Samsung has launched a subscription service in the United States, which will give users a Galaxy S20 handset of their choice, premium care and access to Microsoft’s Office 365 suite with 1TB of OneDrive storage.
The new Samsung Access Program starts at $37 a month for the Galaxy S20 5G, costs $42 for a Galaxy S20 Plus 5G and ranges up to $48 a month for the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.
All of the devices are unlocked and subscribers can pay a little bit extra for the 512GB storage if it is available. The 36-month contract gives users the ability to upgrade to a different or newer handset as and when they launch.
The Premium Care offers up to three repairs or replacements for accidental damage as well as 24/7 tech support and an extended warranty.
Related: Samsung Galaxy Ultra review
Over the course of the three years for a Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G 128GB the subscriber will pay $1,355.83 overall. That’s slightly less than the $1,399.99 Samsung charges for an unlocked S20 Ultra 5G, minus all of the services involved in the bundle, so it does sound like a pretty good deal for Galaxy fans.
Subscribers can upgrade or cancel at any time the plan at any time, but may be subject to fees. It’s free to upgrade after 9 months and free to cancel after three months, but there’s a $100 fee before that. If you upgrade, it appears that the contract starts over again, so you’ll be perpetually paying if you choose to upgrade to the latest and greatest Samsung devices.
The plan is similar to Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, which offers iPhone owners access to the newest models if they’re happy to continue handing over a monthly fee. The idea is to bring a steady flow of income for the manufacturers while ensuring fans of flagship devices don’t have to fork over a big fee upfront.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
