Samsung Galaxy S23 series: New leak hints at a price hike for South Korea

Samsung is expected to unveil the highly anticipated Galaxy S23 series at the Unpacked 2023 event on February 1. The Korean tech behemoth will be putting all rumours surrounding its next-gen Galaxy S-series flagship smartphones to rest during the event.

Until then, it looks like the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra will continue floating around the rumour mill. Moreover, the Galaxy S23 series trio could be subject to newer leaks ahead of their official announcement.

Unsurprisingly, new pricing details for the Galaxy S23 lineup have surfaced online. The new leak sheds light on the Galaxy S23 series' pricing in South Korea.

According to the new leak, Samsung isn't planning to hike the price of the Galaxy S23 series as much as previous rumours suggest. Nevertheless, the upcoming flagship phones will be slightly more expensive than their predecessors.

Notably, a leaked material shared by Twitter user @GaryeonHan reveals the Galaxy S23 with 256GB storage set you back 1,155,000 won (about $931). Likewise, the 512GB model will carry a price tag of 1,276,000 won (about $1,029).

The Galaxy S23+ with 256GB storage will cost 1,353,000 won (about $1,091). The 512GB storage variant of the Galaxy S23+ costs 1,474,000 won (about $1,189). The highest-end Galaxy S23 Ultra with 256GB storage will be priced at 1,599,400 won (about $1,290).

Lastly, the Galaxy S23 Ultra with 512GB of storage will reportedly retail for 1,720,400 won (about $1,388). For comparison, the Galaxy S2 Ultra was launched in South Korea last year for 1,452,000 won (about $1,171).

Similarly, the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ retail in Samsung's home market for 999,900 (about $806) and 1,199,000 (about $967), respectively. The increased prices for the Galaxy S23 lineup in Korea can be attributed to rising inflation and higher component costs.

Interestingly, the Galaxy S20 carried a steeper price tag at launch compared to the upcoming Galaxy S23. To recap, the standard Galaxy S20 variant went official two years ago with a price tag of 1,250,000 won.

Some reports claim that the Galaxy S23 will cost more in Korea, Australia, and a few select markets. However, recently leaked prices for the US show that the next-gen flagship series will cost as much as last year's Galaxy S22 lineup. The Galaxy S23 is expected to arrive in the US with a starting price of $799.