The most expensive smartphones on the market

While the mobile telephony market has closed its worst year in history, there is a small group of terminals that exceed a thousand euros in price and that seem to be able to avoid the sharp falls. In fact, the main companies that sell super high-end terminals have chosen to raise prices in their latest launches of this type of model, as is the case with Samsung or Apple. Specifically, according to Counterpoint, the average price of premium phones has risen 8% compared to last year.

"In 2023, Apple and Samsung are better positioned to navigate current uncertainties thanks to their high-end dominance," said Le Xuan Chiew, a research analyst at Canalys. "The popularity of the iPhone Pro models will help Apple to improve its revenues, despite overall demand being under pressure. For its part, Samsung is also maintaining its focus on profitability by strengthening its high-end portfolio and creating a segment premium niche market through its Fold series of foldables," adds the analyst.

Precisely, Samsung has presented this week its new high-end phone, Galaxy S23, where the top model, Ultra, reaches 1,829 euros in its 1 Tb capacity version. The South Korean company has followed in the footsteps of its main competitor, Apple, whose most expensive phone in the catalog, also with that storage, exceeded 2,000 euros this year for the first time in an iPhone, reaching 2,119 euros. This is the iPhone 14 Pro Max with maximum capacity and despite its high price it is not the most expensive terminal on the market, as the Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 with 1Tb of storage still beats it, which goes up to 2,159 euros.

"Currently, the mobile phone represents people, it is almost part of their image. You arrive at a meeting and everyone takes their phone out of their pocket and puts it on the table. Bringing one brand or another and a model higher than another, it is pure image", assures David Alonso, director of the mobile department of Samsung Spain.

Precisely, the Korean company has opted in recent years to strengthen its high-end catalog, both with the terminals of the Galaxy S family and with the folding ones, Flip and Fold, a category in which they claim to be leaders in sales.

Beyond the foldables, the undisputed leader of the super high-end range is Apple with its iPhones, since all the terminals launched last year by the company are classified within the ultra-high range, from the cheapest, the iPhone 14 of 1,000 euros, even the most expensive that exceeds 2,000 euros.

Most of the terminals above the 1,000 euro barrier that compete with Samsung or Apple come from Chinese companies that are looking for a place in this category, although for now without much relevance, since it is easier to stand out in the medium or low range.

An example of this is Oppo, an Asian company that has a wide catalog of terminals and prices but that for months has focused a lot on the upper mid-range and also on the premium. In the latter, its Oppo Find X5 Pro, which slightly exceeds 1,000 euros, is the top of the range and a good team in terms of camera and power.

Huawei, despite not being at its best in mobile telephony, also maintains its commitment to the high-end segment with the Huawei Mate 50 Pro, a team that is very worthwhile but is sold without Google services for 1,199 euro.

Vivo is also Asian, which, like Oppo, has more presence in the mid-range but does not want to forget about the high-end through very powerful and attractive terminals, such as the Vivo X80 Pro. It is sold for 1,099 euros.

As for folding, Motorola also seeks to compete with Samsung with its Razr model, which was renewed last year with interesting improvements and sells for around 1,200 euros.