I wouldn’t blame you if you delayed upgrading your smartphone all these months. For one thing, it’s always helpful to have an idea of what each manufacturer has to offer with their latest handsets. And two, discounts and sales are more important than ever with the current state of the economy.
Still, for how essential smartphones are to our daily lives, when it’s finally time to buy a new one, you’ll want a device that’s both capable and reliable enough to last you years on the road. With Black Friday officially kicking off in a few weeks, you don’t have to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to feast on savings on your smartphone. I scoured the most popular retailers’ digital catalogs to round up the best mobile deals below. Read on and start saving.
Best early Black Friday 2022 smartphone deals overall
Below, you’ll find my top picks for early Black Friday smartphone deals, including those from Google, Apple, Samsung, and more.
- Current price: $899
- Original price: $1,199
In the running for best smartphone of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, with its gorgeous 6.8-inch OLED display, up to 8K video recording, S Pen support and generous 5,000 battery mAh, turned out to be the largest smartphone from the Korean giant. full handset yet. As Black Friday begins, Amazon and Best Buy have discounted the flagship by $300, putting the Galaxy right next to Google’s Pixel 7 Pro which was just released at $899.
I challenge you to find a more versatile smartphone for this price.
- Current price: $849
- Original price: $999
I reviewed the iPhone 14 Pro alongside ZDNET colleague Jason Hiner in September, and while Apple’s latest handset was blown away by improved camera features and its la most ambitious yet: Dynamic Island, it didn’t feel like a revelation compared to the iPhone 13 Pro. of the previous year. That said, if you were hoping to pick up a cheaper iPhone for Black Friday, this $150 discount on the excellent iPhone 13 Pro is definitely worth a look.
For more transparency, the phone is certified “Renewed Premium” by Amazon, which means that it has been fully inspected and will look like new. Other than that, you can expect the same iOS 16 experience you’d get on the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and a more traditional notch display.
- Current price: $649
- Original price: $799
The OnePlus 10 Pro is one of the best smartphones that has fallen under everyone’s radar this year, mainly because it was announced back in January at CES. As OnePlus’ flagship smartphone, the handset offers the long-awaited duo of ultra-smooth display performance and even faster charging. No, seriously, the phone comes with a 65W charging brick that can power it from 0% to 100% in half an hour.
All things considered, you’re technically saving $250 with this deal, as the OnePlus 10 Pro retailed for $899 when it first released earlier this year.
- Current price: $299
- Original price: $449
Google’s Pixel A series of smartphones are known for offering the company’s computational photography prowess in a package that costs no more than $500. Here’s an even better deal: the latest Pixel 6a for just $299. It’s the lowest price I’ve seen on the Tensor-powered handset, and considering the five to six years of software and security support it’s about to receive, it doesn’t There really isn’t a better contract-free smartphone deal right now than this.
The Pixel 6a is also one of the most compact handsets on the market today at 6.1 inches. I will say the lower cost comes at the expense of a slower 60Hz refresh rate display, but unless you’re a gamer or spend all day browsing a social feed, this shouldn’t significantly affect your experience.
- Current price: $349
- Original price: $449
It’s easy to spoil a “cheap” 5G phone, but Samsung has nailed almost everything with the Galaxy A53 5G. So much so that it currently sits atop ZDNET’s Best Cheap 5G Phones ranking. The reasoning is actually quite simple. The Galaxy A53 5G features a large 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display that can shoot up to 120Hz, which alone puts its closest competitor, the Apple iPhone SE (2nd Gen) to shame. and Google’s Pixel 6a. Then there’s a robust 5,000mAh battery powering the device and a quad-camera setup on the back for more flexibility when shooting photos and videos.
The entire shebang is currently on sale for just $349, which is $100 off its regular price.
More Black Friday 2022 smartphone deals
Here are some other Black Friday smartphone deals right now:
When it comes to finding the best deal, part of the equation is finding smartphones that users will actually enjoy. By testing most handsets hitting the open market throughout the year, ZDNET’s team of subject matter experts can offer the best advice on what to buy and what to avoid. .
The second part of the equation is determining whether a deal is real or not. In some cases, retailers will mark down a product knowing full well that it was discounted for weeks and months prior. In other cases, like the ones mentioned above, you save money on products like never before.
Black Friday always falls the day after Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday will take place on November 25, 2022.
Cyber Monday is always the Monday following Black Friday. This year, it will be Monday, November 28, 2022.