Save up to $1,000 with the best smartphone deals for October 2018
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By Lucas Coll
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There are many reasons you might be in dire need of a new phone, whether due to battery life or for other reasons. With companies like Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, Huawei, and Motorola recently rolling out new flagship devices, now is your chance to take advantage of slashed prices on quality smartphones that will blow your old model out of the water.
If your phone needs an update and you’re ready to score a discount on a new wireless device, here are a handful of smartphone deals available right now. The list includes a few sales on unlocked smartphones, as well as some carrier offers that can save you as much as $850. Getting a new phone doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.
The best deal
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Fall is the season for new flagship phones, and we’ve already seen Samsung and Apple roll out their latest. Now it’s Google’s turn, and the new Pixel 3 is a more affordable — yet no less impressive — alternative to competing flagships that ring in at $1,000 or more. Retail pricing for the Google Pixel 3 starts at $799, which is already considerably cheaper than the $1,000-$1,100 starting price of the Galaxy Note 9 and iPhone XS, but Verizon customers (or those looking to switch to Verizon) can maximize their savings by taking advantage of one of these offers:
Verizon: Verizon has the only buy one, get one deal going for the Pixel 3 right now, letting you snag one for free when you buy either the Pixel 3 or its larger sibling, the Pixel 3 XL, at full price.
Google: You can order the Pixel 3 directly from Google for $799 or the Pixel 3 XL for $899 (with a monthly installment plan available if you don’t want to pay outright), and with an eligible trade-in, you can take up to $400 off. This means you could score the new Pixel 3 for as low as $400 depending on your trade-in device.
Best Buy: If you don’t want to buy two phones to get a discount, Best Buy is throwing in a free $100 gift card if you order the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL and activate your phone with Verizon.
More carrier smartphone deals
Cellular service providers regularly offer enticing incentives to get you to switch to their LTE plans. So if you’re looking for a new carrier, you can save a good chunk of change and even score a free device by taking advantage of one of the best smartphone deals from Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T:
AT&T: AT&T has a bundle of nice BOGO and rebate deals on name-brand Android and Apple flagships for DirecTV customers: Buy two iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone XR, Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus, Galaxy Note 9, or LG V35 ThinQ smartphones on AT&T Next and enjoy between $600 and $850 back in bill credits toward the value of the second phone (the rebate amount varies by model). If you don’t want to buy two and/or you’re not a DirecTV customer, you can still get up to $600 back on a Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, or Note 9 with an eligible trade-in.
Verizon: Verizon Wireless is offering BOGO and rebate deals on a handful of Apple and Android phones right now. With a qualifying trade-in, you can take $300 off a Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus, or Galaxy Note 9 when you purchase one of these devices and add a new line. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 are also on sale for $100 off with no trade-in necessary. Alternatively, you can get $750 toward a new iPhone XR when you buy an iPhone X, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max and add a new line.
Sprint: Sprint currently has some big discounts on Android and Apple devices, letting you get $450 back when you buy an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus with an eligible trade-in. Other Apple deals let you score an iPhone X or iPhone XR for free, the iPhone XS for $375, or the XS Max for $450 with the trade-in of an eligible last-gen flagship. Android deals let you grab the Samsung Galaxy S9 for $270, the Galaxy S9 Plus for $324, or the Galaxy Note 9 for $360 when you purchase one on an 18-month rent-to-own Sprint Flex lease and add a new line (no trade-in necessary).
Unlocked smartphone deals
Carrier offers typically require you to sign up for a specific service or trade in an old device to get your discount. These smartphone deals, on the other hand, let you enjoy big savings on these unlocked mobile phones when you buy them outright:
LG G6: You can save a lot of money on great hardware by opting for last-gen flagships like the excellent LG G6. You don’t need to tie yourself to a carrier to score a deal on this brand-name Android phone, though: B&H has it in stock for $400, a savings of $300.
Samsung Galaxy S9: The Samsung Galaxy S9 is one of the best Android devices to hit the market in 2018, and if you don’t want to tie yourself to a carrier just yet, then you can score the unlocked version from B&H for just $600 for a $120 discount.
Blu R1 HD: Blu is a relatively new player that is challenging Motorola in the “budget Android phone” market. If you came here looking for one of the cheapest unlocked Android phones on our list, then check out the R1 HD. The unlocked 5.2-inch model rings in at just $100 ($30 off) from Amazon.
Huawei Honor 7X: Huawei has a number of budget-friendly alternatives to brand-name flagships. Its surprisingly great Honor 7X is a sleeper hit that you may have missed, and it’s an absolute steal at $200 from Amazon.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2: We’ve seen no shortage of alleged “flagship killers” that too often fall short of expectations, but the new Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 actually lives up to this promise. This budget-friendly dual-sim smartphone punches well above its weight at just $345 from Amazon after a nice $355 price cut.
Nokia 6.1: The Nokia 6.1 is all-new for 2018, and it’s arguably the best budget Android phone to come out this year, with hardware that outshines most other cheap smartphones. Both Amazon and B&H have unlocked models in stock for $230, saving you $40.
Sony Xperia M5: Sony’s Xperia lineup remains highly underrated in the huge market of Android smartphones, with these devices offering flagship-like features at midrange prices. The Xperia M5 is a fine example of the value that Sony’s phones provide and comes in at just $125 from B&H with a 50-percent discount.
Moto E4: For one of the cheapest brand-name Android phones you can buy, check out the 4th-generation Moto E. You can score the E4 for $80 from Best Buy if you activate it today. If you don’t want to activate right away, then Walmart has this smartphone in stock for a still-affordable $90, and B&H has the E4 Plus on sale for $120 ($60 off). This phone is fully unlocked and ready to use with any GSM carrier and select CDMA carriers.
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