Is Now the Best Time to Buy?

Sort of. Samsung has launched all of its phones for 2024 in the US, and that means you can expect some stellar discounts on its priciest smartphones. This time of year is great to pick up a discounted Galaxy S24 or a Galaxy Z Flip6. However, it’s worth keeping the company’s launch time frames in mind in case you only want the latest and greatest.

• The flagship Galaxy S series usually launches early in the year during Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event, and the upcoming Galaxy S25 range will likely arrive in January or February 2025.
• The budget Galaxy A series typically arrives in the spring (April or May).
• The folding Galaxy Z series have always launched in the summer, roughly July or August, during Samsung’s second and last Galaxy Unpacked event of the year.
• The midrange Galaxy FE series is the “Fan Edition,” but this is more or less a slightly cheaper variant of the Galaxy S series. It typically launches in the fall, around late September or October.

Keep these dates in mind as you shop, because you may want to hold off and wait for the new model, or it can help inform you on when to expect the best discounts.

How Long Are Samsung Phones Supported?

Android phones used to have disastrously poor software support. Two years after you bought your $1,000 phone, it would no longer receive software updates. Welp. Thankfully, Google began promising longer software update cycles to its Pixel phones, which ended up pushing Samsung to match it.

The following Samsung phones will receive seven years of software updates from their release date, which includes Android operating system updates and monthly security patches. The latter keep your phone secure, and new OS versions can bring new features to your phone.

• Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6
• Galaxy S24 FE

Most other Samsung phones, like some in the Galaxy A series or older flagships, will receive four years of OS updates and five years of security patches starting from the date of release. You’ll find that budget devices are promised two OS updates and four years of security updates, which is still leagues better than what companies like Motorola offer. Some of this varies, as Samsung has kept changing its policy year over year, but there’s a little more helpful information here.

To find if your Samsung phone has a pending update, go to Settings > Software update > Download and install. It should check for any updates and download them, then you’ll see an option to install it. Make sure you back up your phone before installing any update. We have a guide here.

Why I Recommend Buying Unlocked

Most people buy phones directly from their carrier, but if you’re reading this guide, I suggest you buy an unlocked smartphone. When you buy a carrier phone, it’s “locked” to that network. That means if you want to switch carriers, like move from Verizon to T-Mobile, you’ll have to ask your carrier to unlock the device, and this can be a huge headache. (Especially if you’re traveling and want to use an international SIM card.) Asking a carrier to unlock a phone usually has a few requirements, like making sure your device is paid off, or waiting for a set period of time. Unlocked phones, on the other hand, don’t have this problem. You’re free to use whatever carrier you want, whenever.

Carriers also mask the true cost of a smartphone. AT&T may entice you with a $36 per month payment for a shiny new Samsung flagship, when in reality, that means you’re paying $1,300 on a smartphone over 36 months. Did you really want to spend that much? Or will a cheaper phone suffice? Also, you’re more likely to get software updates faster as they come directly from Samsung, and there’s often far less preinstalled bloatware to deal with.

All to say, buy unlocked! You can buy unlocked Galaxy phones directly from Samsung and most third-party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

The Settings to Change on Your New Samsung Phone

Samsung has an annoying habit of announcing a bunch of cool new features with its smartphones, then leaving them turned off by default. If you’ve never fiddled around with your phone’s settings, there’s a good chance there are a lot of fun and helpful features you’re not using.

This can include things like changing the navigation from on-screen buttons to gesture navigation, adding the battery percentage icon next to the battery bar, or keeping the always-on display turned on instead of requiring a tap on the screen. Good news for you! As I routinely switch phones, I drummed up a list of the 21 most important settings to change when you get a Samsung phone. Read it here. Pro tip: I personally can’t stand using Samsung’s built-in keyboard, so I almost always change it to Google’s Gboard instead.

Exynos vs. Qualcomm Snapdragon

A Samsung phone sold in the US is not the same as a Samsung phone sold in the UK. That’s because Samsung’s Galaxy S series flagship phones have long relied on two different processors. Devices sold in the US and select markets are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, whereas other regions have Samsung’s homegrown Exynos chipsets.

The gap isn’t as wide between these processors anymore, but there have been issues in the past. Exynos chips tended to overheat a few years ago, though they sometimes offer slightly better battery life than their Qualcomm counterparts. It even greatly impacted camera quality too as the chip handles the image processing. Again, none of this is as big of an issue as it used to be, but it’s worth keeping in mind as you shop.