Will the Galaxy S21 Price Drop if Charger and Earphones Are Excluded?

Prospects for Charger and Earphone-Free Package Sales in Europe
Samsung to Exclude Charger to Lower Prices Following Apple
Galaxy S21 Price May Drop by About 100,000 Won

Samsung Electronics' 25W PD Charger Adapter (Source=Samsung.com)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Galaxy S21 is following in the footsteps of the iPhone 12. The charger will be excluded, but the price will be set about 100,000 KRW cheaper than the previous model.

On the 18th (local time), according to IT tipster Roland Quandt, the Galaxy S21 package will not include a power adapter or wired earphones. He explained, "The package sold in Germany will only include a USB-C type cable, and the free case, charger, and wired earphones will be excluded."

Earlier, during the certification process of the Galaxy S21 series by Brazil's certification agency Anatel, it was revealed that the product package would not include a charger or wired earphones. In August, the Galaxy Note20 package released by Samsung Electronics in the U.S. did not include AKG wired earphones. From next year’s models, packages excluding chargers and earphones are expected to expand depending on the region.

Samsung’s decision to exclude chargers and earphones following Apple is interpreted as a measure to reduce production costs and lower prices. Smartphone prices have increased every year, and high-end models have been released at prices approaching 1.5 million KRW, increasing the burden of purchasing devices. Apple excluded chargers with the iPhone 12 to offset the cost burden of components, which is a similar context. Excluding chargers and earphones reduces the package size, thereby lowering shipping costs. On the other hand, from the user’s perspective, there is criticism that costs are shifted because they have to purchase charger adapters separately. If purchasing Samsung’s charging adapter additionally, the cost is 19,000 KRW for 15W and 30,000 KRW for 25W.

Galaxy S21 Rendering Image (Source: Evan Blass Twitter)

There are also forecasts that Samsung Electronics will price the Galaxy S21 about 100,000 KRW cheaper than its predecessor. The prices of the Galaxy S20 were 1.25 million KRW, 1.35 million KRW, and 1.6 million KRW. Due to the price increase of the Galaxy S20 compared to its predecessor and the contraction of consumer sentiment caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), sales volume remained at 60-80% of the previous model. In contrast, the iPhone 12, Apple’s first 5G iPhone, led a massive replacement demand with pre-orders doubling compared to its predecessor.

The expected selling prices in the U.S. are ▲Galaxy S21 $849?$899 (approximately 930,000?990,000 KRW) ▲S21+ $1,049?$1,099 (approximately 1.15 million?1.2 million KRW) ▲Ultra $1,249?$1,299 (approximately 1.37 million?1.42 million KRW). The Galaxy S20’s U.S. launch prices were $999, $1,199, and $1,399, so the expected prices are $100?$150 cheaper.

Galaxy S21 Ultra Rendering Image (Source: Evan Blass Twitter)

There are also forecasts that the Galaxy S21 Ultra model’s price will be higher than its predecessor. According to Galaxy Club in Germany, the prices of the three models in Europe are expected to be €879 (approximately 1.18 million KRW), €1,079 (1.45 million KRW), and €1,399 (1.88 million KRW), respectively. While the S21 and S21+ are €120 and €20 cheaper than their predecessors, the Ultra model will increase by €50 to €1,399. It should be noted that U.S. prices do not include taxes, whereas Europe has higher taxes, making prices about 100,000 KRW more expensive than other regions.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics plans to unveil the Galaxy S21 series in an online Unpacked event in mid-January next year. The Galaxy S21 will be released with a 6.2-inch screen, the Galaxy S21+ with 6.7 inches, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra with 6.8 inches. Notably, the Ultra model supports S Pen input, which was previously only available on the Galaxy Note. The Galaxy S21 and Plus models will be equipped with a 64MP telephoto camera and 12MP main and ultra-wide cameras. The Ultra model will feature a 108MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, two telephoto cameras (10x zoom supported, 10MP each), and a laser autofocus (AF) sensor.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.