Samsung unwraps the Galaxy S22
Samsung unwrapped the much-awaited Galaxy S22 flagship smartphones at a virtual event on February 9. As with the previous two years, Samsung launched three distinct variants of the flagship: the Galaxy S22, the S22+, and the S22 Ultra. The top-end Galaxy S22 Ultra captured the spotlight with its “Note-like” design and the integrated S-Pen stylus. All three variants are powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Gen 8 processor (or Samsung’s own Exynos 2200 chipset in the European markets) and feature upgraded camera specs. The S22 Ultra’s 6.8-inch display is replaced with a smaller 6.6-inch and the 6.1-inch display on the S22+ and S22, respectively. All three phones will become commercially available beginning February 25, though they are available for pre-order with prices starting at $1199 (S22 Ultra), $999 (S22+), and $799 (S22). Customers pre-ordering the phones directly through Samsung will receive $100 to $200 credit that can be spent towards the purchase of a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or the new Samsung Freestyle smart projector, as well as a free upgrade to the next storage capacity (excluding the 1TB option).
The NPD Take:
- Leaks before the official announcement suggested a price hike on the S22 line, but Samsung’s announced pricing is in line with that of last year, and carriers’ aggressive offers (such as AT&T’s $800 discount with the trade-in of any Galaxy S, Note and Z device in working condition) coupled with extended 36-month payment options should help Samsung enjoy strong volume performance.
- Samsung’s heavy marketing of the imaging capabilities on the new Galaxy S22 series is spot on as mobile phone users prioritize imaging features more so than any other technical feature besides battery when purchasing a new smartphone.
Cricket touts the iPhone 11 for $99
AT&T’s prepaid arm Cricket Wireless last week launched a major device campaign dubbed “Mega Sales”. Cricket is now offering its entire 4G LTE device selection (except the Cricket Debut Flip) for free for switchers who port-in their phone numbers. The prepaid carrier’s new campaign features only two free 5G smartphone deals, the Cricket Dream 5G and Motorola One 5G, for switchers. The centerpiece of the new campaign, however, is Apple’s 4G LTE iPhone 11 phone, which is offered for $99. This reduced pricing not only requires the port-in of an existing number but also needs a subscription to Cricket’s $60 unlimited plan. Customers must prepay the first three months of service at the time of activation. Cricket is also running similar deals (featuring the same requirements) on the iPhone SE and the iPhone XR 64GB, both of which are offered for $49 to newcomers.
The NPD Take:
- Aggressive switcher discounts on older generation iPhones have always created strong demand in the prepaid market (i.e. StraightTalk’s $99 2019 Black Friday deal on the iPhone 6S), but Cricket’s requirement for activation on the $60 unlimited plan diminishes the value proposition. Most new clients will likely downgrade to the more affordable plans once the 3-Month period is over.