The Best Phone Deals for Friday (2024), Including Cases Too

Every year, I test over 30 smartphones to see which ones are worth your hard-earned dollars. Guess what? The following Black Friday phone deals include many of my top recommendations—now at a reasonable price. If your current device is on its last legs, this is the best time of year to upgrade. (I don’t expect prices to drop much on Cyber ​​Monday, but don’t quote me.) Whether you need a new Samsung phone, Google Pixel, or iPhone, this list has all the top discounts, even deals on cases and accessories. All of these smartphone deals are for unlocked devices (except iPhones).

Featured Wired Deals

Flagship phone deals

The entire Pixel 9 series is seeing its first major discount, and these Pixel deals are great, especially on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL (9/10, Wired Recommended). The only difference between the two is size and battery—the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s screen is 6.8 inches compared to the Pixel 9 Pro’s 6.3 inches, and its battery can last well over a full day. Everything else is the same. However, there is a big gap between the Pixel 9 and the Pro phones. The cheapest on the list, the Pixel 9 lacks a 5X zoom camera and a vapor chamber cooling system, which means it will heat up quickly. I say go for the Pro, but if your budget doesn’t stretch too far, consider the Pixel 8A (see below). Read our guide to the Best Pixel 9 Cases to keep them safe!

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is its flagship phone lineup for 2024, which includes the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Remember that Samsung is expected to release a successor in about a month and a half—the Galaxy S25 series. If you don’t need the latest and greatest, then these are some solid Galaxy deals. I like the Galaxy S24 Ultra a bit because it has a 5X optical zoom camera and a built-in S Pen stylus (which you can use as a remote shutter for the camera. It looks more interesting.

OnePlus, like Samsung, is also rumored to release a successor to its OnePlus 12 flagship in January 2025. But that phone will probably cost around $1,000, and it will be many months before it’s priced like the OnePlus 12 This 2024 Android flagship is one heck of a phone (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s super smooth, supports wireless charging, and I was even able to hit two days of battery life on a single charge. Oh, and the OnePlus 12 can be recharged in just 30 minutes. How crazy is that?

Phone Deals Under $500

This is my top smartphone pick for most people. Well put together—you could call it a Renaissance Phone because it does everything right. The Pixel 8A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has a sharp, colorful, and bright AMOLED display, water resistance, wireless charging, 7 years of software support, and excellent performance. It was already a good value at its MSRP, but this deal makes it a steal. I haven’t even touched on the many great software features that will keep you coming back to Pixel phones. For more, read my Google Pixel buying guide.

The brand new Galaxy S24 FE—which stands for “Fan Edition”—is a tough sell at its MSRP because it’s not far off the price of the flagship Galaxy S24, but it’s an absolute beast of a phone at this retail price. . Really, a three-camera system with 3X optical zoom for under $500? That’s rare. It’s similar to the Galaxy S24+ but with smaller specs all around, although you won’t feel the difference that much. The screen is still a 120-Hz AMOLED panel, and the Exynos processor is quite chipper.

If you’re a heavy gamer, I think the OnePlus 12R is a better fit for anyone on a budget. It packs last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which can handle the most demanding games without much of a problem. The AMOLED screen is large at 6.78 inches (and sports a 120-Hz screen refresh rate), and the 5,500-mAh battery lasted me about two days. The camera is decent, but the charging speed is amazing – like the OnePlus 12, it goes from zero to 100 in about 30 minutes. Just know that its water resistance is lacking (IP64), there is no wireless charging, and the software support is not as long as the Pixel 8A.

The Moto G Power 5G (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best value smartphone yet. Not only is this the best Moto G smartphone Motorola has ever made, but at this discounted price, you’re getting the best device around. Performance with the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 is good enough that I’m never frustrated or irritated, the 120-Hz 6.7-inch LCD screen is bright enough in the sun, and there’s wireless charging (NFC too, finally). The worst part is when Motorola updates it to Android 15, that’s all the software updates you’ll get, except for two more years of security updates. But hey, it’s $200.

The Motorola Edge is a more reasonable price at $350, though I’d first steer you towards the Pixel or OnePlus above. It will only receive two Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates, but at least you get all the benefits you could want in a phone, from wireless charging, IP68 water resistance, NFC for contactless payments, and AMOLED 6.6-ich. screen with a 144-Hz refresh rate. Performance is excellent thanks to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip. My biggest concern is that the cameras aren’t quite right, and I’m not a fan of the glassy bezels on the edges. But that’s the point of this phone. The edge. Get it?

The Moto G Stylus 5G has the same major flaw as the Moto G Power 5G above—it will only get one Android software update to Android 15 (although security updates are 3 years old). If you’re cool with that, the performance is very nice and flawless, and there’s a nice faux leather back that’s fun. The screen gets an upgrade to OLED (120 Hz), but the trick that makes this one different is in the name. Of course, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, there’s a built-in stylus on this phone for the ultimate doodling. Did I mention there’s a headphone jack? Remember those?

A $100 smartphone that won’t make you want to tear your hair out? Yes, there is. The Moto G Play only supports 4G LTE, which is plenty, so it shouldn’t give you connectivity issues. Performance, all things considered, is surprisingly solid. Apps launch slowly and it can feel like a chore to switch from one app to another, but it’s not frustrating. Don’t bother with the camera.

Amazing Phone Deals

Flip the phones! Just like the good old days! Apart from this it is also a smartphone. The Razr+ (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is Motorola’s latest foldable phone and, yes, it comes in hot pink. The external screen is nice and big, enough to run some applications quickly. Turn it on and the 6.9-inch OLED screen feels like a regular phone. Performance is good and the cameras are better than before, although battery life still seems a little lacking. Still, it’s very stylish and fun to use as a deli-breaker. You can save even more if you go with the regular Razr, which retails for $425 ($275 off), but performance isn’t as smooth and the external screen is smaller and less usable.

I really wish the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (6/10, WIRED Recommends) had the same camera system as the regular Pixel 9 Pro (very similar, but the results aren’t as impressive), but otherwise it’s my favorite folding phone. shaped like a book. The front screen is almost identical to the Pixel 9 Pro’s 6.3-inch display, which means it feels like a regular device, and helps keep the whole thing very thin. Open it up and you’ll find a large 8-inch OLED panel for streaming shows, multitasking, and gaming. I would never buy a phone that costs almost $2,000, but at this price? Maaaa maybe.

I think Samsung may have made a mistake. You can currently get the company’s latest, most expensive foldable smartphone—the Galaxy Z Fold6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends)—directly from Samsung.com for just over $1,000. What? Seriously, this is a big step down from a book-like folding phone, with an improved and larger front screen and a slimmer design. I like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold a lot, but this price is very tempting. Samsung has also been making foldable phones longer than most brands, so it’s easy to fix if something goes wrong.

I prefer Motorola’s Razr+ but Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is better in several ways: longer software support, better build quality, better cameras, and faster performance. But I still think the Razr+ is more attractive and has a useful and larger external cover screen. Still, this is a great price for a new foldable phone.

Last Year’s Phone Deals

Black Friday iPhone Deals

I always recommend buying an unlocked smartphone. However, Apple never breaks the iPhone itself, and Americans are overwhelmingly buying smartphones directly from carriers. So, today I’m going to break one of my rules. Below are a few of the best deals the major US carriers have on the iPhone. Make sure you look at the fine print; there are hoops to jump through to get savings.

IT-Mobile: If you switch to T-Mobile, you can get four iPhone 16 models for free if you use four lines for $25 per line. A warning? The savings come as credit credits over 24 months, and if you cancel your account before it expires, the credits stop and you’ll have to pay the balance. You also have to trade in four eligible devices to get the deal.

Verizon: Buy a new-line iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max on the Unlimited Unlimited plan (you can also upgrade your phone plan), and you can get a free 10th generation iPad and Apple Watch Series 10. You need a phone to trade in first, and you’ll need an iPad and Apple Watch app to connect to mobile phones (that’s how they get you). These “savings” come as credit credits over 36 months, so you’re locked into that contract. Be aware of activation fees. In fact, my head hurt from reading the fine print.

AT&T: You can get an iPhone 16 for free if you trade in an eligible device and upgrade or opt for an unlimited plan. Savings is the type of debt that is used over 36 months. (This also applies to iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.)

If You Don’t Care About Used (Unlocked) iPhones

It is something It’s possible to find Black Friday iPhone deals on unlocked devices—no carrier to deal with—but the catch? These devices are all refurbished by Amazon, so their quality may vary. Be sure to check the quality rating and try to aim for “Very good.” Also, after finding your device, if the phone does not meet expectations, take photos and submit a refund claim. There is a 90-day return window.