There is a saying among smartphone experts – never pay full price for a Samsung phone. The best Samsung phones often see great deals from carriers at launch, along with discounts, price cuts, trade-in bonuses, and other offers throughout the year. We’re expecting some great Black Friday Samsung phone deals, and here are the devices we’d recommend buying.
While Samsung phones cover the entire ladder of the smartphone market from the highest rung to the base, we’re going to focus only on the best Samsung phones, helping you decide which would make the best Black Friday deal, depending on your needs.
When you’re considering a Samsung phone, there are a few things you can count on. Samsung phones have some of the best displays among phones in their class, especially as you get to the bargain end of the market.
Samsung phones often have a more complex camera array than comparable phones, with more lenses or more photo options. Samsung is also more likely to try new features that you won’t find on most other phones.
If you want a phone with a stylus, a phone that bends in half, or a phone with 100x space photography, Samsung has a phone for you. In fact, Samsung has a few phones for you.
Don't buy an older Samsung phone
While we often recommend buying an older Apple phone if you spot, for instance, an iPhone 13 Black Friday deal, the same isn’t true of Samsung phones. You might spot a steep discount on a Galaxy S21 Ultra, or even a phone from the now-defunct Note family like the ultimate Galaxy Note 20. We’d steer clear of those devices.
It’s not because those were bad Samsung phones. Those phones were great but Samsung does not support its phones long enough for us to recommend them. When new upgrades arrive for Android or Samsung’s One UI, history has shown that phones older than a year or so will see major delays before they get the new stuff, if they get the new stuff at all.
Some deals don't really feel like a deal
There are three ways that you can get a deal on a smartphone, in order of our preference. First, the retailer can just reduce the price. That’s a win.
Second, you can get a bonus when you trade in your phone. You’re always going to get some money when you make a trade but we like to see retailers give a bit extra, or accept broken phones for more trade value.
The third and worst way to get a discount is to sign a long-term contract agreement. This is a discount with risk attached. Instead of cutting the price all at once, the carrier divides the discount into 24 or 36 installments and gives you a break on your monthly phone payments for the next two to three years that you are paying off your phone. If you cancel your agreement, you still owe the remainder of the phone price.
That’s not the worst way to get a deal on a Samsung phone, as long as you accept the risk. If you love Verizon and the network is offering a free phone for a two-year agreement, you’d be silly to turn that down. If you’re unhappy with your cell service, it may be too risky to bet the price of an ultraphone.
With that in mind, we’re looking for real deals on Samsung phones. A good deal would be cutting the cost of the phone by around 20%, or maybe adding similar value in bundled accessories. Here are our suggestions for the best Black Friday Samsung phone deal hunting.
Pick the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the best camera phone
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra came out early in 2022, and it remains one of our best camera phones. A new model is on the way sometime early in 2023, which means Black Friday is a great time for a last-gasp deal on Samsung's amazing flagship. The phone costs $1,299.99 new in the U.S., giving the Galaxy S22 Ultra the highest starting price of any phone in the US from a major manufacturer.
We’ve seen the Galaxy S22 Ultra as low as $1,000 this past June, so that would need to be the starting point for any serious deal. The Google Pixel 7 Pro may not have all the features of the Samsung phone, but it costs $899 and has some amazing AI power Samsung can’t match. It would be great to see Samsung’s best phone priced to compete with Google’s newest device.
Pick the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the phone that will impress your friends
There’s simply nothing else like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Unfurling the huge display to view extra-large maps, or giant-sized photos takes the utility of a mobile device to a new level. Unfortunately, it’s priced at a new level as well. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is currently listed at $1799.99 new in the U.S. though Amazon has it for around $1500, a price tag we’ve seen on this phone through most of October.
Frankly, we wouldn’t expect a huge deal on this phone, but any deal might bring it within striking range. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 isn’t just a massive folding phone. It can use the S Pen stylus. It’s water-resistant. It has a great camera array. If you want the ultimate-ultimate, there is no phone more feature-packed. If that doesn’t impress your friends, they don’t understand smartphones.
Pick the Galaxy Z Flip 4, the phone that lets you hang up
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the phone that isn’t. It isn’t as big as the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It isn’t the camera phone to match even the Galaxy S22. It isn’t priced under $1000. It also isn’t the gimmick you would expect from a flip smartphone. The Galaxy Z Flip is a joy to use in a way no other phone can match.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the perfect harmony between Samsung’s new folding screens and Samsung’s Galaxy S flagships. It has a huge screen, but you’ll forget how big it is because the phone folds up so compact. In fact, folding the phone closed becomes such a ritual, it should be considered a key feature.
Amazon has already knocked $100 off the price of this phone, but we’d like to see the cost come down further. This would also be a great phone to buy bundled with some Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, especially if you get them in matching bora purple.
Pick the Galaxy A53, because the others cost way too much
There are plenty of inexpensive Samsung phones you’ll find in the Galaxy A series, and we like the Galaxy A53 phone, especially if there’s a great Black Friday deal. You get a fancy triple-camera array, a very nice display, and a design that seems more like a premium Samsung Galaxy than a bargain device.
The phone lists at $449.99, but we’ve seen this phone on sale throughout the year for $100 less, at $349.99. If a Black Friday phone deal brings the price even lower, this would be a great option for bargain hunters looking for a premium fit and finish. There is no headphone port on this phone, so a bundle with wireless headphones like the Galaxy Buds Live would also be sweet.
