Historically, the Russian smartphone market is highly dependent on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Therefore, when the ruble collapsed in 2015, almost all mobile devices rose in price by 2 or even 2.5 times. It was the biggest price jump that the Russians have ever seen, but it didn't stop there. At the beginning of this year, the ruble suffered another fiasco, and almost everyone who hoped to acquire a new device soon enough was mentally prepared to pay more. Well, they did not prepare for nothing.
Samsung smartphones have risen in price in Russia. It was not a surprise
This week Samsung has brought its pricing policy in Russia in line with the global exchange rate. This is evidenced by data from the company's official online store. The price increase has affected most smartphones from Samsung's range – both budget and flagship. But if inexpensive models have risen in price by an average of 2-5 thousand rubles, then the top ones have added 10-20 thousand rubles at once, which for many can become a decisive factor in favor of devices from competing brands.
New prices for Samsung smartphones
And these are the prices for smartphones of the Galaxy A line
- Galaxy S20: formerly – 69,990 rubles, now – 79,990 rubles;
- Galaxy S20 +: before – 79,990 rubles, now – 89,990 rubles;
- Galaxy S20 Ultra: formerly – 99,990 rubles, now – 109,990 rubles;
- Galaxy Fold: formerly – 159,990 rubles, now – 179,990 rubles;
- Galaxy S10: formerly – 59,990 rubles, now – 69,990 rubles;
- Galaxy S10 Lite: formerly – 44,990 rubles, now – 49,990 rubles.
We do not include all the price changes, because in this case the numbers would have taken the entire article, however, we assure you that the increase has affected almost all models. The only exception to the rule that we noticed was the Galaxy Z Flip. It cost 119,990 rubles and is still estimated at the same amount. It is difficult to say for sure what exactly this selectivity is connected with. Perhaps Samsung has decided not to raise the price of the device, whose position now looks especially precarious. Although why, in this case, the Galaxy Fold went up in price by 20 thousand rubles at once, is not clear.
It may seem to many that Samsung did not take a responsible approach to the issue of price changes and just lifted them at random. Still, most of the devices have risen in price by 10 thousand rubles. But I hasten to reassure you: it just so happened that the ruble exchange rate against the euro fell by about 20%. Therefore, the Galaxy S10 for 80 thousand rubles is quite consistent with European pricing, where it will cost about the same in direct conversion.
Why the prices of smartphones have risen
Galaxy Z Flip was almost the only Samsung smartphone that did not rise in price by a ruble
The price change for Samsung smartphones was only a matter of time. As is known, the Russian pricing policy of most manufacturers is based on the euro, not the dollar. And since domestic prices, like European ones, immediately include VAT, which is 20% here and there, it was very easy to calculate the price of a smartphone that has not yet been released in Russia. It was enough to multiply the European price by the current euro rate and add or subtract a thousand rubles in order to get a beautiful number. And after the increase in the euro against the ruble, a beautiful and, most importantly, exact number did not work out.
Despite all the regularity of what happened, the increase in prices for Samsung smartphones may become a kind of trigger for the rest of the industry, who, following the Koreans, can also begin to recalculate their prices. The worst will be for manufacturers focused on the release of top-end devices: Huawei, OnePlus, Apple and partially Xiaomi. If they, too, dare to revise the pricing policy in Russia, one can count on a fairly tangible rise in prices.