The best Prime Day phone deals: 15 deep discounts from Samsung, Google and more

Smartphones have gotten more and more expensive over the years, and a flagship phone can cost over $1,000 in 2023. One of the ways people make smartphones more affordable is through carrier installments, but they can come with strings attached and a long-term contract. That’s why people who prefer unlocked phones—that is, smartphones that aren’t tied to a carrier—should look into buying a new phone during the Amazon Prime Day sale. Some of the best new phones of the year are seeing huge discounts and these prices are at or near the lowest prices we have ever seen for these products.

Prime Day 2023 takes place July 11-12, with millions of products enjoying significant discounts during this event, many of them exclusive to Prime members. With a free trial, new subscribers can take advantage of these offers without paying a subscription fee, as long as they cancel before the free month ends. Considering unlocked phones don’t often see discounts, Prime Day is the perfect time to upgrade and get a good deal.

The best Prime Day deals for smartphones

• Google Pixel 7 Pro

  $650 $900 Save $250

  The Pixel 7 Pro is Google’s best phone yet, with a sleek, premium design and second-generation Google silicon plus great cameras, as usual. Now, with the Prime Day sale, you can get this amazing phone for less than the typical price of a base Pixel 7.

• One Plus 11

  $570 $700 Save $130

  The OnePlus 11 is the company’s return to form, offering an almost flagship experience for less than what Samsung charges. Now, that price drops even further thanks to this Amazon Prime Day deal, available for a limited time.

• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

  $850 $1200 Save $350

  The Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best phones on the market, featuring a brand new 200MP sensor, a refined design, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 customized for the Galaxy chipset and One UI 5.1. Now, it’s nearly 30% off a great Prime Day deal.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro, an already affordable flagship, is available for less than the base model iPhone 14. Put simply, this deal is a steal. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is the best phone Google has ever made, with a Tensor G2 chip, a great display, and awesome cameras. It also runs stock Android and will receive more updates than most other Android phone manufacturers offered. If you’ve been waiting to try a Pixel phone, this is the phone and the deal that might make you take the leap.

If you’re looking to bring that price down a bit, the OnePlus 11 might suit your needs perfectly. It’s a flagship priced like a mid-range phone, and the price is further reduced thanks to Prime Day. It has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chip, a 120Hz 2K AMOLED display, and up to 16GB of RAM. Running on OxygenOS, it’s a great smartphone that you can get without hurting your wallet.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra will remain the company’s best smartphone for at least another six months, and it’s one of the best phones overall. It has a 6.8-inch display, an impressive 200MP camera, and support for Android 13 in the form of One UI 5. If you like Samsung phones, this is the best one out there. Also, in this shocking Prime Day deal, Samsung’s flagship offer is $350 off for a limited time.

The best Prime Day deals on Samsung Galaxy phones

With Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, the company’s leaflets are seeing significant discounts. In addition to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which is sold out, the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip 4 is also on sale. This phone folds horizontally which means it will become more compact to fit in your pocket or small purse. There’s also a small display on the outside of the phone, so you can check notifications and see widgets at a glance. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 isn’t discounted by much. Therefore, you may want to wait to see what the Galaxy Z Flip 5 looks like before buying the current foldable generation.

If traditional phones are more your style, the entire Galaxy S23 lineup is on sale for Prime Day. The top-tier Galaxy S23 Ultra features a great camera with optical and digital zoom powerful enough to take pictures of the moon. It also features a great display and an S Pen, so it’s the perfect choice for anyone looking for the best that Samsung has to offer. A slight step down is the S23+, and the S23 is the base model that has a smaller display. You might confuse the Galaxy S23 with the Galaxy A54 5G just by looking at it, but the latter is Samsung’s budget offering this year. If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money on a smartphone, the Galaxy A54 5G is one of the best budget phones out there.

The best Prime Day deals on Google Pixel phones

While the Pixel 7 Pro is excellent, it is safe to say that the Google Pixel 7a is the best value smartphone offered by Google today. Featuring the same Tensor G2 chip as other Google flagships, the Pixel 7a is a good deal even at its regular price. Google raised the price of its A-series smartphone this year, but Prime Day deals will bring the price down, so now is the best time to buy the Google Pixel 7a.

The even better deal may actually be last year’s Google Pixel 6a, which has seen huge discounts since the Google Pixel 7a was revealed. The Pixel 6a can be had for just $250 during Prime Day, and that’s a price that might be too hard to beat. Just consider that a pair of AirPods Pro costs as little as $250 and you’ll realize just how much of a bargain the Pixel 6a really is. If you don’t need flagship specs in your smartphone, you can save hundreds of dollars by choosing the Pixel 6a instead.

The best Prime Day deals for Motorola phones

Motorola has made a name for itself, making ultra-low-cost phones, and is also working on growing its flagship brands. Both the 2023 and 2022 Moto G Stylus phones are both on sale for Prime Day, but the only one you should consider is the 2023 model. That’s because the two phones are only separated by $40 in price, and Motorola isn’t the best when it’s about software support. With that in mind, that extra year of support will go a long way in the longevity of your phone. Otherwise, the Moto G Stylus is a budget phone that comes with a built-in stylus. With a few custom UI tweaks, you can take notes and write in any text box in an instant. If a stylus is attractive and you don’t want to spend on a flagship, this budget phone could be the perfect solution.

FAQs

Q: What is the difference between a locked and unlocked phone?

An unlocked phone can be used on any carrier’s network or without a cellular plan. Typically, locked phones are tied to a carrier, and you may be mandated to keep an active phone line for a set amount of time after you purchase the phone. Locked phones may also come with apps and software specific to your carrier. All of the phones in this list are unlocked, so you can use them with any cell phone provider you use in the US

Q: When is the best time to update a smartphone?

Considering that most smartphones get yearly updates, it’s not necessarily a bad time to update a phone. It’s worth noting that Samsung will be releasing a new Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 in the coming weeks, but that might not be a reason to hold off if you like the price. Otherwise, we won’t see any new phone updates until the fall, so you don’t have to worry about getting a year-old product. In fact, some of these phones have recently debuted, such as the Google Pixel 7a.

Q: What features should I look for in a smartphone?

The features you value depend on how you use a smartphone, but it generally boils down to software, performance, cameras, and displays. Google offers a very simple and refined experience in stock Android, but Samsung adds its own device-specific features in One UI. Most of the big flagships have outstanding performance, cameras and displays, although Samsung and Google shine in terms of camera quality. Choose your smartphone based on the features you use on a daily basis, and you’ll likely be satisfied with your purchase.