see the Galaxy S21 can win a spot on our best phones list.
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