The Burrow
Feb 3, 2025
The price of smartphones continues to climb year-on-year, making them more valuable than ever.
Phones have also proved to be more capable than just communication devices with advancements in photography, videography and health monitoring.
As experts in helping Australians compare home and contents insurance with optional portable contents cover to protect mobile devices in the event of the unexpected, we analysed how much the cost of the Samsung Galaxy S has changed since its launch across eight countries.
Where is it most expensive to buy a new Samsung flagship phone? Here’s what we found.
Countries generally saw price increases over time for purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S outright, but certain years saw dips. Here are some highlights:
| Year | Model | Australia | South Korea | United States | United Kingdom | Canada | Türkiye | Germany | South Africa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Galaxy S25 | $1,399 | $1,271 | $1,292 | $1,575 | $1,349 | $2,343 | $1,495 | $1,791 |
| 2024 | Galaxy S24 | $1,399 | $1,271 | $1,292 | $1,575 | $1,238 | $2,025 | $1,329 | $1,919 |
| 2023 | Galaxy S23 | $1,349 | $1,271 | $1,292 | $1,673 | $1,238 | $1,274 | $1,579 | $1,877 |
| 2022 | Galaxy S22 | $1,249 | $1,100 | $1,292 | $1,515 | $1,238 | $773 | $1,412 | $1,621 |
| 2021 | Galaxy S21 | $1,249 | $1,100 | $1,292 | $1,515 | $1,271 | $455 | $1,412 | $1,621 |
| 2020 | Galaxy S20 | $1,349 | $1,373 | $1,615 | $1,575 | $1,485 | $378 | $1,495 | $1,621 |
| 2019 | Galaxy S10 | $1,349 | $1,162 | $1,453 | $1,575 | $1,103 | $364 | $1,495 | $1,621 |
| 2018 | Galaxy S9 | $1,199 | $1,053 | $1,163 | $1,713 | $1,080 | $209 | $1,412 | $1,322 |
| 2017 | Galaxy S8 | $1,199 | $1,131 | $1,211 | $1,358 | $1,164 | $200 | $1,329 | $1,322 |
| 2016 | Galaxy S7 | $1,149 | $920 | $1,082 | $1,121 | $1,013 | N/A | $1,163 | $1,194 |
| 2015 | Galaxy S6 | $999 | $944 | $969 | $1,102 | $821 | N/A | $1,163 | $1,024 |
| 2014 | Galaxy S5 | $929 | $953 | $1,050 | $1,141 | $788 | N/A | $1,163 | $870 |
| 2013 | Galaxy S4 | $899 | $989 | $1,032 | $1,143 | $788 | N/A | $1,213 | $725 |
| 2012 | Galaxy SIII | $899 | $1,093 | $967 | $985 | $731 | N/A | $1,163 | $682 |
| 2011 | Galaxy SII | $899 | $932 | $967 | $867 | $731 | N/A | $1,080 | $571 |
| 2010 | Galaxy S | $849 | N/A | N/A | $788 | N/A | N/A | $1,080 | $512 |
Note: Some entries are missing due to no publicly available data for certain countries and models.
Since its 2010 debut, the Samsung Galaxy S has significantly evolved:
Compare the Market’s Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, said a contents insurance policy with portable items cover could be worth considering.
“Smartphones have seen substantial price increases over the years, alongside technology advancements, as demonstrated by the new Galaxy S25,” Mr Taylor said.
“However, phones can be accidently lost or damaged – and with the price of flagship phones generally exceeding $1,000, replacing or repairing one can be expensive.
“A contents insurance policy that includes cover for portable contents can provide some peace of mind for a key device in our everyday lives.
“Consider the contents insurance policies on offer and look for a policy that works for you. Just remember, if you want your contents insurance policy to cover your mobile phone for accidental loss or damage when you are away from your home, you will usually need to specify your mobile phone separately and have it listed on your Certificate of Insurance.”
Always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) to check for the inclusions, limits and restrictions before purchasing.
Monetary currencies were converted based on 15 January, 2025 exchange rates to the Australian dollar (rounded to the nearest whole number).
Using Wayback Machine on each country’s Samsung website, Galaxy S prices listed in this study are: