The Samsung Galaxy S6 has now been unveiled, but how does it compare to the existing iPhone 6 in terms of pricing? There is quite a lot to take in for potential purchases of the Galaxy S6, as not only are there two versions of this smartphone, but there is also the on and off-contract element to consider.
Both the standard Galaxy S6 and the curved Galaxy S6 Edge are due to release in 20 countries on April 10. This will be a massive smartphone release for Samsung, as the Korean manufacturer attempts to make up ground on Apple. 2014 certainly wasn’t the most successful year for Samsung, as it was forced to suffer a 60 percent plummeting in profits. Meanwhile, Apple went from strength to strength, achieving three outstanding milestones.
Firstly, Apple became the first ever corporation to achieve a $700 billion market capitalization. Later in the year it was announced that Apple’s Q4 was the most successful three-month period in recorded business history. And finally, it has recently been reported by the market research firm Gartner that Apple is now outselling Samsung in sheer volume of mobile devices.
So Samsung certainly needs to get the pricing right for the Galaxy S6 range. At the time of writing, the Korean manufacturer has yet to announce its official pricing policy, but thankfully some useful leaks have givers a strong indication. So firstly let’s compare the pricing for the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6.
iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 pricing
Links from a European retailers have given is a very good idea of what the pricing structure for the Galaxy S6 will be in Europe. Therefore, we already know that the 32 GB version of the Galaxy S6 will cost around €749. Versions of the smartphone with more storage are naturally more expensive, with a 64 GB model of the Galaxy S6 expected to retail at €749, and the premier 128 GB version of the smartphone will retail at €1049 on the European mainland.
So where does this leave American consumers? Well, the euro has been absolutely tanking against the dollar recently, which is excellent news for people intending to purchase the Galaxy S6 in the United States. Although one dollar doesn’t quite equate to one euro yet, the exchange rate is now so favorable for Americans that it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the Euro pricing for the Galaxy S6 was also reflected in its dollar price point.
The iPhone 6 has been on the market for sometime, and consequently it is somewhat more affordable than the Galaxy S6 will be when it is released. With smartphones that have been available for a considerable period, carriers naturally begin to offer a wide range of price points and deals, so giving a precise price for the iPhone 6 is a little more complex than with the Galaxy S6 range.
But we can say at present that the various models of the iPhone 6 retail for somewhere between $649 and $849 depending on the amount of memory required. This would obviously suggest that they will be at least somewhat more affordable than the Galaxy S6 for the foreseeable future.
iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 pricing contract
Of course, many consumers wish to purchase smartphones via contract in this day and age, and the iPhone 6 is already established in this regard. The price of purchasing an iPhone 6 via contract has already fallen since the smartphone was released, and this can make for some excellent deals.
In the United States, purchasing an iPhone 6 via contract will cost somewhere between $149 and $349 depending on the quotient of memory required. It is difficult to know precisely how the Galaxy S6 will be priced, but it is reasonable to assume that Samsung will pay heed to the pricing of the iPhone 6 and at least release the Galaxy S6 at a comparable level. It is possible that the most affordable version of the Galaxy S6 will cost $199 via a contract, but the Korean manufacturer could be tempted to match the iPhone 6 pricing.
iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy S6 Edge pricing
The iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy S6 Edge can be considered the premium versions of these smartphone ranges, and with this in mind both are naturally more expensive than the other models in the series. It has already been reported that the Galaxy S6 Edge will retail at somewhere between €849 and €1,049 on the European mainland. As discussed previously, we don’t know if this will precisely equate to a dollar value when it is released in the United States, but favorable exchange rate suggest that this could be the case.
This would make the premium version of the Galaxy S6 range significantly more expensive than the iPhone 6 Plus in the United States. The Apple phablet has come down in price quite considerably since it was released, and can currently be purchased for around $635 for the most affordable version of the handset, while the 128 GB premium version will cost $810 off-contract with some carriers.
Shopping around can always provide consumers with different pricing options, but there is little doubt that at the time the Galaxy S6 Edge is released that the iPhone 6 Plus will represent the more affordable option.
iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy S6 Edge pricing contract
It is hard to make a strong assertion about purchasing a Galaxy S6 Edge via contract, as the same pricing leaks have not been forthcoming. However, what can be said confidently is that we already know how the iPhone 6 Plus is priced in contract terms. In the United States, one can expect to pay $249 for the most affordable version of the iPhone 6 Plus, $349 for the 64 GB version, and $449 for the premium 128 GB model.
The Galaxy S6 Edge will have to be priced competitively with the market-leading iPhone 6, and Samsung fans would doubtless like to see these prices duplicated. However, perhaps a more realistic expectation is for each of the corresponding Galaxy S6 Edge models to be $50 more expensive.
