If you’re a Samsung smartphone customer in the U.S., you get access to free subscriptions and huge trade-in deals that pay hundreds of dollars for years-old phones. In the U.K., the trade-in prices are poor, but British shoppers get free devices bundled with their Galaxy phones.
The Korean company has balanced its promotional offers between the two countries like this for years. But, with the release of the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung is rewriting its rulebook to shift more units of a phone that is reportedly underperforming sales expectations.
The latest U.K. Galaxy S25 Edge deal bundles a free Galaxy Tab A9 Plus with all purchases, alongside the regular list of freebies and accessory discounts. The trade-in prices, however, are far more generous than any previous U.K. Samsung sale.
For example, U.K. shoppers will get £341 ($461.41) for their Galaxy S22 Ultra compared to the U.S. site’s $500 price. Things get better with the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is priced at £449 ($608.21), beating the U.S. store’s $580 valuation. Here are some comparable prices between the two countries.
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra U.K. price: £581 ($784.06), U.S. price: $630
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus U.K. price: £333 ($449.39), U.S. price: $370
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, U.K. price: £230 ($310.39), U.S. price: $300
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, U.K. price: £500 ($674.75), U.S. price: $500
That trend is continued across several devices from separate manufacturers. It’s also completely unheard of. The only major difference in valuations between the two territories is that Samsung U.S. will accept a wider range of handsets. Also, some phones still net a higher valuation in the U.S. (the Galaxy Z fold 6: £230 ($310.39) U.K. $630 U.S.).
Even on the cheaper end of trade-in pricing, Samsung U.K. beats its American counterpart by offering at least £200 ($269.90) for any Android phone, compared to the $50 the U.S. store will pay.
Why Has Samsung Done A U-Turn On Its Trade-in Pricing?
The Galaxy S25 Edge is a new phone in a fresh device line, which doesn’t have the history of previous models behind it to help sell the device. Samsung is working overtime to entice shoppers to try out the new handset by upping trade-in prices and giving away a free tablet.
Reported sales data may also be a factor. According to its industry sources, SamMobile claims that Samsung’s early Galaxy S25 Edge sales are below expectations. The site also theorizes that the company’s lack of sales data in Korea and generous pre-order deals—that improved as the days went on—are signs that the device hasn’t sold well.
If true, we may see more Samsung Galaxy S25 edge deals on the horizon as the company attempts to shift units before the Galaxy Z Fold 7 steals the spotlight. If you’re interested in the Galaxy S25 Edge, hold tight for bigger price cuts in the coming months. On the meantime, hit the follow button below for the latest deal news.
