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Here’s how to buy the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus

Samsung adds 128GB and 256GB storage options for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus

galaxy s9 hands-on review both back hand
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are finally here, boasting the latest and greatest Qualcomm processor — the Snapdragon 845 — plenty of RAM, and a revamped camera that Samsung hopes will make the Galaxy S9 the phone of choice for photography lovers.

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Now that the new phone is here, you might be wondering how you can get your hands on it for yourself. There are plenty of ways to buy the phone — and we’ve done the research on them so that you don’t have to. Whether you want to buy the phone through a carrier or directly from Samsung, here’s how to get your hand on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.

Unlocked

Now that pre-orders are over, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are now available for purchase straight from the Samsung website. You’ll also be able to get your hands on the device from retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart.

Samsung

If you’re looking for the most diverse range of storage options, purchasing from Samsung is your best bet. In April, the smartphone manufacturer announced it would release a 128GB and 256GB storage option for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus exclusively on its website.

The 128GB Galaxy S9 sells for $770 while the same storage configuration on the Galaxy S9 Plus will set you back $890. If you want to max out your storage a 256GB option of the Galaxy S9 will be available for $820, while the S9 Plus of the same size will sell for $940 — but only during pre-order. After pre-orders are finished, the pricing will go up to $840 for the 256GB Galaxy S9, and $960 for the Galaxy S9 Plus. Pre-orders began on May 1, and the devices will be available for purchase on May 18. If you pre-order a Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus with a 128GB or 256GB storage capacity before May 17, you’ll also opt for either a free Gear IconX or Samsung Gear S3 Frontier for $100.

If you choose to pick up the Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus from Samsung.com or through the Shop Samsung app, then you can pick up an unlocked version of the Samsung Galaxy S9 for $720, or $30 a month for 24 months. The larger S9 Plus will set you back a little more — $840, or $35 a month, for 24 months.

If you’re upgrading from an older Galaxy device, then Samsung is also offering a trade-in program that could save you up to $300 on a new Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus. The details of this trade in option are available on Samsung’s site, as is the list of models that can be traded in.

See details

Carriers

AT&T

For a limited time AT&T is offering a pretty sweet promotion for AT&T Next customers. Buy any Galaxy S9 and you’ll receive a bill credit for $395, cutting the price of Samsung’s newest flagship in half. If you’d rather give the Galaxy S9 Plus or Note 8 a go, AT&T will provide the same $395 bill credit for these devices as well.

After the limited promotion ends, we anticipate AT&T will return to its regular promotion for  the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus. AT&T Next customers can get the standard Galaxy S9 for $26.34 per month for 30 months, while the Galaxy S9 Plus will come in at $30.50 per month for 30 months. That comes out to a total of $790.20 for the standard Galaxy S9, or $915 total for the Galaxy S9 Plus.

AT&T has also announced that its MVNO, Cricket Wireless, are offering the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus in some select stores.

See details

Sprint

Like other carriers, Sprint is now offering the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus to its customers — with a slightly quirky deal. Customers that buy the Samsung Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9 Plus will get a star that they can name. Yes, a literal star. The offer is only available “while supplies last.”

The phones come at $33 per month for the Galaxy S9 or $38 per month for the S9 Plus on Sprint’s Flex lease program. Through Sprint, you’ll also be able to get a $150 gift card if you switch your phone number to Sprint.

If you’re looking for two new Galaxy S9 phones, Sprint may have the perfect deal for you. The carrier is offering a limited-time lease offer that offers a monthly bill credit for one device when you lease two. For example, if you lease two Galaxy S9 phones, you’ll see a monthly lease charge of $66 as well as a bill credit for $33.

Sprint says the phone is also available from Boost Mobile.

See details

T-Mobile

As you would expect, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are also available from T-Mobile. T-Mobile is offering some pretty awesome trade-in deals, too. You’ll be able to get up to a hefty $360 if you trade-in some flagship phones, including the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, iPhone 8, and others. Older phones, including the LG G5, Galaxy S5, and others, will still get up to $200 — which is still not bad at all.

If you’re looking to get your S9 or S9 Plus with the Un-Carrier, then you can choose from the following pricing choices:

Galaxy S9

  • $30/month and $0 up-front on EIP
  • 32/month and $0 up-front on T-Mobile’s JUMP! On Demand service

Galaxy S9 Plus

  • $30/month and $120 up-front on EIP
  • $31/month and $120 up-front on T-Mobile’s JUMP! On Demand service

See details

U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular is offering both phones in Midnight Black, Coral Blue and Lilac Purple.

Customers purchasing an unlimited data plan and turning in an eligible device can receive up to $350 off their purchase, via monthly bill credit — and can also get up to $250 off when purchasing an unlimited data plan, even if they aren’t trading in a device.

See details

Verizon

From Verizon, the Galaxy S9 costs $33.33 per month for 24 months — which equates to $799.92 — and the Galaxy S9 Plus is $38.74 per month for 24 months, for a total of $929.76. If, however, you’re interested in getting two devices instead of one, Verizon is offering a pretty sweet buy-one, get-one deal. If you buy a Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9 Plus through Verizon, you’ll get $799.99 toward the purchase of another Galaxy S9 device — which will be applied in discounts over a 24-month period.

The company also has a hefty six promotional offers running. Here’s the run-down of those promotional offers.

  • $350 off the Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus with a qualifying trade-in. For the full trade-in value, you’ll need to trade-in a flagship device like the iPhone X, iPhone 8, Galaxy S8, and so on. Other phones will qualify for a trade-in — but you may not get the full $350.
  • Those who start a new line with Verizon and get the Galaxy S9 will receive a $150 prepaid MasterCard card.
  • Those that purchase the new phone will get $10 off select Samsung accessories.
  • Up to 50 percent off of Samsung tablets, as long as you subscribe to a two-year agreement.
  • $100 off a Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, with a two-year agreement.
  • Samsung Fast Charge Power Bundle for $99.99.

See details

Xfinity Mobile

Xfinity Mobile is offering a $250 Visa prepaid card to existing customers who pick from the Lilac Purple, Midnight Black, and Coral Blue models of the S9 and S9 Plus that it has on offer. Additionally, if customers trade in an eligible device as a part of its trade-in scheme, they will also receive an additional $200 credit — giving customers a combined $450 off their phone.

See details

Updated on May 4: Clarified the difference between pre-order pricing and standard sale pricing for 256GB models.

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