Galaxy S9 preorders today: Don't make this mistake
Today thousands of users will pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S9 for a price that'll have them overcharged for no good reason. The folks at Samsung have changed the game this year, selling their device themselves at the same time as carriers in the USA. In the past, the company didn't have the device on sale until several weeks after the device was already available at carriers across the nation.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is available for pre-order straight from Samsung at the same time as it is available everywhere else. It'll be delivered to users from Samsung at the same time as everywhere else. Best of all, the version available from Samsung is unlocked, meaning users can take it to whichever carrier they like, whenever they like.
SEE TOO: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus hands-on action
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is available from Samsung on a payment plan or in one big lump sum. This is relatively new to the smartphone scene, as most manufacturers generally leave this payment process to the carriers. But gone, now, is one of the last holdout reasons why massive amounts of users stuck with carrier sales.
Total Pricing Rundown, Galaxy S9 / S9+:
• Verizon: $800 and $930
• Sprint: $792 and $912 (leased, not bought)
• AT&T: $790.20 and $915
• T-Mobile: $720 and $840
• Samsung: $720 and $840
Payment plans from Samsung are $30 a month for 24 months (for the S9) or $35 a month for 24 months (for the S9 Plus.) Sprint has the devices for $33 or $38 a month on LEASE – so you don't own them, ever. Verizon's payment plans are $33.33 or $38.74. T-Mobile has the devices for the same prices (payments too) as Samsung.
"It's not worth the difference."
AT&T's phones are cheaper per month, but users have to pay for MORE months than other carriers. As such, AT&T's phones are more expensive in the end. AT&T's plans are $26.34 and $30.50 a month for 30 months. Don't get tripped up on that $4 – it's not worth the difference.
The final remaining reason one might still want to buy a Galaxy S9 from a carrier is the convenience. One must order from the website or head into a store, and the whole buying process – including the SIM card and data and such – all happens at once. However – for those willing to take one TINY extra step, the Samsung direct route has the potential to save one a significant amount of cash in the long run.
For more information on the state of the Samsung phone and carrier sales, have a peek at our feature "The best Galaxy S9 deal isn't with a carrier." And stay tuned for our full Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus reviews – coming up soon!