The price isn't right for the Samsung Galaxy S23

We know pretty much everything about the Samsung Galaxy S23 except its price – and so far, the signs aren't good if you're in the EU or the UK. Samsung's best phones of 2023 so far appear to be going up in price.

With just hours to go before Samsung Unpacked 2023, at which Samsung will finally unveil the new phones, some of the prices have begun to leak from retailers' websites. Last week the German prices leaked, and now it's the Czech Republic's turn.

The prices have been reported by SamMobile, who have helpfully converted the currency. The base model of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will be up slightly to around $1,599 (£1,290), and the trade-in value of any existing phone will be lower: down from CZK 5,000 (about $230/£184) to 3,000 ($137/£110).

How much will the Samsung Galaxy S23 cost?

We don't know for sure, but the German pricing leaked last week starts at €949 for the base Galaxy S23, €1,199 for the S23+ and €1,399 for the S23 Ultra. That's roughly £835 / £1,055 / £1,230 compared to the £769 / £949 / £1,149 launch price of the equivalent S22 models.

I think price hikes are inevitable: we've seen other big-name firms hike their prices outside the US, with the iPhone 14 being the most notable recent example. It's a mix of currency fluctuations and increased costs, and it's affecting all kinds of products.

There is something of a silver lining, though: Samsung is reportedly offering extra storage to customers who pre-order, so for example if you pay for a 128GB model you'll get 256GB for no additional cost. The catch is that for now, the deal is only available to pre-order customers and will expire on 16 February.