Galaxy S22 throttling controversy responsible for cheapest prices yet

A report a few weeks ago claimed that a Galaxy S22 price cut was in effect in Korea following the massive throttling controversy. A new story offers a similar take on the matter, explaining that Samsung is dealing with a gigantic PR disaster in its home country. This pushed Samsung to authorize massive subsidies in Korea, which means South Korea is the place to score the cheapest Galaxy S22 prices.

Caveats remains, however. Buyers looking for the big Galaxy S22 subsidy deals from carriers will also have to get specific postpaid contracts.

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After the throttling scandal, Samsung faces at least one class-action lawsuit from Galaxy S22 buyers. Furthermore, Reuters reports that the Korea Fair Trade Commission began investigating Samsung last month.

Samsung used the Game Optimizing Service (GOS) app to slow down peak performance on Galaxy S22 phones. The company aimed to reduce the risk of overheating and preserve battery life. Samsung introduced GOS on its devices in 2016, Reuters notes. That was months before it pulled the Galaxy Note 7 from stores after various battery fires.

Samsung’s throttling disaster

GOS shouldn’t have been a surprise to Galaxy S22 buyers. But early adopters quickly found that the software would slow the Galaxy S22 by as much as 46%. These findings turned customers against Samsung in the country, with people taking to social media to complain.

Samsung fixed the GOS throttling in early March, a month before issuing the Galaxy S22 price cut order. We’d have expected the cheapest Galaxy S22 price to arrive in the first months after release. But the throttling issues amplified the price drop, at least in Korea.

Samsung apologized for the issue and said it didn’t cut costs while manufacturing the phone. But the Reuters report also references Galaxy S22 teardowns that revealed Samsung lacked a cooling component. This would explain a more aggressive reliance on software like GOS to limit overheating.

Other reports have shown that the Galaxy S22 overheating issues aren’t only Samsung’s fault. The current ARM chip design might be part of the problem. Samsung also said recently that it plans to overhaul its Exynos chip design for the Galaxy phones.

That said, Reuters confirms previous reports that the three mobile carriers in the country have nearly doubled the Galaxy S22 subsidies. They offer the cheapest Galaxy S22 price right now, starting at 549,000 won ($451). At launch, the price was nearly double at 999,000 won. The iPhone 13 starts at 1,090,000 won, with retailers offering a subsidy of about 150,000 won.

The cheapest Galaxy S22 price

“When subsidies go up simultaneously at all three telcos, it’s typically the manufacturer making up the contributions,” an LG Uplus official said.

Citing some analysts, Reuters the Galaxy S22 throttling effect on sales is yet to manifest itself. Samsung topped 1 million Galaxy S22 sales in the country two weeks faster than the Galaxy S21. Samsung might have shipped more than 6 million units by the end of March, in line with expectations.

Others expect Samsung’s June quarter to feel the pressure of the Galaxy S22 GOS controversy. The increased supply chain costs could also contribute to a weaker than expected June quarter.

While customers who do not care about the Galaxy S22 throttling problems will want to take advantage of the cheapest price in Korea, others will seek legal action. The report notes that some 1,885 consumers are part of the first trial against Samsung.

“If Porsche has a speed limit of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour, would you still buy it?” Kim Hoon-chan, the lawyer representing the customers, said. He added that some 1,500 buyers had joined a second class action.

As for international Galaxy S22 buyers, it’s unclear whether Samsung will implement similar price cuts. The throttling problem impacted mainly Exynos Galaxy S22 variants sold in Korea and Europe.

The US phones have Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chips inside. Your best bet on scoring the cheapest Galaxy S22 price possible is waiting for more time to pass after the phone’s launch. Throttling aside, Android flagships lose value faster than iPhones.