MWC 2018: Galaxy S9 pricing, pre-order and launch dates for US carriers
MWC 2022
The Samsung Galaxy S9 was officially revealed in all its purple, blue, and black glory. Thankfully, the leaked pricing information for the US model was too high by several hundred dollars and actual pricing remains lower than the Apple iPhone X by nearly $200 and is about the same as it was for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus last year.
Read also: Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus boasts dual aperture camera, slow motion capture | Samsung puts business spin on Galaxy S9, joins Galaxy Note 8 with enterprise edition
Each US wireless carrier has full price details and monthly payment details, along with trade-in offers. It is interesting to see the variance of up to $50 just between the US carriers, too. I am also very pleased to see we no longer get limited access to the different colors in the US with the Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, and Midnight Black all being available on each major carrier.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile is usually offers the lowest price of all US carriers and that is once again the case here with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.
- Galaxy S9 price: $720 full price or $30 per month for 24 months with $0 down
- Galaxy S9 Plus price: $840 full price or $30 per month for 24 months with $120 down
- Pre-order launch date: March 1 at 9:01pm PST
- Launch date: March 16
- Trade-in promo: Up to $360 value for qualifying smartphones
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will be the third phone (LG V30 and Galaxy S8 Active were first two) to offer support for T-Mobile's 600 Mhz spectrum. This additional frequency is currently deployed in 738 cities and continues to roll out across the country. It is designed to provide improved connectivity to the T-Mobile network and is a welcome addition to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.
From the press release, we see that T-Mobile customers will experience some advanced LTE capability too through the trifecta of 4x4 MIMO, carrier aggregation and 256 QAM, as well as License Assisted Access (LAA). T-Mobile has now deployed the trifecta of LTE-Advanced technologies in nearly 5,000 US cities so the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus can theoretically experience 1.2Gbps, a 20-percent increase in peak theoretical speed over the Galaxy S8.
AT&T
These two AT&T devices are paired with DIRECTV, so AT&T customers can enjoy some of the best in entertainment from movies to live-action sports to made-for-TV series and even live concerts. Customers also get HBO included with the latest AT&T unlimited data plans.
First responders who are part of the AT&T FirstNet program will also have access to these two new phones. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are also the first Samsung devices with built-in Band 14 access.
- Galaxy S9 price: $790.20 full price or $26.34 per month for 30 months for AT&T Next
- Galaxy S9 Plus price: $915 full price or $30.50 per month for 30 months for AT&T Next
- Pre-order launch date: March 1 at 9:01pm PST
- Launch date: March 16
- Trade-in promo: Up to $350 value for qualifying smartphones
Verizon
Verizon will also be offering the new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus with the highest launch price of the US wireless carriers, but with the largest number of promotional offers for customers.
- Galaxy S9 price: $799.99 full price or $33.33 per month for 24 months with 0 percent APR
- Galaxy S9 Plus price: $929.99 full price or $38.74 per month for 24 months with 0 percent APR
- Pre-order launch date: March 1 9:01pm PST
- Launch date: March 16
- Trade-in promo: Up to $350 credit (iPhone X, 8, 8 Plus; Samsung GS8, GS8+, Note8)
- Other promos: $150 prepaid MasterCard for porting in a number, $10 off accessories for Verizon Up customers, 50-percent off Samsung tablet with two-year agreement, $100 off Gear S3, and Samsung fast charge power bundle for $99.99
Sprint
"="" class="c-regularLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Sprint will also be offering the new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus with the second-highest launch price of the US wireless carriers.
- Galaxy S9 price: $792 full price or $33 per month on a Sprint Flex lease
- Galaxy S9 Plus price: $912 full price or $38 per month on a Sprint Flex lease
- Pre-order launch date: March 1 at 9:01pm PST
- Launch date: March 16
- Trade-in promo: Up to $350 credit for eligible devices
- Other promos: Galaxy Forever option to upgrade to the latest Galaxy after 12 lease payments on Sprint Flex. Hulu included with a Sprint plan. Tidal Unlimited free for six months for Sprint Unlimited customers.
Xfinity Mobile
Xfinity Mobile is powered by Verizon, but is a carrier operated by Comcast so it has different pricing and promotions. Thankfully, the prices are the same as T-Mobile and Samsung unlocked options.
- Galaxy S9 price: $719.99 full price or $30 per month for 24 months
- Galaxy S9 Plus price: $839.99 full price or $35 per month for 24 months
- Pre-order launch date: March 1 9:01pm PST
- Launch date: March 16
- Launch promos: Customers who purchase a Samsung phone and activate a new line of service with Xfinity Mobile from Feb. 26 to March 22 will receive a $250 Visa prepaid card. Additionally, customers who trade in a qualified device will receive $200 guaranteed, for a potential value of up to $450 when purchasing a new Samsung Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9 Plus smartphone
Unlocked from Samsung
Samsung will also be selling unlocked versions directly through Samsung.com and the Shop Samsung app. The Unlocked Galaxy S9 is $719.99 or $30 per month for 24 months financing, and the larger Unlocked Galaxy S9+ is available for $839.99 or $35 per month for 24 months financing. As you can see, these are the same lowest prices as you can purchase from T-Mobile.
As I understand it, you could use one of these unlocked models with any carrier and save yourself some money if you are an AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon customer. In addition, the unlocked model is free from carrier bloatware that can often be excessive.