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Galaxy S10 launches in stores tomorrow, but you probably shouldn’t buy one until next month

Updated Mar 7th, 2019 12:46PM EST
Galaxy S10 vs. iPhone XS
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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The Galaxy S10 will hit stores on Friday after having been available for preorder for two weeks, and we already have plenty of signs that say the handset is selling much better than its predecessor. Certain models have already sold out in the US as of a few days ago. Samsung ran out of free Galaxy Buds too, and replaced the promotion with a free gift card. Moreover, a top analyst revised his sales estimate for the handset, saying he now expects Samsung to sell 30% more units than initially believed. With all that in mind, you might be better off waiting another month before purchasing Samsung’s new Android flagship.

The Galaxy S10 phones may be expensive, but Samsung and its partners offered early buyers several preorder perks and trade-in offers that made the phone slightly more affordable. But if you don’t want to trade in your old smartphone to get a discounted Galaxy S10 and you don’t care about free Galaxy Buds, then all you have to do is wait for the price to drop.

New research from BankMyCell reveals that last year’s Galaxy S9 saw a significant drop in value after just one month.

The Galaxy S phones “might be the worst investment,” the report says. The Galaxy S9 lost almost 60% of its value within nine months, the company notes, “being one of the fastest depreciating handsets ending the year.” That’s a price drop from $720 to $290.

More importantly, the Galaxy S9 lost 41.66% of its value after just one month. There’s no telling whether the Galaxy S10 will follow the same pattern, especially considering that the new flagship is a lot more exciting than last year’s model. The Galaxy S10 features a brand new design as well as several new features.

But we’ll see a bunch of new Android flagships launch in the coming months, including the Huawei P30 Pro and the OnePlus 7, which will put more pressure on the Galaxy S10. So you’ll almost certainly be able to score a better Galaxy S10 deal by simply waiting — you might have to settle for a second-hand version rather than a brand new model if you really want to save, however.

The report offers other details about smartphone depreciation, as well as comparisons between the Galaxy S and the iPhone. For example, the Galaxy S9 lost 10.73% more of its resale value in the first month than the iPhone X did after nine months. It also reveals the best time of the year to buy or sell a phone, which is information you can use to plan your next flagship purchases. Check out the full report at this link.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.