The Samsung S20 series is finally here! After months of extensive leaks and teases, the South Korean company launched four smartphones along with the latest Galaxy Buds+ at its Unpacked event in San Francisco this morning. While the talk of the entire showcase is arguably the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 100x “Space Zoom” or the foldable Galaxy Z Flip, how Samsung has differentiated and priced all 3 models in the series is very interesting.
The S20, which you might consider the “worst” of the lot comes in at RM3599, while the S20+ is priced at RM3999 and the top of the line S20 Ultra is RM4999.
Now, at almost 5k, the S20 Ultra is pretty much coming in at an iPhone price point, and while it is a beast of a phone, I don’t think the 100x “space zoom” is enough reason to justify an RM1000 ringgit hike. Let’s be real here, you’re barely going to use the feature.
Now, i’m not here to shit on the brand. On the contrary, I think they pulled off a masterstroke by narrowing down the differences between the reasonably priced (lets face it, it’s 2020 and it’s a 5G phone; it is reasonably priced) and the top of the line S20 Ultra.
The S20 is a full RM1400 less than the S20 Ultra.
With that kind of a price gap, you’d expect the S20 to at least lag behind when it comes to it’s capabilities but surprisingly, it doesn’t. Samsung has made the S20 relevant in a line up of heavy hitting phones by giving it pretty much the same treatment as it’s “better” siblings:
Top of the line Snapdragon 865+ processor? Got it.
5G capabilities? Check.
128GB storage? You bet.
WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate? Got your back Jack.
The “entry level” model to the S20 series is surprisingly stacked, and other than the display size, camera module and charging capabilities (the Ultra variant supports 45w fast charging while both the S20 & S20+ support 25w fast charging), looks and feels the same as the S20+ and Ultra.
For a comparison, Apple’s iPhone 11 came with a 1792 x 828 resolution 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD display, an aluminium frame, and didn’t even have 18W fast charging. The iPhone 11 Pro however was equipped with a 2436 x 1125 resolution 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR, designed with textured matte glass and a stainless steel frame and came with 18W fast charging capabilities.
Huawei on the other hand gave the P30 Pro a curved display, IP68 waterproofing, 8GB RAM and wireless charging capabilities. The P30 had none of the above.
Samsung has given it’s consumers the ability to really choose the kind of phone they want by making the screen size and camera the only real differentiating factors between it’s devices.
So while Samsung my be on the cusp of entering the same price points that the iPhone has, you’re not necessarily incentivized to purchase the more expensive models unless you prefer a bigger screen or need a better camera. You can get the awesome 120Hz refresh rate and that same premium feeling for RM1400 less, and that’s just how things should be.
In other news, pre-order the S20 series starting February 12th and get a pair of Galaxy Buds+ FREE!
