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Prime Day, also known as the day when e-commerce giant Amazon slashes prices on a variety of items, will begin July 15 and last two days. During that stretch of time, everything from laptops and vinyl records to inflatable unicorns and rubber duckies are deeply discounted. A number of phones also go on sale, and we’ll be compiling the best of those deals right here.
In addition to the discounts, Prime Day is often used to increase membership to Amazon’s Prime program, which offers free shipping. This year is the fifth year Amazon will hold the event — a day usually marked by high single-day sales (though it’s usually eclipsed by the subsequent Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales each year). Last year, so many people visited Amazon that the website suffered an outage.
Here’s hoping that Amazon will be more prepared this year when Prime Day comes around. Until then, we’ve rounded up some of the best pre-Prime Day deals. And when the big day does kick off, check back here for the best phone deals (along with the best Prime Day deals on smart home gadgets and headphones and speakers, and plenty of other categories).
Things to keep in mind:
- We’ll collect all of the Prime Day phone deals here, once the sale date becomes official.
- We’ll keep an eye on pricing and availability, and note when certain items sell out.
- In the meantime, we’ll post the best pre-Prime Day phone deals right here — regardless of retailer.
- Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.
Apple iPhone X for $650 (save $250)
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Apple’s iPhone X is only two years old, but the company has already stopped selling device. Though it’s understandably to make room for its newer iPhones, the move is still surprising given how relatively recent the iPhone X is. It’s also still a great phone. Its rear-facing telephoto camera outshoots the iPhone 8 Plus in low light, and the front-facing camera snaps impressive portrait mode selfies.
Samsung Galaxy S9 for $439 (save $161)
James Martin/CNET
Though it’s Samsung’s flagship from last year and it doesn’t take super impressive low-light shots, the Galaxy S9 is still an excellent phone. It has a brilliant 5.8-inch display, a terrific camera, a headphone jack, wireless charging and water resistance.
Pixel 3A for $300 (save $100)
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Though it isn’t water resistant and doesn’t have wireless charging like the original Pixel 3, the Pixel 3A is a much cheaper variant of Google’s current flagship. It features the same fantastic camera that shoots great lowlight photos and it has a headphone jack.
Motorola Moto G6 for $170 (save $70)
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Our favorite budget phone of 2018 just got a whole lot cheaper. The Moto G6 features a near-stock version of Android Oreo and solid dual rear cameras. It also charges fast. (By comparison, the 2019 Moto G7 costs closer to $250.)
LG V35 ThinQ for $650 (save $250)
James Martin/CNET
The ultra-luxe and water-resistant V35 ThinQ has a headphone jack, a big, gorgeous OLED screen and an enduring battery life.
Senior Editor Justin Jaffe contributed to this story.