This Galaxy A27 pricing leak could be a sign that the age of affordable phones is over

Before we have the chance to enjoy the wide Galaxy Z Fold 8, the non-wide Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the Z Flip 8, Samsung has another premiere coming. The successor to the budget Galaxy A26 has appeared in several leaks already, but now we’re getting what’s probably the most important detail about it.

The leaked Galaxy A27 pricing is disturbing

Samsung may launch the Galaxy A27 with a hefty price increase compared to last year’s model. Shortly after appearing on a couple of certification platforms, the potential European prices of the device have been shared by Roland Quandt in a Bluesky post.The base version of the Galaxy A27 will reportedly feature 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and it will sell at €349 (about $403 when directly converted). The other version of the affordable device will come with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a €439 price tag (about $507 when directly converted).

Another significant increase

Last year’s Galaxy A26 featured a nice 120Hz display, a decent chipset with class-leading performance, and a pleasing design. These things helped it get an overall score of 5.6 out of 10 in our in-depth review, putting it on par with similarly priced devices.

Once we get our hands on this year’s Galaxy A27, we’ll need to reconsider its pricing. The European launch price of the base 6/128GB version of the Galaxy A26 was €299, and the 8/256GB model sold at €369, which is directly converted to $345 and $426, respectively.

That means the new model may launch with a €50 price increase for the base model and an even more worrying €70 hike for the one with extended memory. While the difference may not sound like much, it represents a 17% and 19% increase, respectively. 

It could be worth it

Samsung’s plans for the Galaxy A27 probably include the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, which was released in 2024, and the same 6.7-inch FHD+ display. The triple camera on the back is expected to include a 50MP main camera with OIS, a 5MP ultrawide shooter, and a 2MP macro camera. The 5,000 mAh battery is likely to stick to 25W wired charging.

The price increase may seem hefty, but it pales in comparison with what happened to other budget smartphones. Earlier this year, Motorola introduced massive price hikes to three of its most popular budget devices.

Welcome to the RAMaggedon

It shouldn’t come as a major surprise that yet another device is getting more expensive, considering the continuing supply chain and memory cost issues. Still, I’m sad to see that budget smartphones are the ones seeing the biggest price increases.