Samsung Galaxy S10 price: how much MORE you'll pay than Galaxy S9 and S8

We now have a much clearer idea of what the Galaxy S10 will cost, but how does that compare to last year?

Samsung Galaxy S10 Release Date

Samsung Galaxy S10 is shaping up to be one of the most impressive phones set to launch next year, thanks to its all-screen design, triple-camera set-up, and in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

But all of these new features will come at a cost. And based on the latest Galaxy S10 price leaks, the latest Galaxy S device could prove particularly pricey for fans.

According to Gizmodo, who were approached by a "major tech retailer" that spilled the beans on the prices for the forthcoming Galaxy S10 models, the new handset will hit the highest price ever charged for a Samsung smartphone.

That might not be massively surprising. After all, Samsung has been steadily increasing the price of its flagship Galaxy S handset every year, so we didn't really expect this year to be any different in that regard.

For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S8 launched in March 2017 with a starting price of £639 ($725), while its successor, Galaxy S9, cost £739 ($720) when it debuted earlier this year.

Based on the Gizmodo price leak, which tallies with recent whisperings about the cost of the forthcoming new handset, the Galaxy S10 will start from £799.

That's a serious step-up from the Galaxy S8 – £160, to be exact – compared with the entry-level Galaxy S8 just two years earlier. Given that most people buy their handsets on 24-month contracts, it will be these customers that Samsung needs to convince to cough-up the additional cash to upgrade.

Whether they see enough improvements with the new design, improved camera set-up, in-display fingerprint scanner, and faster performance remains to be seen.

The rising entry fee to get your hands on the latest-generation Galaxy S model could be the reason behind the introduction of a new lower-cost variant of the flagship series. According to whispers from the supply chain, Samsung is working on a more affordable version of the phone with a flat screen.

This handset, codenamed "Beyond 0" inside the company, will purportedly cost £669 for 128GB of in-built storage – just £30 more than the entry-level Galaxy S8 when it launched. That seems like an easy sell for those who have recently finished a two-year contract with the flagship Galaxy S device and would like to upgrade to a handset with faster performance, improved photography and a new form-factor.

Unfortunately, unlike the entry-level Galaxy S8, those who plump for the more affordable Galaxy S10 "Lite" will have to forgo the dual-curved Infinity Display.

Finally, those who want to cough-up for the maxed-out Galaxy S10 Plus will face a whopping £1,399 price tag. This model will ship with a 6.4-inch dual-curved Infinity-O style display, the next-generation triple-camera, in-display fingerprint sensor, and 1TB of in-built storage which can be expanded via microSD.

That's a serious bit of kit. And as such, commands the highest price tag we've ever seen from a Samsung-branded smartphone – easily topping the £1,099 cost of the Galaxy Note 9 with 512GB of storage launched back in August.

In comparison, the £60 price bump between the entry-level Galaxy S9 and entry-level Galaxy S10 looks impossibly reasonable.

Lead Image Credit: VenyaGeskin1 / Twitter

Aaron Brown

As a former Staff Writer for T3, Aaron writes about almost anything shiny and techie. When he’s not barking orders at Alexa-powered microwaves or gawping at 5G speed tests, Aaron covers everything from smartphones, tablets and laptops, to speakers, TVs and smart home gadgets. Prior to joining T3, Aaron worked at the Daily Express and and MailOnline.