The Best Prime Day Phone Deals

This is our top smartphone recommendation for most people. The Pixel 9a (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has the power you want with a great dual-camera system, plus extras like wireless charging and 7 years of software support. It’s also flat—the camera lenses on the back sit flush with the back of the phone, meaning it doesn’t rock on a table. This is the lowest price we’ve seen to date since its debut in April. Read our Best Pixel Phones guide for more details, and we’ve got plenty of case recommendations too.

The Pixel 9 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) sits in an awkward spot—not as great value as the Pixel 9a, and not as flagship as the Pixel 9 Pro. Still pricey. This discount makes it a no-brainer. Sure, it doesn’t have the improved cooling system or telephoto cameras of the Pro models, but performance is excellent, is can charge faster than the Pixel 9a while also taking advantage of a few extra software perks thanks to the 12 GB of RAM. That includes Call Notes (an automatic summary of your phone call), and support for the Pixel Screenshots app. The camera system is excellent, and the build quality feels like a step up over its cheaper sibling, too.

The $749 Pixel 9 Pro XL (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is quite possibly the best phone deal I’ve seen this Prime Day. It has a fantastic triple-camera system (I love the 5x optical zoom), and these are some of the first Pixels with a vapor chamber cooling system, meaning they perform great even during intensive tasks like gaming. Snag the smaller Pixel 9 Pro if you prefer a smaller phone, but thankfully, it has the same features. Pixel phones are some of my favorites because there are a lot of smart, helpful software capabilities that you just won’t find on other phones. Google’s Call Screen, for example, is one of the best tools around to stop those annoying telemarketers.

If you’ve got the extra cash, you may want to go all-out with Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It has a built-in stylus in the bottom of the phone that’s great for signing documents or secretly doodling in super-important meetings. and it’s one of the only phones with two telephoto zoom cameras, offering optical quality at both 3x and 5x. That’s extremely handy whether you’re taking photos of birds in your local park or want to capture your kid on the soccer pitch. If you buy it, don’t forget to snag a case!

This Samsung phone isn’t even two months old yet, and it’s already seeing a bonkers discount. The Galaxy S25 Edge (6/10, WIRED Review) is super thin, that’s its big feature, and it’s seriously impressive when you get your hands on it. Specs and features-wise, it sits between the S25+ and the S25 Ultra, missing out on the stylus and telephoto cameras, but sporting features like the ability to capture 4K video footage at 120 frames per second. The downside to such an amazingly thin phone is—surprise, surprise—battery life. It’ll get you through most of a day, but power users may find themselves needing to carry power bank.

Samsung’s “FE” phones stand for Fan Edition, and it signifies a slightly more accessible price with features and specs similar to its flagships. The Galaxy S24 FE arrived late in 2024 and is the pared-down version of the flagship Galaxy S24 series. You still get a great triple-camera system with a 3x telephoto camera, solid battery life, and good performance, not to mention a large 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120-Hz refresh rate. It’ll also get 7 years of software updates, has wireless charging, and is IP68 water resistant. The MSRP of $650 was always too close to the price of the flagships to make much sense, but at $470, the S24 FE is a steal.

OnePlus has always been an underdog in the US, but you should seriously consider the OnePlus 13 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Performance is excellent, the screen is sharp and bright, and while OnePlus doesn’t offer the same length of software updates as Google and Samsung, it’s slightly longer here than previous models. What makes it stand out is the battery and charging story—there’s a 6,000-mAh battery cell, which is among the highest you’ll find in a phone, despite the slim frame. That’s because it’s a silicon-carbon battery, a relatively new technology that allows for denser batteries without making a phone thicker. With average use, it can last close to two full days. And when you need a top-up, OnePlus’ included charger can take the phone from zero to 100 percent in 36 minutes.

The OnePlus 13R (8/10, WIRED Recommends) omits some features from the flagship and has a lower price, but I didn’t think it was worth its $600 MSRP. At $500, it’s worth considering. I prefer the flat edges of the display as opposed to the OnePlus 13’s curvy screen, and performance is similarly strong. It also has a 6,000-mAh battery in tow and can last close to two days, though a full recharge will take just under an hour. Too bad it doesn’t support wireless charging, and the camera system is not as great.

I was hoping to see a better deal on Motorola’s Moto G Stylus, but this is still a great price on one of my favorite budget phones. Performance is shockingly smooth, and the Surf the Web blue paired with the vegan leather texture is deliciously bold. Like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, there’s a built-in stylus you can pull out for jotting notes or signing documents, except you don’t need to shell out a $1,000 here. The cameras are solid, and there’s all the extras you could want, like wireless charging, NFC for tap-to-pay, 256 GB of storage and a microSD card slot, and yes, even a headphone jack.

If you want to spend absolutely as little as possible on an Android smartphone, I think you’ll be quite happy spending a mere $200 on TCL’s 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It has a matte screen unlike any other phone, meaning it’s not reflective, and there’s a physical switch to change the display mode to an e-paper like experience. By switching from color to monochrome, it’s easier on the eyes (like a Kindle!), and it’s a must-have for any ebook lovers who seriously considered buying a Boox Palma last year.

Google’s Pixel 10 series is right around the corner, which means it’s smart to buy last year’s flagships at a heavy discount. That’s especially true for folding phones, which are always so expensive at MSRP. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is my favorite folding phone, though Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold7 could give it a run for its money. The external screen feels like you’re using a normal phone, yet if you open it up, you get a massive 8-inch screen to work with. The phone is thin and lightweight, too.

Samsung just unveiled its latest Galaxy Z Fold7, which now starts at a whopping $2,000 and goes on sale July 25. You can preorder it now, or you can buy last year’s Galaxy Z Fold6. It might not be as slim and lightweight as the latest, but hey, it’s not $2,000. This is one of the lower prices I’ve tracked on this book-like folding phone.

The Galaxy Z Flip6 also now has a successor—the Galaxy Z Flip7—which arrives on July 25 for $1,100. But this is one of the lowest prices I’ve seen on Samsung’s flip phone, which is perfect for anyone who hates big phones. Just fold it up and it will fit in any pocket or purse. The front cover screen isn’t as big or useful as Motorola’s Razr 2025, but Samsung offers a longer software update policy and has better cameras. If you’re debating between this and the new Galaxy Z Flip7 FE ($900), they’re essentially the same phone, except performance might be slightly better on the Flip6, though it doesn’t support Qi2-Ready wireless charging.

CMF is a sub-brand of Nothing, and the Phone 1 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) was my favorite budget smartphone of 2024. Great performance, solid cameras, two-day battery life, and a bright AMOLED screen for $239? It was unheard of (and frankly, still is). It even has better software support than any other phone at this price. The discount is small, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a sub-$200 phone this great. Just make sure you check network support as it may not play as nicely on Verizon. It’s a shame the newer CMF Phone 2 Pro isn’t on sale.