IT Blog

Lately, it’s seemed like Samsung has seen its major new phones as luxury goods—and has priced them accordingly. This year’s Galaxy S line starts at $1,000 with the Galaxy S20 and goes way, way up to $1,400 with the Galaxy S20 Ultra. The Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra range between $1,000 and $1,450. You could also pay $1,380 for a Galaxy Z Flip or $2,000 for a Galaxy Z Fold2.  I’m not even going to mention the $3,300 Galaxy Z Fold2 Thom Browne limited edition (whoops, I just did!).

Now, it’s true that there are plenty of ways to get a deal on a theoretically pricey Samsung phone, especially if you’re trading in your old phone and are willing to sign a service contract. And the company does offer cheaper, less fancy models. But it’s lacked something roughly akin to Apple’s iPhone 11: A smartphone that doesn’t lack pizzazz and packs plenty of flagship-style features but starts at a relatively accessible price such as . . . oh, let’s say $699.