It was reported yesterday that Samsung may increase the Galaxy S23 price by at least $100 across the board from last year. But that doesn’t seem to be true. A leaked carrier document reveals that the new flagships will cost the same as the Galaxy S22.
The Galaxy S23 series will not cost more than the Galaxy S22 in the US
An official-looking Galaxy S23 marketing material from Verizon was recently posted on Reddit. The leaked promotional leaflet doesn’t explicitly mention the new phones but the listed specs give it away. It also contains the internal codename of the new flagship series (Diamond). The leaflet says the Samsung DM1 (Diamond 1 or Galaxy S23) will start at $799.99 (8GB+128GB). The DM2/Galaxy S23+ and DM3/Galaxy S23 Ultra will cost $999.99 and $1,199.99 for their respective base variants (8GB+256GB). These are the same starting prices as the Galaxy S22 trio last year.
If true, this pricing structure makes the Galaxy S23 series pretty appealing. The phones bring substantial upgrades over the Galaxy S22. We are getting an upgraded processor, improved cameras (including the 200MP primary shooter on the Ultra model), improved under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanners, improved displays, bigger batteries, stronger glass protection, and the latest RAM and storage standards. Samsung is doing incredibly well to keep the prices unchanged despite all the upgrades and the recent economic downturn.
That said, it’s not given that the Galaxy S23 series will debut with the same price tag as the Galaxy S22 everywhere. Factors like local tax affect the pricing in some markets. Samsung also has to consider the rising inflation. Yesterday’s report was based on the leaked pricing structure for the Australian market. It’s possible that the new Galaxy flagships would cost more in the region even if Samsung is sticking to the same prices in the US. A previous report hinted at a 10-20 percent price hike in South Korea as well. Thankfully, it isn’t a long wait now before things go official.
Galaxy S23 release date revealed
The recently-leaked marketing material for Verizon also contains the key specs of the Galaxy S23 series. Since we already know the detailed specs of all three models, there’s nothing new here. However, the leaflet confirms the release date. According to the leaked material, Samsung will open general sales of the new flagships on February 17. Pre-orders for the phones will begin immediately after their unveiling on February 1. The Galaxy S23 trio will come in Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender colors.