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Fresh speculation rekindles 'affordable' Galaxy S20 hopes

Published: Feb 07, 2020, 2:55 AM

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Leaked renders of the regular Galaxy S20

You're probably well aware by now that Samsung's spectacular Galaxy S20 lineup will not come cheap when it eventually goes on sale. Of course, that should have been abundantly clear from the moment the company was rumored to ditch the "e" branding and flat screen for the humblest member of the next-gen flagship family while adopting the Ultra label for a state-of-the-art configuration with super-premium build quality and a 108MP primary camera, among others.

At the same time, it's worth pointing out that the exact S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra price tags are not etched in stone just yet, especially as the geographical breakdown of 4G LTE-only variants remains somewhat unclear. Most notably, we don't know if Samsung plans to release the "regular" and plus-sized GS20 models without 5G support as well in the US, although it's pretty much guaranteed that the S20 Ultra is headed to all global markets in a single 5G-enabled version.

Galaxy S20 Ultra render

Interestingly, there might be another factor at play raising our hopes of ultimately seeing a truly affordable Galaxy S20 configuration released... in "some countries", at least according to Roland Quandt, a tech journalist with an excellent track record of predicting precisely this kind of stuff. Separately, Counterpoint Research analysts seem to be privy to some inside information painting a far more encouraging picture than what we recently heard about a possible US pricing structure.

Less memory equals less money to spend in certain regions

Following in the footsteps of a Galaxy S10 roster with an 8GB RAM count as standard, the S20 and S20+ have been widely expected to start at no less than 12 gigs of the good stuff, while the S20 Ultra could well raise the bar all the way up to 16 gigs of memory.

But Samsung knows not everyone is willing to spend a small fortune on a phone, even one faster than many mainstream laptops, so it shouldn't really come as a big surprise that the company reportedly has an 8GB RAM entry-level variant of the Galaxy S20 in the pipeline. In terms of connectivity, this is tipped to play it safe (and cheap), with only 4G LTE technology in tow, so obviously, its price point is bound to be much lower than that of a 5G-capable model packing 12 gigs of memory.

Fresh speculation rekindles 'affordable' Galaxy S20 hopes

Roland Quandt has no actual numbers to share, but if the S20 is indeed set to start at $999 stateside with 5G support and a presumed 12GB RAM count, this newly rumored variant may well cost as little as $799. The problem is we have no idea if the US is in fact included on the list of limited markets where this budget-friendly model will be sold. By the way, in case you're wondering, all S20 and S20+ versions are expected to share a 128GB internal storage space count that the S20 Ultra could bump up to 512 gigs.

The Galaxy S20 series is forecasted to outsell its predecessors

Even though Samsung will probably have to wait at least another year to return to the glory days of 2016's Galaxy S7 blockbuster, Counterpoint Research thinks the S20 trio has what it takes to become (slightly) more popular than the S10, S9, and S8 series of 2019, 2018, and 2017 respectively.

Namely, Samsung could exceed 40 million Galaxy S20 series unit shipments this year thanks to major camera performance upgrades, "default 5G" integration, and yes, "competitive retail pricing." Obviously, $1,400 is not very competitive, so we're guessing industry analysts expect the regular 6.2-inch GS20 to sell like hotcakes... at $850 and up.

That's an even lower price point than what we heard was AT&T's plan, and Counterpoint's phrasing makes it seem like this is a prediction for a 5G-enabled variant. Even if we're talking about an entry-level S20 with 8 gigs of memory, that sounds surprisingly affordable, so you may want to keep your salt shaker nearby.

To recap, we now have reason to believe the Galaxy S20 could start at "only" 800 bucks in a 4G LTE-limited model and $850 as far as a 5G-capable version is concerned. And no, there's still absolutely nothing wrong with an 8GB RAM count on a high-end Android smartphone.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.