If you might just utilize 2 words to explain the Samsung Galaxy Note series, they would likely be “huge” and “costly.” No matter the Note phone youve owned, theyre all massive compared to nearly all of their contemporaries and feature premium cost tags to match. In this post looking at the history of Samsung Galaxy Note costs, were going to only concentrate on the “costly” part.
As phones have actually grown in size, so has the price of Galaxy Note phones. Below, weve compiled info on rates for the Note series.
The Galaxy Note line is the reason we have phones as huge as they are today. Whether thats an advantage or a bad thing is up to you.
Granted, the size of Note phones is what put them on the map. When the very first Galaxy Note introduced in 2011, individuals mocked it for how big it was. This created a weird sort of press for the phones, which helped them offer exceptionally well for a brand-new line. Looking back, the phone wasnt even that huge. It had a 5.3-inch screen housed in a body shorter than the Samsung Galaxy S20, although the Note was considerably broader and thicker.
First, some descriptions on Samsung Galaxy Note prices
When the very first Samsung Galaxy Note phone launched, the smartphone market was an entirely various animal. Comparing the producer recommended retail rate (MSRP) of a Galaxy Note with the MSRP of the Galaxy Note 10 isnt truly an apples-to-apples comparison.
Because 2011, the smartphone industry has altered a lot, making apples-to-apples pricing contrasts difficult.
As an example of this, the first Galaxy Note phone was an AT&T and T-Mobile exclusive in the United States, and you could not purchase it off-contract. An unlocked Note in the UK cost ₤ 500 in 2011.
It wasnt up until the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 that things got (mainly) consistent, and Samsung made it simple for everyone to purchase unlocked designs directly from its online shop.
Samsung offered US providers the flexibility to select their own prices on the 2nd- through the fifth-generation designs of the Galaxy Note phones. This resulted in extremely different rates. As an example, the Galaxy Note 4 cost $825 unlocked at AT&T and simply $700 from Verizon.
On top of the prices and accessibility inconsistencies, there were also different models and even styles of Note gadgets around the globe. This indicated that an original Galaxy Note from AT&T looked and functioned differently than the unlocked one for sale in the UK. We saw this exact same confusion in the Galaxy S line.
Related: Unlocked phones: The enjoyments and discomforts
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 from 2015 is a weird beast. Samsung also got rid of the microSD slot, which wouldnt be the last time Samsung would do that.
Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 4 in 2014 and gave it a standardized price. The set MSRP of $700 still didnt stop United States providers from charging various total prices for the phone.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: $1,099.
In spite of that, the initial Note offered well. Samsung revealed it moved 10 million systems after just 9 months.
Samsung also tweaked the style language of the device to make it look practically identical to the exceptionally popular Samsung Galaxy S3, which introduced earlier that very same year. This would not be the last time Samsung followed similar styles from its other smart device lines when it concerns the Note.
In 2013, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 finally made it possible for people to purchase a Galaxy Note phone outright from some carriers. Nevertheless, unlike Apple, Samsung didnt need the carriers to offer the phone at any particular price point. This led to an extremely complicated pricing structure that would not get corrected for a few more years.
If Samsungs technique of splitting the Note line is an excellent concept or not, Time will tell. However, we find that a lot of hardcore fans of the Note series either skipped this device for the Note 10 Plus, or avoided updating completely. The Note 9 is a superior device in some methods.
The Samsung Galaxy Note rate boost wasnt warmly accepted by fans, the phone still sold well, especially after the Note 7 debacle. Within just six months, Samsung apparently offered 10 million Galaxy Note 8 devices.
Related: The initial Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review from Android Authority.
As far as the Galaxy Note 4 design goes, Samsung lastly introduced a real metal rim– the leather stayed fake, though– and also updated nearly every spec inside the device. Curiously, the only thing that didnt get much of an upgrade was battery life. This was something that would pertain to haunt the Note line in a few generations.
Naturally, you likely do not remember the Galaxy Note 7 other than for its propensity to rupture into flames. About 2 months after Samsung released the Galaxy Note 7, it provided an around the world recall on the device. Samsung then ceased production of the phone due to battery issues that caused excessive heat and– in some cases– flames and surges.
As far as Samsung Galaxy Note prices go, the Note 7 was the most pricey with an MSRP of $850. Providers primarily stayed with that rate, although AT&T still boosted the straight-out expense by $30. That didnt matter any longer considering that Samsung lastly provided unlocked versions on its own website. Despite the price, Samsung didnt have much of an opportunity to move much of the phones considering that the device was terminated after mere months of availability.
The original Samsung Galaxy Note was one of the extremely first phones to make the “phablet” moniker. Nowadays, the Galaxy Note looks downright little compared to a lot of significant flagships.
Related: The original Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review from Android Authority.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2: $299 (with contract).
Samsung Galaxy Note 10: $949.
Its most likely Samsung felt positive doing this since the Galaxy S7 line had actually proved to be among the companys biggest hits because the Samsung Galaxy S4, which is still the best-selling Android mobile phone to date. Possibly the business felt that the success of the Galaxy S7 and the total failure of the Note 7 canceled each other out?
If you didnt desire to pay a $125 premium on the list rate, you might rather pay $300 as a down payment and then sign a brand-new two-year agreement. T-Mobile also jacked up the opened price of the Galaxy Note 4 to $750 while Sprint hedged its bets and sold it for $720.
Regardless, the Note 9 makes its cost. Its likely there will be people keeping this phone for several years to come.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3: $700.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: $700.
While the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 isnt a bad phone, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the phone fans wanted in 2019. It has a bigger and brighter screen, much better specs, a microSD card slot, better cameras, and a much bigger battery. Of course, it likewise has a larger price. It started at $1,099 and went as high as $1,399 for the 5G powered Verizon variation with 512GB of internal storage.
For the true follow-up to the Note 9, you need to go to the next area and read about the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. The vanilla Note 10 does use a decent package at a more sensible price when compared to the wallet-busting cost of the Note 10 Plus at $1,099.
As an example of how the Samsung Galaxy Note costs were getting confusing, lets assume you desired to purchase a Note 3 from T-Mobile. You wouldve paid $200 upfront and then $21 each month for 2 years, resulting in an overall cost of $704.
One would believe that Samsung would have worked overtime to make the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 more budget-friendly, considering it required to eliminate the sour history of the Note 7. However, Samsung rather increased the rate of the Note 8 as compared to the Note 7.
The Samsung Galaxy Note had a 5.3-inch display with a 1,280 x 800 resolution, which was rather high for the time. With a headphone jack, a microSD slot, the now-iconic S Pen, and specifications that beat almost every other smartphone of its day, the initial Note was a power users dream.
Likewise in 2016, Samsung would jack up the rate of the Note line by a substantial portion. It likewise dealt with one of the hardest years its mobile department has most likely ever experienced …
Interestingly, Samsung didnt change much on Galaxy Note rates. The Galaxy Note 2 was readily available for the same $299 down payment rate as its predecessor.
Maybe this hodgepodge approach to making a follow-up mobile phone was the reason Samsung kept the MSRP of the Galaxy Note 5 at $700. Naturally, this still didnt stop United States carriers from playing loose and fast with that price, although they did keep things a bit tamer than in years prior.
Samsung Galaxy Note: $299 (with contract).
The success of the Galaxy Note 8 assisted Samsung move away from the PR catastrophe of the Note 7, and all eyes were on the Galaxy Note 9 in 2018. Little did we understand that the Note 9 would wind up being among the most favored phones in Samsungs history.
With all that in mind, the prices below is based on accessibility in the United States and utilizes the most affordable price readily available to the basic customer at the phones launch. That suggests, in the specific case of the previously pointed out Galaxy Note 4, we chose the $700 Verizon cost and not the $825 AT&T price.
Whatever the case, the Galaxy Note 8 was available in at $80 more than its temporary predecessor with an MSRP of $930. Once again, US carriers such as Verizon and Sprint played loose with that cost by bumping the overall as high as $960. Only T-Mobile kept the overall price the same as the MSRP.
Hey, Samsung in fact reduced the price for the Galaxy Note 10 when compared to the Galaxy Note 9! Good! Well, thats what you would be saying if it werent for the fact that the Galaxy Note 10 isnt truly the true follow-up to the Galaxy Note 9. Thats because, for the very first time ever, Samsung split the Note line into two parts.
Keeping the pricing the very same for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is likely one of the factors that assisted it soar past the 10-million-unit record of its predecessor. After one year on sale, the Galaxy Note 2 moved 30 million systems.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4: $700.
Related: The original Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review from Android Authority.
Related: The original Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review from Android Authority.
With the unanticipated success of the initial Note, one would have expected Samsung to pull out all the stops for the follow-up in 2012. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 just got a slightly larger display screen, a better processor, and a marginally improved S Pen, however not lots of other upgrades.
The Galaxy Note 10 is a terrific phone, however its missing a great deal of core features that make most Note fans happy. For the 2nd time, Samsung removed the microSD card slot from the Note 10, and also got rid of the earphone jack across the whole line. It still has some fantastic specs, but not as lots of upgrades as one would anticipate.
The good news is, the “Wild West” world of Samsung Galaxy Note costs was reaching its endpoint. With Samsung not providing any way to get an opened version straight from its online shop, providers continued to do as they saw fit.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8: $930.
Related: The initial Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review from Android Authority.
One last note: we are not consisting of “side” gadgets in our Samsung Galaxy Note prices roundup. This suggests phones such as the Galaxy Note 3 Neo and Galaxy Note FE arent included here. Were just focused on the “prime” gadgets in the primary lineup.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9: $999.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: $850.
The phone wasnt simple to get. You required to be an AT&T or T-Mobile customer along with register for a two-year commitment. With a down payment of $299, the Note was $100 more expensive than the entry tier iPhone 4S, which came out that same year on a similar down-payment plan.
Wait a second. What occurred to the Galaxy Note 6? Just as some structures still dont have a thirteenth floor, Samsung skipped the Galaxy Note 6 and leapt right to the Galaxy Note 7. The company did this to create parity with the numbering of the Galaxy S line and to “reduce confusion about the most current mobile technology from Samsung,” to price estimate an official news release.
Unlocked prices from third-party merchants was likewise inconsistent, however the majority of listings had the Galaxy Note 3 for at least $750 during its first months. It was mayhem.
Related: The original Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review from Android Authority.
Both T-Mobile and Verizon kept the total cost of the Galaxy Note 5 under $700, but Sprint and AT&T went beyond the MSRP by $20 and $40 respectively. Luckily, in 2016 consumers would have an option to avoid providers totally, as Samsung would finally provide opened smart device sales with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7.
Related: The original Samsung Galaxy Note 10 evaluation from Android Authority.
Prior to all that took place, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was among our best-reviewed phones of perpetuity. We liked nearly everything about it and appreciated Samsungs fixes to its Galaxy Note 5 mistakes, such as reviving the microSD card slot.
Of course, not everything was ideal concerning the Note 9. Granted, the $1,000 smart device is ending up being the standard in 2020, however in 2018, the Note 9 was an outlier.
Nevertheless, the upgraded specifications and brand-new design elements of the Note 3– including a faux leather back and faux metal rim– helped it offer well. Within simply 2 months, Samsung moved 10 million systems, an accomplishment that took the original Note nine months to do.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 included pretty much whatever any power user wanted: high-grade specifications, a easy and elegant design, a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, an IP68 score, and a fantastic video camera system. This all assisted the Note 9 top not just our Best of Android outcomes however also the Readers Choice results for that year.
Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 one year later on: Is it still worth buying?
To date, this was the most expensive of Samsung Galaxy Note costs, so it was a difficult tablet for fans to swallow. Once once again, this is why we have actually spoken with a great deal of Note fans who merely skipped upgrading and held onto their still-awesome Galaxy Note 9 instead.
To be reasonable, this wasnt the most pricey mainstream phone Samsung released in 2019 (that honor goes to the Samsung Galaxy Fold), and there were Galaxy S10 versions that cost just as much. A big portion of the Galaxy S20 versions likewise blew the Note 10 Plus pricing out of the water.
Samsung Galaxy Note costs: The huge image.
As specified earlier in this short article, making an apples-to-apples comparison of Samsung Galaxy Note rates isnt as simple as you might believe. Nevertheless, the chart above makes it quite clear that prices is going up every few generations. In reality, given that Samsung started providing the phones opened via its own shop, the price has gone up dependably every year, with the exception of the Galaxy Note 10.
How far can Samsung realistically choose these costs?
With the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series just around the corner, were going to learn quickly adequate how far Samsung can forge ahead.
Itll be intriguing to see how high Samsung will go when it concerns the Note line rates. At what point will even the most die-hard fans balk at updating? Weve currently seen users refuse to update from the Note 9 due not just to the price increase, but likewise the elimination of the earphone jack, which is a core feature for power users.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series: Raising the bar once again?
Although we do not understand anything for particular, its sensible to presume that the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will be one of the most expensive phones of the year. The starting price for the S20 Ultra is $1,399 and historically, Note gadgets are generally more pricey. For this factor, its safe to presume the Note 20 Ultra will start near to $1,500.
Related: The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series: Everything you need to know.
In just a couple of days, Samsung will officially unveil the Galaxy Note 20 series. This will likely include a mega premium version called the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The phone will act as a reaction to the Galaxy S20 Ultra launched previously this year, which uses unbelievable specifications at an unbelievable rate.
What do you make from the steady boost in Samsung Galaxy Note rates? Does it still make good sense for Samsung to push several ultra-premium flagships each year? Click the poll listed below and hit the comments to share your ideas.
A render from Samsung Ukraine.
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Ideally, Samsung will combat this expected rate with cheaper alternatives. Even then, we cant imagine the entry-level Note 20 gadget introducing with anything less than a four-digit cost. Start counting your pennies.
In 2013, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 lastly made it possible for people to buy a Galaxy Note phone outright from some carriers. Simply as some buildings still do not have a thirteenth flooring, Samsung skipped the Galaxy Note 6 and leapt right to the Galaxy Note 7. Hey, Samsung actually lowered the cost for the Galaxy Note 10 when compared to the Galaxy Note 9! Well, thats what you would be saying if it werent for the fact that the Galaxy Note 10 isnt really the true follow-up to the Galaxy Note 9. While the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 isnt a bad phone, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the phone fans desired in 2019.
