Samsung folders will no longer have Premier service, but it’s okay

Samsung is changing the back care device protection service for the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 devices as customers voluntarily subscribe to its Care + program. While it may seem like they will spend more money this way, experts disagree and think that customers will benefit from the service. In addition, they add that Samsung believes in its products enough to offer general protection.

With previous generations of folding devices, Samsung offered the Z Premier service, which it called a “new approach to owner care.” The service was only available for Samsung Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Flip 5G. The service will run until the end of 2022, when customers will have the option to subscribe to Samsung Care +.

The Z Premier service was added to Samsung’s folding repertoire after the initial batch of Galaxy Fold units suffered a reputable hit when early reviewers found that dust could easily enter the phone’s hinge and cause screen damage. . Despite these issues, the folders were still considered to be among the best Android devices out there and the latest models are still better considered.

Samsung said in an email to Android Central that the service was only available for a limited time for previous generations of phones and that it only gave a discounted single screen replacement along with an on-demand concierge service. The screen replacement had an initial discount price of $ 149 for the Galaxy Z Fold and Fold 2 and $ 119 for the Galaxy Z Flip devices.

In the email, Samsung said one of the main reasons it stopped providing Premier service was because “usage was low.” In addition, the spokesman said that “many Galaxy Z owners were already opting for Care +.”

Samsung Care + is a device protection subscription service very similar to Apple’s AppleCare +, which offers customer setup assistance, remote technical support, and product hardware failure replacement coverage. It also provides discounts on repair costs for accidental damage.

It should also be noted that this plan is specific to American customers. Prices and Care ++ systems work differently in other countries, and Samsung said it can’t comment on “price discrepancies with other countries.”

Samsung getting rid of Premier service was “inevitable”

Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint Research, said in an interview that change was “inevitable,” as Samsung dominates the folding screen and design, allowing it to gain more confidence in quality and durability.

“Folders are entering Samsung’s third generation, so offering it to a wider audience opens up more opportunities for revenue with the standardized Samsung Care + program,” he says, adding that the program itself offers good protection. and customer value.

“Folders enter Samsung’s third generation, so offering it to a wider audience opens up more revenue opportunities with Samsung’s standardized Care + program,” says Neil Shah.

Shah also points out that the initial package and Premier service were a smart move as the technology was in its infancy, but now that folding prices have come down, from Samsung’s perspective, it makes sense to start offering the Care + service in the range of folding. phones.

With the new devices, customers will have the option to subscribe to Samsung Care +, which costs $ 3.99, $ 8.99 or $ 11.99 per month depending on your device and is automatically billed monthly, according to Samsung. For Fold 3 and Flip 3, Samsung says the monthly cost is $ 12.99, according to the spokesman, adding that the website is still updated with pricing information.

According to the FAQ page, Care + covers accidental damages “resulting from handling with a low service rate for approved claims. The service fee varies depending on the type of service selected.” He adds that there is no service commission for mechanical breakdown claims.

For example, Samsung says there’s a $ 249 deductible every time you fix the screen and you can do it up to three times a year.

If you’ve pre-ordered any of the new folding devices, the first three-year Care + subscription is free, but it was a limited promotion.

So you pay $ 156 a year, plus what you paid to get your device initially. The Fold 3 sells for $ 1,799 (a $ 200 reduction from the Fold 2) and the Flip 3 sells for $ 999.

Break it down for me, how much does it cost to buy the phone and have Care +?

If you own Fold who pre-ordered the device, you’ll pay $ 1,799 + $ 311.76, which is the cost of two years of Care + since you get the first one for free. If you own a Flip you have placed a pre-order, you will pay $ 999 + $ 311.76 and any additional taxes.

Let’s say you damage the screen of your Fold 3 once a year. Your total cost for this year would be $ 405 (your one-year Care + subscription fee, plus the $ 249 deductible).

According to The Verge, if you don’t have a Samsung Care +, fixing the interior folding screen of a Fold 3 costs $ 479 and for the Flip 3 it’s $ 369. External screens are a bit cheaper: $ 149 for the Fold 3 and $ 99 for the Flip 3.

All in all it seems like a lot of money and it may seem like Samsung is coming out to get more money out of you.

But let’s put it in perspective: if you were part of the Premier service, you could only fix the screen once with a discount. You are paying a deductible along with a high price over the phone.

Carolina Milanesi, president and chief analyst at Creative Strategies, says in an interview that Samsung is not trying to consume customers.

“I’m not sure I read the lowest price [of the phone] and the Care + service as a way to get more money from customers. After all, you don’t have to buy the service, ”he says.

“I’m not sure I read the lowest price [of the phone] and the Care + service as a way to get more money from customers. At the end of the day, you don’t have to buy the service, ”says Carolina Milanesi.

IDC’s worldwide head of device tracker search, Jitesh Urbani, agrees in an interview and added that “Samsung [isn’t] to deceive customers or take advantage of them in some way. “

“I suspect that with the first two generations of folding devices, Samsung knew that the Premium service was underused by customers or perhaps not as well valued by customers and, as a result, would not fail if it withdrew from future iterations.” he says.

“Without deletion [of the service], it would be difficult for Samsung to offer the new folding devices at regular star prices. “

Fold 3 and Flip 3 are 80% more durable, as are other top quality mobile devices

According to Samsung, the main screens of the Fold 3 and Flip 3 are 80% longer lasting than previous generations and can withstand 200,000 folds.

The added benefit, explains Shah of Counterpoint Research, is that consumers will have longer protection and “offer peace of mind for the average life of the device,” which is usually two to three years.

IDC’s director of research on device trackers around the world, Nabila Popal, said in an interview that, as Samsung has indicated that the level of durability is much more equal than other premium mobile devices on the market, it will increase sales faster.

“With the significant fall in prices and the simultaneous improvement in durability, Samsung has addressed two of the most important obstacles to the capture of folding, which was previously the very high price and fragility of previous devices. The market is responding very positively new release due to these two factors and as a result we expect to see a rapid acceleration in the uptake of folding in the second half of 2021 ”.

To put it in perspective, by 2020, foldables accounted for less than half a percent of the global smartphone market of $ 1.288 billion, according to IDC. Still, IDC expects the folding volume to grow up to three or four times more than last year’s volume with this new release.

Popal says it “talks a lot about Samsung’s confidence” in the improved durability of these phones and that it is necessary to offer separate services.

“It provides an indirect statement that [Samsung] considers that these devices do not need “special” care different from their other premium devices, ”he says.

Fold 3 should still have its own premium service to cater to business customers

Despite Samsung’s efforts to make folding phones a staple, Anshel Sag, a senior analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, says in an interview that the company should have kept a separate care package for the Fold 3.

“The Fold is a device focused on productivity and business, and I would have liked to see Samsung focus more on that, rather than trying to group the Fold and the Flip,” he said.

“The Fold is a device focused on productivity and business, and I would have liked to see Samsung leaning towards that rather than trying to group the Fold and the Flip,” Anshel Sag said.

Sag points out that the Fold 3 should have been promoted separately and with different marketing, messaging and support / service.

“Business users want to know that they will be taken care of, no matter what,” he says.

And since the Fold 3 is priced higher, probably aimed at this business-focused market, Sag points out that Samsung should offer a higher level of support, especially because its S Pen compatibility opens the door to further damage. on the screen, despite Samsung’s precautions.

“While the Fold can also be great for artists, I just think Samsung is missing out on the opportunity to capture new business users who see the usefulness of having a split screen and S Pen on the phone,” he says.

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