Galaxy S8 Retail Price to Significantly Undercut Premium 'iPhone 8'

[satchmo]

So what's your ideal phone design?

Sounds like you'd rather have black or white bezels around the screen (also made of glass) than more screen real estate in the same size phone.

I don't profess to have the answer for an ideal design. But what I'm suggesting is that it's more than a matter of white or black bezels. That's the problem with many 'designers' today where they are focused on eliminating things for the sake of being 'sexy'. Consider function first.

How does the phone feel in the hand? Would a harder edge prevent slippage?
Are the curved edges part of the screen usable? If bezel-less, how does it handle accidental touch? Will finding the virtual home button be easy to access?
And software can only do so much. In some cases, physical buttons will make for a better user experience.

 

[nt5672]

I hope this crushes the market. It is the only way to get Apple to listen and actually do things we want. More competition. More competition.

 

[andy42]

How does the phone feel in the hand? Would a harder edge prevent slippage?
Are the curved edges part of the screen usable? If bezel-less, how does it handle accidental touch?

That why we have another huge industry around all the big phone companies...case industry...!
I bought for my S7 extra a case cuz I couldn't handle the phone without. The phone is not just made from glas but also all the round edges makes it really hard to handle it without dropping especially if your hands are a little bit wet. It was super crazy on the beginning and after one week I decided to use a case. The last iPhone which was kind of easy to handle without accidently dropping it, is 5-series incl. SE. I hope Apple is not going to change too much with the new version of SE.

 

[itguy06]

They have these phones because they are cheap. Not because they've handled both iOS and Android and decided to go with Android. Come on now.

That's pretty ignorant.
I've used both, iOS on a 6+ and just picked up a ZTE Axon 7 with Android 7.1.1. There are numerous things that Android 7 (or this phone) get right that Apple could learn from. Like the "smart lock" where when it's connected to my car's BT the phone will remain unlocked - no fingerpint, no PIN, etc. Leave the car and it immediately locks. There are a few other neat things that Android 7 gets that iOS fails on. For a $400 phone this thing is sweet and is build VERY well. Apple could learn a few things!

 

[Essaux]

Crap OS? Almost 9 out of 10 people around the world have Android, not iOS. Really hard to believe your statement.

Yes 9 out of 10 rather have a cheap product than a product with a superior iOS but which is much more expensive to buy.

Also, simply more people can afford android than iOS. Volumes sold doesn't mean it's OS is better.

 

[Col4bin]

Not a fan of Samsung phones or their crappy TouchWhiz interface, but IMO they have the right idea with attempting to maintain a sweet spot in their pricing structure for these devices. Though it seems Apple might position the iPhone 8 as a high-end luxury model, the $1k price tag is laughable to me. (TC and company did this with the premium Apple Watches, so nothing would surprise me at this point.) Regardless, even at that high of a price, the iPhone 8 will most likely sellout in year 1 due to the rumored constrained supply. Don't really see much competition catching up to Samsung or Apple in the foreseeable future so both companies will continue to push the envelope with increasing costs as they continue to sell.

 

[spinedoc77]

Fresh leaks of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 have revealed that the de facto "iPhone 8" rival will come in three colors and cost upwards of 799 euros ($859) when it goes on sale next month in Europe.

Serial mobile leaker Evan Blass revealed the news in a Sunday tweet, which included an official press image of Samsung's new flagship phone in colors described as Black Sky, Orchid Grey, and Arctic Silver.

​

A second tweet offered the pricing details, with the 5.8-inch S8 starting at 799 euros and the 6.2-inch S8 Plus going for 899 euros ($967). Blass also revealed the prices of a handful of accessories set to launch with the phone, including a DeX docking station (150 euros/$161), a new GearVR headset (129 euros/$138), and a Gear 360 camera (229 euros/$246).

While direct currency conversions are no guarantee of actual prices outside of Europe, the phones still look likely to undercut Apple's upcoming 5.8-inch OLED iPhone by some margin.

Tentatively dubbed "iPhone 8" by media outlets, the tenth anniversary edition model could cost upwards of $1,000, according to one report claiming knowledge of Apple's plans. The premium tier device is expected to feature a radical redesign with a flat edge-to-edge OLED screen supplied by Samsung, a virtual home button and some form of wireless charging, launching alongside more typical "S" cycle iPhone models to succeed the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

Samsung's S8 will feature iris scanning and facial recognition technology in addition to fingerprint recognition, with a new virtual assistant called "Bixby" also to debut. The Korean company will launch its new phones at an event on March 29, with the devices said to ship to consumers on April 21. Apple's 2017 iPhones are expected to launch in the fall.

Article Link: Galaxy S8 Retail Price to Significantly Undercut Premium 'iPhone 8'

I think Samsung does need to undercut Apple this year. Last year the ho-hum iPhone 6ss, or I mean the iPhone 7 still sold a ridiculous amount, records amounts again. Just imagine this year with all the pent up desire, and all the hype for the iPhone 8 how well that's going to sell. Couple that with Samsungs issues with the Note 7 and the whole bribery circus, plus with how poor Samsung is at things like updating their phones and it's a good recipe for poor sales. Samsung ain't the only kid on the block with small bezels now, and arguably they have the least desirable approach with their curved screens. But not only that, a lot of these smaller oem's are starting to sell phones just as good for 1/3 of the price. We also have Google coming on strong, that's gotta scare Samsung.

 

[v0lume4]

Yes 9 out of 10 rather have a cheap product than a product with a superior iOS but which is much more expensive to buy.

Also, simply more people can afford android than iOS. Volumes sold doesn't mean it's OS is better.

More people can afford Android than iPhone, yes. That's why Android has the highest market share -- you're right about that. But to call iOS the superior OS I disagree with. I think Android and iOS are two different beasts -- as with Mac and Windows. They both basically do the same things, but it's the finer details that differ. One isn't better than the other -- it's just a matter of taste.

 

[Sevanw]

I hope this crushes the market. It is the only way to get Apple to listen and actually do things we want. More competition. More competition.

Or loyal Apple customers could take a stance and stop buying each "new" Apple product. Honestly, Apple diehards seem to just accept what Apple gives each year as a new product, and charge premium prices when the hardware isn't even premium. Perfect example is the upcoming iPhone. The OLED version will be the "premium" version, hence the higher price. So what are all the previous iPhones with LCD considered? Not premium? Not premium compared to all the flagship Galaxy S phones that have always have OLED? Apple marketing team is already at work getting people used to calling the OLED version "premium," and to get you ready for that premium price. Always shocking to me that Apple diehards seem to brag they overpaid Apple for inferior hardware. Smh

 

[Tycho24]

Smart move by Samsung, as they need to win back customers. Undercutting the price of the iPhone is a good move, given that we no longer have subsidies.

I dunno know about that... if the S8 is a direct progression from the S7, wouldn't its price be compared to the iPhone 7S which will still (presumably) be priced at $650?
If Apple introduces an Edition model, w/ futuristic AR camera goodies & an embedded home button, I imagine it WILL not be directly comparing with the S8, in which I hear they just put the fingerprint scanner on the back, because they couldn't match Apple's flagship feature this iteration.

 

[itguy06]

Yes 9 out of 10 rather have a cheap product than a product with a superior iOS but which is much more expensive to buy.

Also, simply more people can afford android than iOS. Volumes sold doesn't mean it's OS is better.

Using both Android 6.0, 7.0, and all iOS versions I don't think I'd say iOS is superior any more.

 

[MacknTosh]

Number of people killed by Samsung phones: 0

Number of people killed by iPhones: 1

https://9to5mac.com/2017/03/20/man-killed-iphone-charger-bath/

Darwinism in action is hardly the phones fault!

 

[Defthand]

I'm just about done with iOS and Mac so this might be my time to switch. Most of my equipment is now obsolete, Time Capsule,iMac and MBA. They kept me on iOS. Not a big fan of andriod, but I'm also not a fan of high priced phones either.

Product obsolescence is occurring at an accelerated pace. I got a lot of mileage out of older hardware. In turn, their cost was a justifiable investment. In fact, they were a bargain considering their utility. Nowadays, Apple cripples their hardware with so-called OS improvements before the hardware exhibits any physical decay. It’s impossible to preserve a pre-existing OS and hardware workstation because of the certificate control that Apple has. It’s forced obsolescence under the guise of “technology evolution”. Funny, I can’t achieve anything revolutionary with today’s OS that I couldn’t with an OS ten years ago.

 

[JMacHack]

Neat, going to use My iPhone 7 until it dies anyway, which is probably going to be in 5 years. Maybe then I'll care about Samsung.

 

[The Game 161]

[QU

Yes 9 out of 10 rather have a cheap product than a product with a superior iOS but which is much more expensive to buy.

Also, simply more people can afford android than iOS. Volumes sold doesn't mean it's OS is better.

or some would rather not have an OS like IOS. As good as it is for many things it is very restrictive

 

[Pamela5]

Phone prices r getting out of hand

I agree. $1000 for something many people only keep for two years is crazy.

 

[The Game 161]

I dunno know about that... if the S8 is a direct progression from the S7, wouldn't its price be compared to the iPhone 7S which will still (presumably) be priced at $650?
If Apple introduces an Edition model, w/ futuristic AR camera goodies & an embedded home button, I imagine it WILL not be directly comparing with the S8, in which I hear they just put the fingerprint scanner on the back, because they couldn't match Apple's flagship feature this iteration.

this is the thing samsung didn't lose customers

those who got rid of their note 7 got a S7 instead

 

[Pamela5]

[QU
or some would rather not have an OS like IOS. As good as it is for many things it is very restrictive

Exactly. If apple would allow file downloads from safari (no third party app required), include a built in file manager in iOS, and allow the transferring of videos (avi, Mkv, not just MP4) from the pc without iTunes just good old drag and drop I wouldn't miss Android at all.

 

[andy42]

I agree. $1000 for something many people only keep for two years is crazy.

Yes. I hope more Apple fanboys start to understand it and are not going to buy all this expensive stuff. Even Google went crazy with Pixel. Their notebooks with Chrome OS starts from 250 Euro and the phone from 759 Euro...this is so mad. I still hope that they will bring something like Nexus 5X for around 400 Euro.

I got my GS7 for 1 Euro with contract and I got it just because I couldn't get Nexus 5X anymore but I hope for a successor and would change from GS7. I never liked Samsung cuz of their TouchWiz and update policy. The phone is OK for next couple of months but just not something for me in long term.

 

[v0lume4]

Yes. I hope more Apple fanboys start to understand it and are not going to buy all this expensive stuff. Even Google went crazy with Pixel. Their notebooks with Chrome OS starts from 250 Euro and the phone from 759 Euro...this is so mad. I still hope that they will bring something like Nexus 5X for around 400 Euro.

I got my GS7 for 1 Euro with contract and I got it just because I couldn't get Nexus 5X anymore but I hope for a successor and would change from GS7. I never liked Samsung cuz of their TouchWiz and update policy. The phone is OK for next couple of months but just not something for me in long term.

Google is rumored to be working on a low cost Pixel to go alongside their Pixel 2 phones later this year. Fingers crossed!

 

[Pamela5]

Yes. I hope more Apple fanboys start to understand it and are not going to buy all this expensive stuff. Even Google went crazy with Pixel. Their notebooks with Chrome OS starts from 250 Euro and the phone from 759 Euro...this is so mad. I still hope that they will bring something like Nexus 5X for around 400 Euro.

I got my GS7 for 1 Euro with contract and I got it just because I couldn't get Nexus 5X anymore but I hope for a successor and would change from GS7. I never liked Samsung cuz of their TouchWiz and update policy. The phone is OK for next couple of months but just not something for me in long term.

My only suggestion to you for a good lower priced phone would be a Motorola or Asus phone but those would have to be purchased outright. they might offer financing on their websites however.

 

[AlphaGuitarist]

I agree. $1000 for something many people only keep for two years is crazy.

Factoring in the 8.875% NYC sales tax, my 64 GB iPhone 6s Plus cost approximately $925, which is already fairly close to $1,000. Granted, I bought the phone when Apple was doing a $300 trade-in promo for those trading in a 6 or a 6 Plus, which happened right around the time my 6 started experiencing the dreaded battery issue, reducing the total price to $625, that's still a substantial amount. I remember when high end flagships topped out at $500. I may just hold on to my current phone a little while longer.

 

[itguy06]

My only suggestion to you for a good lower priced phone would be a Motorola or Asus phone but those would have to be purchased outright. they might offer financing on their websites however.

ZTE Axon 7 or Huawei Mate or Honor are also solid Android phones that are affordable.

 

[andy42]

All of them might be nice but the have same problem...not stock Android at all. Motorola G-Series is the one of fewers phones on the market with pretty much stock Android but what I hear from experience that their started to delay or cancel the updates.
I owned 1st gen and it was pretty nice with updates but it looks like it's changed more and more under Lenovo.
My next phone will be 100% stock Android from Google. I really hope that Google will sell Nexus 5X successor by the end of the year.

 

[apolloa]

Good grief... with rumoured S8 prices this HIGH and this reports title reading 'SIGNIFICANTLY undercuts the iPhone 8 price', Apple will really be pushing its price gouging to the max, gotta get those profits in at all costs. Seems like the iPhone 8 will START well north of $1000 then!!! Not worth it by a long way..