Samsung Rolls Out Access Upgrade Plan For New Galaxy Devices

Samsung is rolling out Samsung Access, a monthly premium upgrade program in the US for users who purchase new Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, or Galaxy S20 Ultra phones, the company announced in a blog post. From a report: Unlike its legacy upgrade program, Samsung Access provides additional benefits, including a Premium Care membership, and a premium Microsoft 365 subscription, which includes Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Skype, along with 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage. Another big difference between the new Access plan and the legacy upgrade plan: if you already have a Samsung device, you can't trade it in to join the new Access plan. The standard upgrade plan allows you to trade in an existing device and put any remaining balance toward a new one. Pricing for a minimum three-month subscription to Samsung Access will cost $37 per month for the S20, $42 per month for the S20 Plus, and $48 per month for the S20 Ultra.

Why would I want this ?

[Alain Williams]

Just buy last year's model for the price of a year of what this cover will cost you. Then, if/when it breaks, just get another one - last year's model. Other than posing value - why do you need the latest ? As for Microsoft 365 and cloud storage, well some might want it - I don't.

I can't see how long they will support a device - ie how long before I would need to upgrade ?

Re:

[Stonent1]

I liked the old-old way. Wait till last years model was "free" with a contract renewal and renew.

Re:

[ArmoredDragon]

Oh hell no. That was when your plan cost $1400 more over the life of the contract. That free phone was way more expensive than the stupidly expensive phones we have today. Just don't buy samsung if you want updates, go with Pixel or iPhone. Vote with your wallet, it's that simple, if samsung determines that not providing upgrades is too costly, they'll change course, but paying them extra certainly won't help.

That seems expensive

[SuperKendall]

Microsoft Home personal subscription [microsoft.com]: $6.99/month

2TB iCloud storage [apple.com] - $9.99/month.

I think Gogole Drive is even cheaper, could not find a pricing guide.

So it sure seems like that update plan is wildly expensive, even compared to buying AppleCare with an iPhone and then buying iClod storage on top... and how many people even want an MS365 subscription so the value there is questionable.

Re:

[thegarbz]

So it sure seems like that update plan is wildly expensive

Yeah I'm sure you would think so since you are ignoring the fact that it comes with a new flagship phone every 9 months.

No thanks.

[MiniMike]

Seems like a lot to pay for things I don't want or need. Are they trying to steal customers from Apple?

Samsung Rolled Downhill Since Galaxy Note 4

[BrendaEM]

I would rather have a new Galaxy Note 4 than the Note 8 I have. The Note 8 screen format makes the phone easy to drop, and because of the curved screen edges, there's no effective way to protect the screen--even with a case and screen protector. My Note 8 screen is cracked, and I am not going to have it fixed, because it's pointless.

I just want Bixby turned off!

[BIG_E_IN_V_T]

I just want Bixby turned off!

Stupid Phones

[c-A-d]

Am I the only one that wants to drop the whole smart phone thing and go back to having just a stupid phone?