Have we reached the breaking point? Can an $1800 phone be a success? - The UpStream

Have we reached the breaking point? Can an $1800 phone be a success?

posted Saturday Nov 17, 2018 by Scott Ertz

Have we reached the breaking point? Can an $1800 phone be a success?

For months, the tech industry has been focused on the inevitable announcement of Samsung's foldable phone, the first of this generation's multi-screen Android devices. Unlike the last generation, the Samsung device is designed to eliminate the seam between folded and unfolded modes, making it a far better concept than the Kyocera Echo and similar devices. Last week, the device, officially dubbed Samsung Galaxy F, was finally announced and shown to the world with all of the expected features in tow.

Two important pieces of information were missing, however: release date and price. Thanks to South Korean news site Yonhap News Agency, we now have a report that March 2019 will be the release window, which is in that perfect period immediately following Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The report also contains information about price, and it is not going to make many people happy. According to internal sources, Samsung is planning a price tag of two million Korean Won, which is the equivalent of about $1,770.

Phone prices have certainly been on the rise for the past few years, thanks in great part to Apple's iPhone X rocketing its price to over $1000, and its successors doing the same. With Apple's price increase came other manufacturers increasing the price of their flagship devices, including Samsung, whose Galaxy Note9 also has a price point upwards of $1000.

The question remains: How long can this continue? When will a manufacturer breach the breaking point for consumers and release a phone that is too expensive for consumers to consider? It will likely depend on the manufacturer. We saw the launch of the Essential Phone met with relative indifference until the company cut the price in half. What will be the tipping point for Samsung owners, though? Is it possible that Samsung has already hit that point with the Galaxy F?

Would you spend $1800 on a smartphone? Let us know in the comments.

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