Trending
03.21.25
Phone deals are a dime a dozen. Truly. All carriers want new customers, and one of the easier 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.
TextNow Tip: To find out just how much you can be saving by either buying a phone outright or financing it, you can run an easy comparison using an online phone bill calculator.
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Summary of the Best Phone Deals
| Category | Phone | Price | Find it at: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Phone Deal Overall | Google Pixel 8a 5G | $399 | Best Buy |
| Best Phone Deal for New Customer | Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | $0 | Metro by T-Mobile |
| Best Unlocked Phone Deal | Motorola Razr 2023 | $349.99 | Best Buy |
| Best Phone Deal From a Carrier | Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G | $29.99 | Boost Mobile |
| Best iPhone Deal | Apple iPhone 14 | $399 | Walmart |
| Best Phone Deal for Under $200 | Motorola Moto G 5G 2024 | $149.99 | Best Buy |
Best phone deal overall
Google Pixel 8a
Price $399
Network Unlocked
Phone Plan Pick from any of the
cheapest phone plans,
affordable unlimited data plans,
or even
talk & text only (no data) plans.
Our Take Google's Pixel models are great quality phones that are great deals to pick up when on sale. While the 8a is the entry-level model that doesn't boast of as many premium features as the flagship model, it still comes with a premium camera, OLED display, high refresh rates, and the same processor as the 8 model. To be able to pick one up – unlocked – for less than $500 is a steal.
Get it at Best Buy
Get it at Best Buy
Pros & Cons Pros:
- OLED screen with 12 Hz refresh rate for premium viewing and scrolling experience
- Unlocked, so you can pair it with a cheaper phone plan and save even more
- Supports Google's AI
- 64MP main rear camera + 13MP ultrawide rear camera
- Has shorter battery life than the flagship model
Best free phone deal for new customer
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G
Price $0
Network Metro by T-Mobile
Phone Plan Any of the Metro Flex plans that start at $55/month.
Our Take The Samsung Galaxy A16 is an affordable phone that feels a lot more premium than its price. It comes with a triple camera system that supports 50MP on its main camera for superior shots, a super AMOLED display, and an expandable storage option up to 1TB (seen less and less in phones these days.) The only downside is that it would be locked to Metro, and you're bound to a monthly plan that starts at $55/month (without AutoPay), taking away your ability to opt in to a more affordable service.
Get it at Metro
Get it at Metro
Pros & Cons Pros:
- super AMOLED screen for a premium viewing experience
- Triple lens camera with 50MP main camera
- MicroSD slot for expandable 1TB of storage
- Locked to Metro by T-Mobile
- Only 4GB of RAM (slower processing)
Best unlocked phone deal
Motorola Razr 2023
Price $349.99
Network Unlocked
Phone Plan Pick from any of the
cheapest phone plans,
affordable unlimited data plans,
or even
talk & text only (no data) plans.
Our Take Flip phones have made a huge comeback in the last couple of years, and Motorola's resurgence of their iconic Razr in a modern smartphone is a great example of that. It features all the modern amenities like a premium camera lens, high-resolution screen, 5G capability, but with the added benefit of a compact design that lets you easily and comfortably slip your phone into a pant pocket.
Get it at Best Buy
Get it at Best Buy
Pros & Cons Pros:
- super AMOLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate for a premium viewing and scrolling experience
- Triple lens camera with 64MP main camera
- Currently on sale for $350 off
- Unlocked
- The outer screen is small (especially in comparison so some other modern flip phones)
- Not fully water resistant like other flip phones in the market
Best carrier phone deal
Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G
Price $29.99
Network Boost Mobile
Phone Plan Unlimited + or higher plan required, starting at $50/month.
Our Take You don't see many styluses these days, which is a shame because they're a great phone for those who like to use their phone for more creative endeavours, or hate touch screens and just want to be able to scroll comfortably. While the $29.99 sales price is a great price, beware that it does mean you'll be locked in to a $50+ monthly plan.
Get it at Boost Mobile
Get it at Boost Mobile
Pros & Cons Pros:
- pOLED screen that is more durable and flexible than traditional glass screens
- Triple lens camera with 50MP main camera
- 5,000 mAh battery for longevity
- Locked to Boost Mobile
- Vegan leather back material more prone to attracting dirt and hair
Best Phone Deal under $200
Motorola Moto G 5G 2024
Price $149.99
Network Unlocked
Phone Plan Pick from any of the
cheapest phone plans,
affordable unlimited data plans,
or even
talk & text only (no data) plans.
Our Take This Motorola comes with great real-user reviews, making its $150 price tag a steal.
Get it at Best Buy
Get it at Best Buy
Pros & Cons Pros:
- 120 Hz refresh rate for optimal scrolling performance
- Triple lens camera with 50MP main camera
- 5,000 mAh battery for longevity
- Actually comes with a headphone jack
- 4GB RAM (slower processing)
- LCD screen is not as crisp or high-resolution as OLED/AMOLED screns
Best iPhone Deal
Apple iPhone 14
Price $399
Network Straight Talk
Phone Plan Pick from available Straight Talk plans, starting at $35/month.
Our Take Getting an iPhone for less than $800 is not an easy feat, and this $400 deal on the iPhone 14 is a great way to start with an iPhone that offers all the latest Apple features without the expensive price tag. Note that Straight Talk's plan options are limited, so if you'd like more freedom/flexibility with your phone plan, you may need to look elsewhere.
Get it at Walmart
Get it at Walmart
Pros & Cons Pros:
- OLED display with HDR display
- Portrait mode; 4K Dolby vision video recording
- MagSafe wireless charging
- Shorter battery life
- Main camera is only 12MP
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.
Guide to finding the best phone deals
When looking for a phone deal, whether you're ready for an upgrade, looking to get your kid their first phone, or just looking for a sale, there are different considerations to make. Here is a rundown of everything you need to know.
Difference between locked and unlocked phones
We use "unlocked" and "locked to..." a lot, so here is a a simple explanation of what those mean!
An unlocked phone should actually be expanded to say carrier-unlocked. Because that's what it means – a phone that isn't locked to any one carrier. Usually bought from a retailer (not a carrier) like BestBuy, Amazon, or even directly from the manufacturer, like Apple or Samsung.
A locked phone, on the other hand, is locked to a specific carrier. So, say you buy a Verizon-locked phone, that phone has software on it (from Verizon) that prevents it from being activated on or connecting to any other network. So you won't be able to easily take it to another carrier if you decide to switch plans.
TextNow Tip: Always look for an unlocked phone if you can – the money you save from not having to stick with a potentially higher monthly phone plan will almost always be more than the temporary money you save on a locked phone deal.
Don't forget! Locked phones can be unlocked, but that process differs across carriers. You can check out TextNow's guide on how to unlock your phone from your carrier for more information.
Types of phone deals
You're going to find very different phone deals, and it's important to know which one works for you.
Carrier Discounts and Promotions
Carriers like to bring in new customers with phone sales/promotions. Those can include a "new customer" sales price when you sign up for a (usually premium) monthly plan, a contract-based discount where you can get a phone discounted when signing up for a 24 or even 36-month plan contract, or just a plain switch promotion – switch from your old carrier and get a free (or discounted) phone!
Our take: Be sure that you're willing to commit to a certain monthly plan before going through with one of these deals.Trade-in Offers
This kind of deal can be found through carriers, but also through manufacturers and other retailers directly. It involves trading in an old phone to get a discount on a new one.
Our take: These are great if you already have a phone and are looking for an upgrade, as they give you a lot more options, and won't lock you in to any commitment.Instalment Plans
You will find a lot of online websites promoting a low weekly or monthly price tag next to a phone, as part of their financing option. The phone is then usually advertised with the more appealing monthly price (say, $30/month) to seem like a good deal.
Our take: A true deal will be when you can find a finance plan that has 0% APR (interest). That way, you're only ever paying for the actual price tag of the phone, and not a penny more.Seasonal Sales
And lastly, the most common one is the tried and true seasonal sale. Most common for phones around Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the holidays, and Back to School.Our take: It's definitely worthwhile to wait until one to find a deal, as that is when you'll find the most options with the deepest discounts!
Pros & Cons of getting a phone deal
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Savings:
The obvious pro is that you get a new phone for less, giving you some money back in your budget. |
Environmental concerns:
Upgrading your phone frequently isn't exactly the most environmentally friendly move. The manufacturing of new phones is an extremely taxing process (mainly due to lithium mining), and most discarded phones actually end up in a landfill. |
| New tech:
Upgrading to a new phone means that you get to upgrade your phone capabilities as well! From sharper pictures with a better camera to faster loading of pages and feeds with a better processor/RAM, your online experience can be greatly improved by a good phone deal. |
Contracts:
As mentioned before, a lot of deals are dependent on signing up for a contract to secure the discount. These usually entail signing up for a monthly service plan that starts at $50-$65/month. Over the course of the contract, you'll probably end up spending more than you would have without the discount but with a cheaper phone plan. |
TextNow Tip: Hand down your old phone to a family member or friend. You can even hook up your teen with their first phone this way by activating a TextNow SIM card so they can get access to unlimited calls & texts, plus essential apps while on the go!
How to select the best phone deal
What's better, buying a phone online or in-store?
That will all purely depend on what's important to you. The prices won't vary between online or store for the most price, but other factors you'd need to consider would be:
Shipping Time
If you're purchasing a phone online, you'd have to account for shipping times (usually within 1-3 business days, but delays are always possible). On top of that, you may also need to account for availability to receive the package to ensure it's not stolen.Hands-on Experience
If you're buying a new phone that you've never used before, you may want to test it out in your hand first to determine if it's a phone you actually like. You can feel out the size, the screen, the controls, even the camera in-store to make sure it's a 100% loved purchase.Customer Service
While you can certainly find a chatbox or a FAQ page to answer any questions you may have about the phone, or more importantly, to help you with the activation of the phone, that kind of help is more easily found in-store.Phone Selection and Price Comparisons
It's decidedly much easier to find a wide range of phones and compare their prices online than it is in-store. Online shopping is generally recommended for finding the best deal.
Tips for getting a good phone deal
Verify it's a sale.
Before falling for the shiny price tag, make sure the "sales" price you're seeing online is actually a sale. You'd be surprised by how many retailers (ahem, Amazon) actually hike up the prices a few weeks leading up to a sale, only to drop them down to a normal price and call it a sale.
Websites like CamelCamelCamel (specifically for Amazon), or PriceSpider (for most other online retailers) will look up the historical price of the item you found so you can make a more informed buying decision.Look for coupons.
Even if you did find a verified sale, there's no harm in looking around for even deeper discounts. There are plenty of online coupon websites like RetailMeNot or SlickDeals to find decent promo codes.
TextNow Tip: Install the free browser extension Honey on your computer, which will automatically search the web for coupons specific to the retail website you're on at the time and apply the best one for you! (I myself just saved 15% the other day buying my son some new fall clothes on Gap's website by using Honey).
3. Compare, compare, compare!
If you're after a specific phone, and find a deal, make sure you look up that phone model on Google, click on the "Shopping" tab and compare all the prices from all the retailers to find the best one. Never assume the first price you see is the best one!
If you have any questions or comments, send us a note at [email protected]!
