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06.06.24
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Phone deals are a dime a dozen. Truly. All carriers want new customers, and one of the easy ways they can get some is by offering a new phone for less, or in some cases, even for free! But looking up phone deals can feel like walking into a mall on Black Friday – total and utter chaos. Flashy signs and exclamation marks everywhere. Which is why we put together a handy list of the best cell phone deals you can find right now, scouring all over the internet to do the work for you. We'll update this list regularly, so you can be sure to always be in-the-know for the latest and hottest deals around.
*If you didn’t know, the Apple Event wrapped up this week, unveiling a new iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, and the next gen AirPods. You can expect to see some older models of iPhones go on sale in the upcoming weeks as a result, which would be a great time to pick one up if you’ve been wanting to switch to an iPhone.
Summary of the Best Phone Deals
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Best phone deal
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Price: $999 $624
BestBuy currently has the Pixel 8 Pro on sale for $624, which is the best deal we've found.
Why We Picked It: This phone comes unlocked, and is 37% off, for an unprecedented price that is under $1,000 for such a powerful model. Pixels are loaded with the cleanest version of Android software that is intuitive and robust, allowing you to customize your experience to your needs.
Pros: The phone is unlocked, allowing you to activate it with any carrier, and is dual-SIM capable, so you can easily use it as a business/travel phone.
Cons: Only comes with 128GB of storage (if you tend to hold a lot of content), and as the Pro model, it does come with the bigger screen (6.7) inches, which can be obtrusive.
TextNow Tip: Keep the savings going by activating this phone with a cheaper phone plan that won't lock you in for the next 2 years.
Best free phone deal
Google Pixel 9
Price: $799 $0
Google Fi Wireless (Google's own wireless service) is currently offering their newest flagship phone model for $0 with $300 off now, plus $499 back in credits over 24 months with one of their phone plans.
Why We Picked It: The new Pixel models comes with Google's newest built-in AI assistant, Gemini. It's engineered by Google, so we know it's going to be able to make a lot of things in your life easier (it even can make you recipes based on pictures of what's in your fridge!) It would be too good of a deal to pass up on.
Pros: You can get access to all of Google's most innovative software, with a smaller screen than the Pro, and a seriously impressive camera.
Cons: To get this deal, you do need to sign up for a Google Fi monthly plan for 2 years.
Best unlocked phone deals
Motorola Edge (256GB)
Price: $599.99 $199.99
BestBuy is a on roll this fall with some great phone sales, including his Motorola Edge that saves you $300.
Why We Picked It: Motorola is a brand that tends to have hits and misses, and thankfully, this one is a hit. It has great user reviews, especially for its camera and display quality, which will definitely elevate your streaming and scrolling experience for less than $200!
Pros: It comes with 256GB of built-in storage, and can support 5G connectivity, and wireless charging.
Cons: People do complain that they find it hard to find accessories (cases) for this phone in particular.
TextNow Tip: This would be a great phone to gift to an older family member or friend, as you start planning out your holiday shopping!
Apple iPhone 15 Plus
Price: $929 $829
As mentioned earlier, with Apple's newest lineup coming out, right now is a great time to snag an iPhone 15 Plus, with various lower price options.
Why We Picked It: Finding an iPhone sale is like trying to find a needle in a haystack most of the time, especially if you're looking for one of their newer models. This sale can be even cheaper if you choose to connect this phone with Boost, Verizon, or TMobile ($799 price point), though you'd be sacrificing getting a cheaper monthly plan elsewhere for only another $100 savings.
Pros: Apple is offering 0% APR, so you can also finance it to give your budget some more breathing room.
Cons: You will end up spending more on accompanying accessories (power adapter for your charging cable, and adapters for wired headphones.)
Best carrier phone deal
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Price: $99
Walmart is offering this phone for under $100, locked to AT&T that you will have to activate specifically with AT&T (or any of AT&T's subsidiaries) on your own later.
Why We Picked It: By specs alone, this is a phone that should cost more than $100, and finding it for less is a steal. It also doesn't involve any commitments of 24-48 months to get the price, so that's a winning deal in our eyes!
Pros: A trusted brand with great user reviews! Would be a great phone for a first-time user such as a teen or senior.
Cons: It is locked to AT&T, so finding a cheap plan to use with it may be difficult.
TextNow Tip: Keep an eye out on the FCC proposal that all carriers unlock phones after 60 days, as that may come sooner than later, which will help alleviate any costs associated with a high monthly cell phone plan!
Best trade-in phone deal
Samsung S24 Ultra (512GB)
Price: $1419.99 $1299.99
Samsung has one of the best trade-in programs, giving you the ability to get up to $750 off.
Why We Picked It: The device-trade in program for Samsung is fairly open and accessible to all kinds of devices, as long as they're in good condition and standing. But also if you notice, currently their 512GB model is listed at the same price as their 256GB model, with more color options available online. AKA – a no brainer.
Pros: More personable color choices, and this model also supports their S pen, so if you're someone who likes to write out their notes, or edit photos and other content easily, this is the phone for you.
Cons: Without a trade-in, the price point is quite high, and may be worth waiting for a bigger sale.
Best phone deal under $100
Motorola Moto G Play
Price: $169.99 $99.99
This BestBuy deal just makes it onto our list of under $100 phones with its 58% off sticker price.
Why We Picked It: While this phone's specs aren't as impressive as the Samsung A53 we shared above at a similar price point, this one does come unlocked, giving you better options for connecting it with a service plan. If you want, you can go through BestBuy's website to connect it to a carrier (AT&T, Google Fi, TMobile), and they'll even drop the phone price down to $0.
Pros: Another great option for light users, like seniors or teens that won't break the bank.
Cons: Is not 5G capable, and only comes with 32GB of built-in storage (with expendable storage slot available).
Best phone deals under $500
Motorola Moto G 5G
Price: $249.99 $149.99
If you're getting confused by all these similar Motorola names – don't worry, we are too – but there's nothing confusing about this great deal from BestBuy.
Why We Picked It: This would be an upgrade from the previous Moto G we linked out, that does support 5G connectivity, and offers better camera quality, and more built-in storage.
Pros: Still supports a microSD slot, so you can easily increase your storage, and comes unlocked!
Cons: Does not offer wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy S22
Price: $598 $497
This Walmart sale on the Samsung S22 is great way to pick up a flagship model that's not too old, and will still feel very much like an upgrade.
Why We Picked It: Buying a new phone under $500 is not always an easy task, and this is a deal we wouldn't pass up.
Pros: Comes with a powerful processor, and three cameras that include a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide lens, and even a telephoto lens for the avid photographer. Oh, and did we mention it's unlocked??
Cons: We have none. Go buy it!
Best iPhone deal
iPhone 14
Price: $829 $529
This sales price from Red Pocket Mobile is only available after 3 months on AutoPay with one of their phone plans, at which point you would get $300 back (from the original $829).
Why We Picked It: The $300 rebate is a great offer, mainly because unlike other carriers, you can qualify for it on their lowest monthly plan, which is $20/month.
Pros: This offer is for the higher 256GB of built-in storage model, and as it's not the Plus, the screen size is smaller (6.1"), which we find to be much more manageable for everyday life.
Cons: If you already have a phone plan you're happy with, this offer most likely isn't worth it to you.
Best Samsung Deal
Samsung Galaxy S24+ (512GB)
Price: $1,19.99 $999.99
The Samsung deals just keep on coming! This time, you can get a deal on the Samsung S24+ (either their 256GB or 512GB) model, and take advantage of their great trade-in program.
Why We Picked It: This is a great time to get the latest Samsung devices for less than $1,000, without having to sacrifice being locked to any one carriers.
Pros: dual SIM slots, and 16GB of ram that will have the phone feeling as powerful and smooth (honestly, probably even more) as your laptop.
Cons: The camera quality doesn't stand out as much as its other counterparts.
Methodology: How we select the best phone deals
We know that the best phone service deserves the best phone. While price is a key factor in phone purchases, there are other modern features that are integral to your everyday phone experience.
We also account for camera quality, storage, and 5G capabilities. While the camera quality needs will vary person to person, it's important that a certain minimum standard (16MP) be met. We know how important those photos are!
Storage is equally as important, as low storage can affect phone performance overall (slower apps and errors on certain apps), so if 128GB isn't standard, we look for phones that can support expendable storage to avoid poor performance.
And lastly, as 5G is becoming the standard, we want to ensure that you're getting your money's worth with the higher end models by being able to support the fastest network for an easier time downloading and uploading your content.
