Samsung Galaxy S7 might launch with an upgrade program

Deja vu? If yes, then you might have heard of how Apple offered an upgrade, or some might call it "rental", program when it announced the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus last September. Or you might have also heard of Samsung's plans to do likewise. While whispers about that upgrade scheme has died out since, it is being resuscitated now that the Galaxy S7 is just around the corner. Or so it is hoped. Korean media report that Samsung might have its own rental system in place by the time the Galaxy S7 flagship hits stores in March.

Apple has a devised a way to keep users hooked on iPhones, possibly for the rest of their lives, paying in installments to be able to upgrade to the next big iPhone every year. While not completely unheard of, since some carriers do offer similar programs, Apple is the first device manufacturer to make such a proposal independent of carriers. Plus, it offers unlocked devices too.

Many might once again call out Samsung for imitating its rival instead of innovating, but a good and possibly lucrative idea is too good to pass up. That is, at least, according to insider source who tipped media on Samsung's plans. Whether or not Apple's upgrade program is a resounding success isn't much known, especially since Apple rarely gives out numbers.

With the Galaxy S7 about to take flight, it's only natural that rumors of this Samsung upgrade program pick up once again. Some are calling it "rental program" since that is practically what you're paying for anyway. That is, if you really want to lock yourself in to a Galaxy S flagship every year. Given how often Samsung changes its designs and features, that might call for some leap of faith.

Again. very few details about this program have been leaked. But even if Samsung doesn't do it soon, carriers, especially Korean ones, are rumored to launch their own anyway. This rental system is being seen by some a critical differentiating factor in the overly saturated smartphone market and a way to fight off carrier subsidies and contracts.

SOURCE: ETNews