The Black Friday deals are mostly over, but fear not: Cyber Monday deals are about to begin. Right now, some weekend deals are still going strong, but others will kick off tomorrow. You’ll still see discounts of the Note 9 and Galaxy S9, plus free gifts, including a Galaxy Watch and some surprise reveals. And for some extra-credit reading, here’s why the holiday season is the best time to buy a new phone.
Promotions range from bill credit-style discounts to a redeemable coupon. We’ll update this often with more phone deals as they appear. You have plenty of options, so let’s dig in!
Also see Cyber Monday sales for the Pixel 3, the iPhone XS and XR, and deals for the excellent OnePlus 6T and top LG models.
Just so you know:
- The deals below are current as of Nov. 25, and include Verizon, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Samsung.com, Target, Amazon, Best Buy and Sam’s Club. Times are local unless otherwise specified.
- Retailers may offer multiple deals for different days.
- CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.
- We link to the current listing at the retailer’s website when one is available, but you may not see sale pricing reflected on the page until the sale begins.
T-Mobile: Free Galaxy Watch when you join
David Carnoy/CNET
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch is a worthy alternative to the Apple Watch, especially if you’re already a Samsung user. For T-Mobile customers who activate a new account with a voice line and add a data line, the carrier will throw in the smartwatch for free. The discount comes in the form of 24 months of monthly bill credits. Fine print here.
Offer begins Nov. 26.
AT&T: Buy a Galaxy S9, get one free
Josh Miller/CNET
This is a classic BOGO offer for two Galaxy S9 phones, which means that it’s yours when you jump through hoops of fire while blindfolded to meet certain requirements. Ok, so it’s not really that bad, but you should make sure you’re aware of the restrictions. For example, you need to buy both phones through AT&T Next’s installment plan, and the offer requires you to activate a new line of service. You’ll be reimbursed for the price of the second phone over 30 months of bill credits, which begin within three bills.
The offer is available now.
Walmart: Up to $200 off unlocked Galaxy S9, Note 9, S9 Plus, S8
Josh Miller/CNET
In addition to a separate Black Friday offer, Walmart has rolled out savings on unlocked Galaxy S phones. Yes, you have to pay more up front, but an unlocked phone gives you more options when it comes time to choose your carrier, and all you’ll need to pay for is the service. The handset will still retain a high level of resale value, and owning it outright means it’s easier to carrier-hop as you please.
- Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (64GB, black) for $640 (save $200)
- Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S9 (64GB, black) for $640 (save $80)
- Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 (64GB, black) for $450 (save $150)
- Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (128GB, blue) for $800 (save $200)
The sale is available now and runs through Nov. 26.
T-Mobile carrier deals: Free Galaxy phones, or up to $750 off
Josh Miller/CNET
T-Mobile’s Black Friday deal starts Nov. 16, and… it’s a little complicated, so bear with me. You can get a phone either for free (chosen among select models), or you get up to $750 off the phone’s full price. That’s if you trade in an older phone and add an additional line of service to your plan. So, if you already have one phone line, this deal applies if you add a second line. If you pay for two phone lines, it works when you add a third.
Here’s how the phones shake out:
Free: Galaxy S9, Galaxy S8
Up to $750 off: Note 9, Galaxy S9 Plus, Galaxy S8 Active
Here’s how the bill credits work: If your phone of choice is in the $750-off camp (again, chosen from select models), you’ll receive your trade-in value plus a $500 credit spread out in 24 bill credits. So, if you buy a $900 phone, you’ll get up to $250 off in trade-in value and $500 in bill credits over a two-year spread.
The offer is available now.
US Cellular: Free Galaxy S9, or $250 off select phones
Get a free 64GB Galaxy S9 when you switch to a US Cellular unlimited plan. Current upgrade-eligible US Cellular customers on a Total Plan can also get $250 off select smartphones, plus up to $200 for successful referrals.
The deal is live now and runs through Nov. 26, while supplies last.
Unlocked Note 9 for $800, S9 Plus for $640, S9 for $520 from Samsung.com (save $200)
Angela Lang/CNET
This deal shaves $200 off the Note 9 (128GB), Galaxy S9 (64GB) or S9 Plus (64GB) when you buy them unlocked from Samsung’s website. That means you’ll spend $800 for the Note 9, $520 for the S9 and $640 for the S9 Plus. That doesn’t count additional savings you might receive if you trade in an old phone as well — Samsung will give you up to $300 when you buy either phone.
The sale is live now and runs through Nov. 26.
Samsung.com: Save $200 off Note 9, S9 Plus, S9, Note 8, S8, S8 Plus (Verizon service)
Sarah Tew/CNET
Verizon customers can take $200 off the price of a Galaxy phone on Samsung.com. You’ll be reimbursed the usual way for carriers, over 24 months of bill credits.
The offer is available now.
Sprint: Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, Note 9 for $5, $10, $20 per month
Normally, you’d pay $33, $38 or $41.67 per month when you lease the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus or Note 9 from Sprint’s Flex Lease plan, respectively. Sprint’s promotion knocks those prices down to $5, $10 or $20 per month, lined up with each Galaxy model. Sprint applies credits within two bills.
The promo is available now and runs ends Dec. 2.
Galaxy S9, Note 9, S9 Plus: Save $300-$325 at Best Buy
Josh Miller/CNET
T-Mobile customers won’t be able to benefit from any of Best Buy’s offers, but $300 off any of Samsung’s premium phones is a pretty good deal. The deal requires a qualified activation, and exact pricing on the phones appear to vary based on the carrier. For example, you can get a gold Galaxy S9 for $325 off when you activate with Sprint.
The promotion begins Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving Day) at 5 p.m. With activation on AT&T, Sprint or Verizon.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9: $300 Target gift card
Angela Lang/CNET
You pay full price for this superphone for the doodlers, tinkerers and Android lovers, but a $300 gift card is nothing to sneeze at — and if you’re buying the bulk of your gifts at Target, there’s something to say for one-stop shopping during the holiday crush.
The sale ends at the close of Nov. 25 (today). Requires qualified activation on AT&T or Verizon. Limit two per guest.
AT&T: New, free Samsung gift each day
Josh Miller/CNET
In the spirit of surprise, AT&T and Samsung are revealing a new gift each day from Cyber Monday through Friday, Nov. 30. You qualify when you buy a Galaxy Note 9, S9, S9 Plus, or Galaxy S8 Active on the AT&T Next plan, with a new activation. The usual activation fees apply. You’ll receive a one-time use code to redeem at Samsung.com within 30 days of receipt. Shipping & taxes not included.
Offer starts Nov. 26 and ends Nov. 30.
50 percent off the Galaxy S9 at Cricket Wireless
Josh Miller/CNET
This online-only deal gives you 50 percent off the Galaxy S9 or the Galaxy A6 when you switch your number from another carrier to Cricket’s service. The deal doesn’t apply if you come from Cricket’s parent company, AT&T.
This offer starts Nov. 26 and runs through Dec. 20.
Watch this: Tricks to score extra savings on Black Friday and Cyber…
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Black Friday 2018 deals in each category
Black Friday 2018 deals for specific devices
Black Friday 2018 deals by store
Black Friday 2018: CNET’s complete coverage
Originally published Nov. 9.
Updated most recently on Nov. 17.
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