Samsung Offers UK Shoppers 50% Back on Galaxy S25 Upgrades

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Samsung’s big news today is the unveiling of the new super-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, a sleek addition to its line-up of flagship premium smartphones. At a mere 5.8 mm thick, the Edge is an attractive entry to the Galaxy S family and aligns well with CCS Insight’s view that, in the second half of 2025, thin is in.

Samsung is the first of the leading phone-makers out of the gate with a slim design, but with Apple expected to launch a thin iPhone variant in September, this seems like a pre-emptive strike ahead of the Apple launch. That said, the Galaxy S25 Edge is a nice device and I’m sure it will resonate with Samsung fans and give the company some welcome attention at a time of year when it’s usually between launches.

However, the news that really caught my eye wasn’t the slim phone, but the unveiling of Galaxy Club in the UK, which Samsung describes as “an exclusive upgrade and rewards programme”, available to customers buying any phone in the Galaxy S25 series, including the Galaxy S25 Edge.

There have been rumours for some time that Samsung wants to step up its trade-in activities, and this looks like a very bold move, with the UK apparently the pilot market in Europe for its new programme. Although Samsung has been ramping up its efforts in the US and Korean trade-in space, this is the first time we’ve seen such an initiative elsewhere in the world.

A significant challenge facing all Android phone-makers is the low residual value of their key devices compared with the Apple iPhone. The chart below, taken from CCS Insight’s circular markets research suite, starkly illustrates this challenge.

After one year, the average trade-in price for an iPhone is more than 40% of the original purchase price. A consumer can expect to get just over 20% for a Samsung device, and for other Android devices, prices depreciate even more quickly. This makes Samsung’s offer of a “guaranteed 50% return of the device RRP when you upgrade between 12 to 15 months” especially eye-catching.

At first glance, targeting upgrades after 12 to 15 months may seem too soon. But Samsung is tapping into a lucrative group of users, and in doing so, securing a supply of younger, more attractive devices to resell.

I believe there are several reasons Samsung has made the bold move to launch the Galaxy Club. Firstly, it helps to reduce the perceived risk of choosing a new Galaxy device over an iPhone. It’s pretty simple maths: if Android phones depreciate more than twice as fast as iPhones, that’s a potential barrier to purchase.

However, there are other forces at work here, too. CCS Insight’s Pulse: Connected Consumer research indicates that the average tenure for a smartphone in the UK is rapidly approaching four years. Samsung is highly motivated to get its most valuable consumers to upgrade their phones more regularly, and this is a great incentive to do so.

Samsung also needs to address the challenge of resale value. Its devices don’t command anywhere near the residual value of those from arch-rival Apple. By carefully curating a trade-in programme that drives new sales and delivers a steady flow of high-quality, second-hand, almost-new Samsung phones, the company has a chance to drive up the prices in the secondary market.

It wouldn’t surprise me if this initiative were backed by a “Samsung certified” second-hand device programme, allowing approved third-party sellers to offer pre-owned devices at a significant premium over current used Samsung devices. That would be a win not just for Samsung, but the whole Android ecosystem.

Consumers can opt into free membership of the Galaxy Club when purchasing a new Galaxy S25 series smartphone from Samsung.com and will be notified when they’re eligible for an upgrade. Beyond the guaranteed 50% return, Samsung is sweetening the deal with two years of its accidental damage protection, known as SamsungCare+ (worth £179), 0% finance over 24 months based on a 10% deposit, and a £50 voucher for any mobile device worth £150 or more on Samsung’s website.

CCS Insight will be watching the roll-out of Galaxy Club with great interest. It’s a disruptive bet by Samsung’s UK division, which, if successful, could move the needle on Android residual values and help take the fight to Apple, something Samsung has been focused on for the past decade.