Smartphones are an essential part of modern life. But even so, you may not be as willing to pay the current prices, which have been creeping higher and higher over the years. These higher prices lead many people to consider buying used instead of new. As soon as you decide to buy used newish, you may start wondering whether you can save even more if you wait another few months.
Keep reading to learn more about the Galaxy S20 price drop history, and discover how much each S20 model is worth. Or, check out our Samsung Galaxy S Buyer’s Guide if you are unsure of which model you want to buy as your upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy S20 price drop history
Samsung announced the Galaxy S20 family during the Galaxy Unpacked event, which took place in February 2020. The Galaxy S20 family includes the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra. These three models were first released in the United States on March 6, 2020.
At launch, the original retail price for the Galaxy S20 was $999. The Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra were each more expensive, with the MSRP coming in at $1,199 for the Plus model, $1,399 for the Ultra model. Naturally, if you are planning to buy any of these three models in 2021 — you can expect to pay much less.
December 2020 | January 2021 | February 2021 | March 2021 | April 2021 | May 2021 | |
Samsung Galaxy S20 5G (128GB) | $552 | $543 | $533 | $512 | $511 | $502 |
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G (128GB) | $620 | $617 | $593 | $589 | $584 | $580 |
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G (512GB) | $670 | $632 | $634 | $643 | $620 | $739 |
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (128GB) | $705 | $696 | $679 | $669 | $672 | $643 |
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (512GB) | $828 | $756 | $785 | $776 | $716 | $757 |
In addition, the Galaxy S20 lineup also includes another, not so common model, the Galaxy S20 FE. The FE stands for Fan Edition, and the Galaxy S20 FE arrived a few months after the initial Galaxy S20 releases, in September 2020. The original MSRP for the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was $699.
December 2020 | January 2021 | February 2021 | March 2021 | April 2021 | May 2021 | |
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (128GB) | $477 | $482 | $458 | $445 | $436 | $412 |
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (256GB) | $567 | $667 | $491 | $472 | $514 | $467 |
The above tables show the average sale prices for used Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphones sold in the Swappa marketplace.
Buy a cheap Galaxy S20 on Swappa
In general, the value of a used smartphone will drop over time. These drops may not be immediately obvious, and they may not seem quite as important when looking month to month. However, when spread out over a longer period of time, such as 3 or 6-months, the potential savings will be noticeable.
For example, the average selling price of a 128GB Samsung Galaxy S20 5G dropped by $50 over a 6-month period from December 2020 to May 2021. Similarly, the average selling price of a 128GB Galaxy S20 Plus 5G dropped from $620 in December 2020 to $580 in May 2021. Paying around $580 for a gently used Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G would be a huge discount when compared to the original $1,199 MSRP.
Of course, it is important to note that prices don’t always drop. The 512GB Galaxy S20 Plus 5G increased in value from $670 to $739 over this same 6-month period. But still, if you consider the original retail price for the 512GB model was $1,349.99 — $740 means you’re only paying about half as much.
Several factors affect the price of a used smartphone, with one factor being market demand. In cases where fewer models are available, the price can increase, similar to what happened with the 512GB version of the Galaxy S20 Plus 5G. Some of the other factors that affect the price of a used smartphone include the condition of the phone and the specs, such as the amount of internal storage.
You can review the current price trends for each of the models in the Galaxy S20 family using the following links:
- Samsung Galaxy S20 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
When is the best time to buy a Samsung Galaxy S20?
The best time to buy a gently used Samsung Galaxy S20 is right now. Sure, if you wait a few months the phone may be a little cheaper, but it is important to factor the current price against the original MSRP and when doing that — you’ll always pay less if you buy a gently used model.
Not having to wait is especially important if you are replacing a phone that you lost, or have one that is broken or damaged. Of course, market demand plays an important factor and prices may drop a little if there are lots of listings for a specific model. This tends to happen immediately before and after Samsung releases a new Galaxy S model because people frequently sell their current model as a way to fund their upgrade.
You can subscribe to get an email alert every time a new Samsung Galaxy S20 listing is added by clicking on the “Subscribe” button on the following pages:
- Samsung Galaxy S20 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
When is the best time to sell a Samsung Galaxy S20?
Selling a used smartphone is similar to buying a used smartphone, and the best time to sell is now. The quicker you list your Galaxy S20, the higher the resale value. Getting more is important, especially if you are selling your Galaxy S20 to fund an upgrade to a newer model such as a Galaxy S21. And as you probably already know, you get the most money for your used Samsung phone on Swappa.
Looking towards the Galaxy S20 5G as an example, the average sale price decreased by $50 over the time period from December 2020 to May 2021, with the price decreasing by about $10 each month. While $10 each month may not seem as important, that amount would be helpful when put towards shipping.
Sale prices are important regardless of whether you are buying or selling. Buyers hope to pay less, and sellers hope to get more. Ideally, both parties find a nice middle ground where the buyer gets a good deal, and the seller gets enough to help fund their upgrade.
The marketplace is also equally important for buyers and sellers. Buyers and sellers both want an active and trusted marketplace, such as Swappa. The Swappa marketplace is safe, secure, and easy to use because of our policies, which help protect buyers and sellers.
Swappa has a great support and moderation team that is available 24/7/365 if you have questions or concerns. Swappa also has a “No Junk, No Jerks” policy, so you can use Swappa knowing that you will be dealing with like-minded individuals. Of course, you shouldn’t only take our word for this — make sure to also read our Trustpilot reviews, which have been left by Swappa buyers and sellers.