Samsung Galaxy S5 Price Set At $700?

It has been just two days since the Samsung Galaxy S5 was unveiled at Samsung’s Unpacked event at WMC in Barcelona. Samsung announced that the device will be available in 150 countries starting April 11, but has not revealed any pricing information.

Some expect the Samsung Galaxy S5 to retail for $199-$240 on-contract and $550-$650 off-contract, which is the typical price range for Galaxy flagship smartphones, but information has surfaced that may give consumers an idea of how much they will have to shell out for Samsung’s next big thing.

Since the Samsung Galaxy S became official, Samsung as well as U.S. mobile carriers T-Mobile and Sprint have announced contests giving away Galaxy S5 handsets. Listed within the official rules of each contest is an Approximate Retail Value, or ARV, for the Galaxy S5.

Samsung’s contest offers Galaxy S5 handsets among many possible prizes, and lists an ARV of $700 for it. While this Galaxy S5 contest contains some of the only pricing information we’ve heard so far, the rules also stress that the value is an approximation and may not be what consumers ultimately pay.

The mobile device pricing is approximate and subject to change based on retail pricing set by Sponsor and carrier partners once the mobile device is available for purchase. Any difference between the stated value and actual value once the mobile device becomes available at retail will not be awarded.

Notably, Samsung held a giveaway for its then recently unveiled Galaxy S4 last year, where the manufacturer listed an ARV of $650 for the 2013 flagship. Off-contract prices for most carriers and retailers ultimately priced their Galaxy S4 models a few dollars higher or lower than the ARV projected by Samsung.

Gotta Be Mobile notes that T-Mobile’s Galaxy S4 is priced at $624 full retail, while the Sprint Galaxy S4 has a full retail price of $599.99; both prices are not far from Samsung’s ARV. As said, consumers should expect Galaxy S5 prices to vary among carriers and retailers, but the current ARVs for the S5 should be a fair prediction.

The rules for T-Mobile’s current contest, which gives away a Galaxy S5 handset and S-View Flip Cover, lists an ARV of $668.99. Considering that S-View Flip Covers usually retail for $50, the retail value of the T-Mobile Galaxy S5 may be approximately $618. The rules for Sprint’s contest, which gives away a Galaxy S handset or a $100 Visa gift card, list an ARV of $649 for “Samsung’s new device.”

The four major U.S. carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, as well as U.S. Cellular, Metro PCS and retailers Radio Shack and Best Buy, have all confirmed that they will be offering the Samsung Galaxy S5. No carriers have announced information about their Galaxy S5 models outside of preregistration sign up. With the Galaxy S5 release date projected for April 11 (which may also vary by carrier and retailer), pricing and pre-orders should become available in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, there are murmurs that the Samsung Galaxy S5 may cost less than previous models. According to Bloomberg, Samsung is trying to decide how it wants to price the Galaxy S5, but the company hasn't yet revealed any numbers to its partners worldwide.

Some speculate that Samsung may be considering a lower price for the Galaxy S5 after the S4 failed to meet the lofty 100 million unit sales goal, which was projected before its release. Many sources report that the Galaxy S4 hasn't sold well, but the smartphone is actually Samsung’s fastest-selling device to date, having sold more than 40 million units as of October.

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