Last year Samsung released an unlocked Galaxy S7 for US networks a few months after the device officially launched. That delay wasn't great, but it at least gave users options for buying a device without having to go through a wireless carrier like Verizon or AT&T. We're getting the same thing this time around with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, but Samsung has sweetened the deal a bit.
Instead of waiting months after the Galaxy S8 launch, the unlocked aficionados can hop on the train just a few weeks after the carrier variants go on sale. You can buy a completely unlocked Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ on May 9th, which is much closer to the device's real release date.
Even better, Samsung is shaving a few bucks off the unlocked price. It's not much, but you can save $25 by buying it outright, which makes it $724.99 for the Galaxy S8 and $824.99 for the Galaxy S8+. Best Buy will be one of the first retailers to offer the phones, but as of right now it does look like they're only being offered in midnight black. Hopefully you didn't care too much about the other fancy colors.
Samsung will likely sell the phones directly, too, and even though they might lose that discount, you might have more color configurations. Fingers crossed the unlocked models are more prominent this time around.
Buy it now (Samsung Galaxy S8): Best Buy
Buy it now (Samsung Galaxy S8+): Best Buy
