Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab S10 sequence earlier this week and it quietly made a transfer that went unexplained by the corporate. The brand new pill lineup solely has two fashions – the Galaxy Tab S10+ and Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely. You may recall that the corporate has been launching three fashions in its flagship pill sequence for a couple of years now, there was a base mannequin just like the Galaxy Tab S9 final yr, however that has been completed away with in 2024.
The pattern of launching three totally different fashions within the pill lineup began in 2022. This was the primary time that Samsung launched an Extremely variant of its flagship pill. The bottom and + fashions had existed for a while and the corporate expanded the lineup with a 3rd mannequin, the Galaxy Tab S8 Extremely. All three fashions had been refreshed the next yr and the bottom mannequin was dropped altogether this time round.
There is likely to be a couple of the reason why Samsung has made this choice. The hole between the bottom and + fashions has grow to be pretty non-existent within the areas that matter probably the most. For instance, the Galaxy Tab S9 and Galaxy Tab S9+ have the identical chipset, metallic construct, Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a minor measurement distinction, IP68 ranking, and you would configure the bottom mannequin with the identical 12GB of RAM, though the bottom priced variant of the Galaxy Tab S9 got here with 8GB of RAM. Each units got here with the identical Android 13 One UI 6 software program out of the field with help for 4 years of Android OS upgrades.
Maybe the gross sales information was convincing sufficient for Samsung to axe the pill’s base mannequin this yr. Why undergo the trouble of launching a variant that most individuals skip in favor of a dearer choice that ostensibly has the next margin for the corporate as properly? In addition to, with the launch of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and S9 FE+ late final yr, Samsung has a strong reasonably priced pill choice for purchasers the place the financial savings are important sufficient for them if they do not need desire a flagship mannequin however would nonetheless want a strong pill for informal use.
This definitely renders the bottom Galaxy Tab S10 mannequin pointless and one can perceive why Samsung determined to axe it, significantly if it intends on following up final yr’s reasonably priced fashions with the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and FE+ later this yr. This begs the query, is it now time for the same measure for the flagship Galaxy S smartphones?
The variations between the bottom Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ are slim as properly. They’ve the identical chipset, digicam setup, Armor Aluminum body, and software program help. The Galaxy S24+’s main variations embrace a 0.5-inch bigger and barely greater decision however nonetheless the identical Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panel and 12GB of RAM as normal in comparison with 8GB on the bottom mannequin. In addition to, there is a noticeable shift in client preferences as they’re overwhelmingly going for the top-of-the-line mannequin.
Even early on, the Galaxy S24 Extremely was outselling all the different fashions by a mile, accounting for 52% of gross sales for Samsung’s 2024 flagship smartphone. The Galaxy S24 Extremely went on to grow to be the best-selling Android smartphone within the first quarter of this yr. It isn’t stunning, the Extremely has the most effective specs of the lineup, offers an unmatched digicam setup, and is the cellphone to get if you would like the most effective Galaxy AI expertise. Prospects perceive that and are clearly voting with their wallets.
Then there’s additionally the Galaxy S24 FE that Samsung launched earlier this week. It is acquired some main upgrades. It has the identical 6.7-inch show measurement because the Galaxy S24+ and a reasonably related digicam setup. There is a greater 4,700mAh battery in comparison with the bottom Galaxy S24’s 4,000mAh. It has an aluminum body and glass on the back and front so it does not really feel any much less premium within the hand.
Even its new Exynos 2400e chipset is sort of similar with solely a barely decrease clock pace on one of many ten cores, whereas the remainder and the GPU are precisely the identical because the Exynos 2400 within the Galaxy S24/S24+. The outcome? Most customers would doubtless not be capable of really feel any distinction in real-world efficiency between the Galaxy S24 FE and the bottom Galaxy S24. The Galaxy S24 FE additionally will get all Galaxy AI options and help for seven Android OS upgrades. So why purchase the bottom Galaxy S24 for $799 when you may get the Galaxy S24 FE for $649?
One might make the argument that the entry-level Galaxy S25 could have a more moderen chipset, doubtlessly quicker reminiscence, and a few digicam upgrades. Regardless of that, its deserves should be weighed towards the Galaxy S25+ and the variations will as soon as once more be insignificant sufficient that clients can be higher off shopping for the higher-spec mannequin as a substitute.
The minimal variations have lowered the worth proposition of the bottom mannequin. Shelving it might additionally produce other advantages for Samsung, permitting it to streamline manufacturing, cut back prices, and focus extra on the 2 fashions which have the next price ticket and higher margins. Samsung would a lot quite everybody purchase the Galaxy S25 Extremely anyway, so it might be higher if the corporate streamlined its flagship smartphone lineup by tackling this redundancy and focus its assets on two extremely distinctive fashions as a substitute.
We all know that this is not taking place subsequent yr. There’s sufficient info on the market to recommend that the 2025 lineup consists of the bottom Galaxy S25. So we glance past that to 2026 when the Galaxy S26 sequence comes out. If the gross sales information is equally supportive of this transfer because it has doubtless been for the bottom Galaxy Tab S10 this yr then in my view, it is a transfer Samsung should not hesitate to make.
The bottom mannequin’s sole motive for current should not be to counter the entry-level iPhone 16 which additionally prices $799. Apple’s clients are overwhelmingly choosing the dearer Professional and Professional Max fashions anyway. Samsung’s true combat with Apple is in that higher echelon and it has further instruments in its arsenal, the foldable telephones, which Apple thus far does not have a solution to.