Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 is rumored to cost around $1,000

Image: lili sams/mashable

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 9 is probably not going to be cheaper than last year’s model.

If you want Samsung’s best Android phone, you should probably start saving up, because it’s likely to cost close to (if not more than) $1,000.

Samsung’s expected to announce the Note 9 smartphone at its Unpacked event in New York City on Aug. 9., and accompanying the device will be a hefty price tag.

Last year, the Note 8 launched on U.S. carriers at a price of $900-960. As Samsung’s top-tier phone, the Note 9 will probably cost about the same or even more.

New price listings from Malaysia (via BGR) suggest the Note 9 could start at 4,299 MYR (about $1,055 USD) for the version with 128GB of storage, and 5,099 MYR (about $1,250 USD) for the rumored 512GB model.

These are unconfirmed prices, and they are seemingly for Malaysia, but the conversation rate still gives us an idea of what to expect — and it’s an alarming trend.

Forking over $1,000 or more for a phone sucks. If you were hoping for phone makers to come to their senses and slash prices in the future, you’ve got another thing coming.

While there will still be premium phones that cost less — Apple’s rumored 6.1-inch LCD-based “iPhone 9” is expected to cost between $700-$800 — the very best won’t be vacating the $1,000+ range anytime soon.

Both the Note 9 and Apple’s rumored 6.5-inch “iPhone X Plus” will likely duke it out in this price range this year. But they’re not the only ones competing in this very expensive space. Huawei’s P20 Pro ($800) and Oppo’s Find X ($1158) are battling it out as well.

This year, more than ever, I think we’re all going to have to rethink the value of a $1,000 phone. As cutting-edge as the Note 9 is sure to be, top-notch premium phones like the OnePlus 6 that cost half as much have basically reset the game.

Something tells me phone makers are gonna have to be a little more bold — like sell foldable phones, even if they’ll probably be DOA — in order to justify high prices. Otherwise, why should anyone pony up $1000, when you don’t have to?