Below are some general timelines that should help you get a better idea of what gets released when, and when you can commonly expect to get discounts. Keep in mind that it's possible these dates will change, and sales can happen randomly throughout the year.
Best Time To Buy A Smartphone
However, due to a combination of both CES and the Super Bowl, January is a great time to find big discounts on the previous year's TVs. Sometimes prices are even better than what you'd find during the holidays.
Speaking of holidays, this is definitely a good time to find deals. Every company wants/needs to make massive sales in the fourth quarter, and some will do whatever they can to get those numbers up. "We're losing money on every one, but we'll make it up in volume," as the saying goes. This is especially true of LG's OLEDs, which often drop by incredible amounts as winter approaches.
Samsung and Google are generally following Apple's "not in January" approach with their smartphones, but at different times of the year. Samsung historically announces at the Mobile World Congress in February. Google does it at its own event in October. In both cases the phones are available shortly thereafter.
Other products are more random. If they're not announced at CES, or the other big trade show IFA in September (less common), they might get announced any time during the year. Because it's more random, it's less worth worrying about. The big companies tend to follow a pretty predictable pattern. A pattern you can see here:
The other deal, which is more common, gets you a bunch of free goodies and sometimes even gift certificates along with your purchase. However, keep in mind that these deals are usually reserved for the more popular and expensive phones out there.
If you ask yourself when the best time is to buy a new cell phone, know that the answer is in the question itself: time. Timing plays a role in supply and demand, especially on fast-moving goods like cell phones that influence our reason to buy because of popular trends, desired features, access to the internet, how we rely on them for communication, etc.
During the pre-order period, you may expect two sorts of discounts. The first is a one-time discount. Some merchants may try to undercut the competition to obtain more pre-orders, so check all significant retailers before placing your purchase.
Discounts, sometimes even higher, are available right after the new phone is released. If you wait too long, though, stores may run out of stock. From $1,000 behemoths to a $200 budget smartphone, all phones will decrease in price over time.
They are, nevertheless, things for which consumers feel justified in paying a premium for the latest and best. So, while depreciation will take a bit longer, demand will fall by the time a next-generation model is released (or even looming just over the horizon), resulting in cheaper pricing.
OnePlus phones are best purchased either Black Friday or December. OnePlus provided a $200 discount on the OnePlus 9 Pro during Black Friday in the United States last year. Similar offers were offered in other countries, including the United Kingdom, where customers could save money on the entire OnePlus 9 lineup.
I'm that 5G guy. I've actually been here for every "G." I've reviewed well over a thousand products during 18 years working full-time at PCMag.com, including every generation of the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S. I also write a weekly newsletter, Fully Mobilized, where I obsess about phones and networks.
Although buying an unlocked phone may not save you money at checkout, it can be a better value in the long run. Unlocked phones give you the freedom to shop around and move between carriers for the best deal when needed. You can also resell an unlocked phone at any time if you want to upgrade.
Look for guaranteed trade-in promotions from carriers or manufacturers and compare them with prices at Best Buy and Gazelle. Dedicated trade-in sites aren't quite as seamless as swapping your old phone out to the same store where you're picking up your new one, but they often pay more money. Just be sure to give an accurate assessment of the quality of your phone for the best estimate. Samsung, in particular, is good about accepting trade-ins, especially old iPhones and Pixels.
Even the most expensive phone is basically just a fancy brick if it doesn't have service. There are a lot of options out there beyond AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, and they can save you a lot of money. Once you find the right phone, head over to our story on the best cheap phone plans to find the right cost-effective service for you.
Black Friday 2022 will surely be an opportunity to buy a smartphone at a special price for the upcoming holiday season. However, one does have to ask: Is it really the best time to pick up a new smartphone? The answer is Yes and No, and in some cases, it trends more toward No than Yes for that matter.
Some of the more popular items that consumers tend to go after during Black Friday include TVs and the Nintendo Switch, as well as items from popular brands such as Apple, Verizon, and Hulu. In other words, smartphones and home entertainment tend to rank at the top of most shoppers' lists.
"E-merchants offer other deals where the crossed-out price is the 'manufacturer's recommended price', a 'median price' or an 'average observed price'. For the merchants, it would not be in any case of an original price, but of a 'comparison price' which would be there only to help the consumer to make his or her choice. These offers may have a crossed-out price and sometimes even a percentage reduction, but in no case, they swear, is it a promotion."
Admittedly, you're very unlikely to find an iPhone 14 on sale during Black Friday 2022. This is normal, the smartphone has just been released. But then, you should see some interesting discounts on previous models like the iPhone 13 or the iPhone 12.
The primary drawback is that you potentially "lose" a year of software maintenance. As I've just explained, the best deals will mostly concern smartphones released several months ago or even last year. These smartphones were all running on Android 12 when they were launched and their manufacturers guaranteed a certain number of updates.
Sounds fine and dandy, but in the meantime, Android 13 was released this fall. Let's say you buy an "old" smartphone on a special Black Friday offer, you'll receive one less Android version and a year's worth of security updates compared to a smartphone that was released this fall, having shipped with Android 13 right out of the box.
Now, I know some of you don't care much about updates. But even apart from that, certainly an "old" high-end smartphone like the Galaxy S22 is still totally competitive in 2022 and even in2023. This is not necessarily the case for a mid-range or even entry-level smartphone.
On paper, Black Friday is a strategic time to make a purchase. This short period of the year is the one that is full of promotional offers. This large number of offers increases your chances of finding a good deal.
It also depends on what smartphone you're looking to buy. If you're aiming for a model that was released at the end of the year like an iPhone 14 (Pro), a Pixel 7 (Pro), or a Galaxy Z Flip/Fold 4, don't be disappointed by this pipe dream. If you're aiming for a model from last year or released in early 2022, you already stand a better chance from the get go.
Anyway, NextPit will obviously be here to guide you and filter fake promotions on your behalf, but remember that during Black Friday, there are plenty of good deals to buy a smartphone on sale. But buying a smartphone during Black Friday is not always a good deal.
We've collected all of this week's best cell phone deals into one handy page right here, including all the latest devices from Apple, Samsung, Google, and many other leading brands. Regardless of whether you prefer an iPhone or an Android device, you'll be able to find excellent cell phone deals here that can save you tons of cash. We've also made sure to include options for carrier devices, unlocked devices, and even a few decent prepaid choices too, just to cater for all types of phone users.
Note, all of the devices featured on our list have been personally reviewed by the staff here at TechRadar. They're all fantastic picks in their own right and you won't find any sub-par choices included. If you'd like to find out which is best for you we'd recommend checking our updated guide to the best phones for 2023.
iPhone 14 Series: up to $1,000 off with trade, plus free iPad and Apple Watch at Verizon (opens in new tab)
One of the best cell phone deals we've ever seen is back again this week at Verizon, with the chance to bundle in a free Apple Watch SE and 9th gen iPad with most iPhones. This stacks on top of the usual trade-in rebates of up to $1,000 that you'll find on the latest iPhone 14 series for some exceptional value. While you'll still need a pricey unlimited data plan here to be eligible for this promotion, the freebies alone are worth over $500 so it's well worth considering this one. See this same deal on the iPhone 14 Pro (opens in new tab) and iPhone 14 Pro Max (opens in new tab).
Apple iPhone 14 Pro & 14 Pro Max: up to $800 off w/ trade-in and unlimited plan at AT&T (opens in new tab)
AT&T's cell phone deals on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max have been paired down slightly this week to feature a trade-in rebate of up to $800 - down from the record of $1,000 off. Even though this isn't the best deal we've ever seen from this carrier this promotion is still worth considering if you're interested since it'll take a significant chunk off the overall cost. See this same deal on the iPhone 14 Pro Max (opens in new tab).
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