By Vicky Kapur

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will retail for about Dh2,350 ($650) according to a technical release by Samsung, which had to, we’re guessing legally, put the estimated price in the fine-print of an official Samsung contest for the just announced Galaxy S4 smartphone.

And while the Samsung Galaxy S4 price off contract was reportedly $579 (~Dh2,125) in the fine-print until yesterday, which was Dh475 ($70) cheaper than an unlocked base model of iPhone 5, the refreshed terms and conditions seem to have jacked up the estimated price to $650.

However, the ARV, or approximate retail value that Samsung lists for the prize doesn't add up - here's the math:

According to the prize details listed by Samsung in its terms and conditions, there are 48 'First Prizes', each consisting of a Samsung Galaxy S4 mobile device. It mentions that the ARV is $650, but hang on. In addition to the first prizes, there are 4 Grand Prizes, each consisting of one Samsung Galaxy S4 mobile device and one 55” Samsung Smart TV. The ARV mentioned for the Smart TV is $2,750.

"Total ARV of all available prizes is $42,200," says Samsung. Now assuming that the retail price of the TV is what Samsung says it is, the four TVs will together cost $11,000. Take that amount out of the total prize ARV, and you're left with $31,200. That amount is in effect the approximate retail value for the 52 (48 + 4) Galaxy S4 smartphones. And $31,200 / 52 equals $600, or Dh2,200. Touché.

At the expense of appearing to be beating our own trumpet, in our round-up of the rumours about the Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5S, we did in fact told you so. We'd said, and I quote: "Expect a Samsung surprise on the pricing front. Analysts maintain that Samsung will not try to profit from the launch of the Galaxy S4. Instead, it will try to wipe out the competition with a features-loaded smartphone at bargain basement price. There have been suggestions that it could slash the price to as much as $499 (Dh1,830) for its 16GB entry model. If it does that, it’s sure to burn the dance floor with that move."

Okay, so the price isn't as low as what we'd hoped for, but for the amount of features it has packed in, Samsung has indeed done a remarkable job to keep a tight ceiling on the price. Officially, though, Samsung is yet to officially announce a Samsung Galaxy S4 price, and things could still go lower - or higher - once it begins retailing.

The new Galaxy S4 smartphone was launched by Samsung at the Mobile Unpacked event in New York’s Times Square on March 14/15.

With the global launch of its new spearhead smartphone in New York – a first for Samsung – the South Korean giant has taken the battle for supremacy in the mobile domain right to arch-rival Apple Inc.’s home turf.

Galaxy S4 is pitted in direct competition with iPhone 5 and other new leading smartphones, including the BlackBerry Z10, the Sony Xperia Z the HTC One, the LG Optimus, the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820, and others.

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