PriceSpy Research Suggests New Samsung Handsets Are Not As Popular As They Once Were

As anticipation builds surrounding the imminent release of Samsung’s latest handset, the Samsung Galaxy S20, new research from the fully impartial price and product comparison site, PriceSpy, suggests Kiwi shoppers may not be flocking to the shops in a hurry to be first in-line to pre-order the new model.

According to historical click data from PriceSpy, Samsung was the overall number one mobile phone brand last year, beating both Apple and Huawei. However, the insights also revealed consumer interest for Samsung’s latest handsets in the Galaxy S range is dropping, with the Samsung Galaxy S8, which launched in 2017, outperforming the newer S10 and S9 at launch.

Surprisingly, the research also found many shoppers were waiting at least three months for the price of the phones to drop before searching on PriceSpy to buy them.

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “With a new handset release on the horizon for Samsung, many will be eagerly waiting to find out what innovative features it has come up with for its Samsung Galaxy S20.

“Yet our insights suggest new features alone may not be enough to entice consumers to actually purchase this ‘must-have’ gadget.”

According to PriceSpy’s popularity index, which automatically ranks all 108,000 products listed on the website based on what consumers are clicking on, the older Samsung Galaxy S8 secured a much higher ranking position at launch compared to the more recent S9 and S10.

Samsung Galaxy S8 popularity insights

• The Samsung Galaxy S8 launched for pre-order on 20th April 2017 with a price of $1299. Two days after it ranked 27th on the PriceSpy popularity index
• The first time the Samsung Galaxy S8 reached a top three position on the PriceSpy popularity index was on 9th May 2017 (just over two weeks after launch) - when it was priced at $1134 (13 per cent off the price at launch)
• The handset quickly shot to the number one position on PriceSpy’s popularity index on 26th August 2017, four months after release - when the price dropped to $948 (27 per cent off the launch price)

Liisa continues: “Our data highlights just how popular the Samsung Galaxy S8 was at launch, ranking 27th on our popularity index two days after it was released for pre-order. The same cannot be said for the S9 and S10. Unlike their predecessor, which regularly claimed the number one position on our popularity index, neither of the two new models ever made it to the overall top spot.

“In fact it wasn’t until at least three months after the Samsung Galaxy S10 first launched for pre-order that it made it to third position on our popularity index. For the S9, it was five months after the initial pre-order launch date when it finally made it to third position on our index.

Samsung Galaxy S9

• The Samsung Galaxy S9 was available for pre-order from 26th February 2018 with a price point of $1399. Two days after, it positioned a rather disappointing 4378th on the PriceSpy popularity index
• The first time the Samsung Galaxy S9 reached third position on the PriceSpy popularity index was on 30th July 2018, when the price dropped below the $1000 mark (29 per cent off the launch price) - over five months after it initially released for pre-order

Samsung Galaxy S10

• The Samsung Galaxy S10 first became available for pre-order on 21st February 2019 with a price point of $1497. Two days after, the phone placed 3439th on the PriceSpy popularity index (on 23rd February 2019)
• The first time the Samsung Galaxy S10 reached a top three position on the PriceSpy popularity index was on 5th June 2019, when the price dropped to below $1000 (33 per cent off the launch price) - almost four months after it released for pre-order

Liisa adds: “Based on the last three handset releases from Samsung for the Galaxy S range, we can see a bit of a trend emerging. Previously, we would normally expect to see a flagship phone such as the S10 quickly rise up the PriceSpy popularity index and claim a top three spot shortly after release. However, this is not the case anymore.

“We believe the change in demand may be down to a number of key factors. Firstly, the price of each new handset is gradually creeping up and consumers simply do not want to spend this kind of money every few years. Secondly, although manufacturers try to outdo each other with a list of innovative new features every time a new phone is released, these are no longer enough to entice consumers to spend the amounts being charged.

“Instead of rushing to the shops as soon as a new phone is announced for pre-order, our popularity insights suggest consumers are now waiting three months before they potentially buy, as this purchasing tactic for mobile phones can save them hundreds of dollars off the original launch price.

*The lower the number indicates the more popular the product

Liisa concludes: “If you’re in the market for a new phone and are holding off until Samsung releases its new Galaxy S20, our recommend would be to hold off buying it straight away and wait three months - as this buying tactic can potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

“To help consumers keep a close eye on how the price of the Samsung Galaxy S20 is tracking, we suggest shoppers download the PriceSpy app and set up a price alert. This will automatically track the price of the new handset and send them a push notification if it drops below a certain point.

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