In 2019 the new flagship iPhone lineup was:

• iPhone 11: $699
• iPhone 11 Pro: $999
• iPhone 11 Pro Max: $1,099

And the 2019 Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup was:

• Galaxy S10e: $749
• Galaxy S10: $899
• Galaxy S10+: $999

Pretty darn similar, right? Well, here is is the new Galaxy S20 lineup.

• Galaxy S20: $999
• Galaxy S20+: $1,199
• Galaxy S20 Ultra: $1,399

And if you throw in the Galaxy Z Flip, that starts at $1,380.

This is a lot of numbers, but it’s interesting to see Samsung completely abandon the sub-$999 market for their flagship lineup. While Apple had the $699 iPhone 11 as their top seller every week since it was released last September, Samsung eliminated their lower cost option and is all in on not only high end, but higher than Apple high end pricing. Meanwhile, we have rumors of an impending iPhone SE 2 coming from Apple that will bring top-tier specs in a $399 price point.

The S20 lineup looks great, and Samsung has crammed these phones with high-end everything, but this pricing is really a surprise to me. Apple’s top selling flagship is $50 less than last year’s model and they have a great small phone waiting in the wings. Meanwhile, it’s Samsung who’s going all in on the ultra-high end.