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Beginning next week, Prime Day, also known as the day when e-commerce giant Amazon slashes prices on a variety of items, will kick off. The event starts on July 15 and will last two days. During that stretch of time, everything from laptops and vinyl records to inflatable unicorns and rubber duckies will be discounted. A number of phones will also go on sale, and we’ll be compiling the best of those deals right here. Also note that other major retailers are taking aim at Prime Day with massive deals of their own. On July 15, Target begins its Deal Days summer sale, eBay will hold a Crash Sale to offer up to 80% off on a wide variety of products (including items from Samsung and Google) and Newegg’s FantasTech Sale starts in earnest with discounts on popular tech products.
In addition to the sales, 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 from Amazon and other retailers. 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).
While you’re at it, here are some smart shopping tips to help you snag the best Prime Day deals. Here’s how to make sure you don’t miss a Prime Day sale you’re looking for.
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.
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Though it’s Samsung’s big-screen phone from last year, the Note 9 still has top-tier specs. It also has a monster battery, internal storage that starts at 128GB and an S Pen that can trigger the camera.
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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.
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Together with a detachable Moto Mod, the Moto Z4 is already one of the most affordable phones you can get with 5G connectivity. Especially since other 5G phones like the Galaxy S10 5G and the LG V50 cost over $1,000. The Z4 also has a 6.4-inch screen, a Snapdragon 675 chipset and 4GB of RAM.
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The ultra-luxe and water-resistant V35 ThinQ has a headphone jack, a big, gorgeous OLED screen and an enduring battery life.
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Topping our list for the phones with the best battery life is the Moto G7 Power. The phone’s monster 5,000mAh battery lasted 23 hours and 10 minutes, making it the longest-lasting phone we tested this year so far. It also has a 6.2-inch display, a 12-megapixel rear camera and the Snapdragon 632 chipset.
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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.)
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If you like the stylus of the Galaxy Note series but can’t afford the phone, consider LG’s Stylo 4. Though not as advanced as the Note 9, the Stylo 4 has a 6.2-inch display, a 13-megapixel camera and an embedded stylus you can use to jot down notes, doodle or navigate the phone with.
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It’s one of the best gaming phones currently available and the Razer Phone 2 is now discounted. The powerful device is water-resistant, has a bright, 120Hz display and has wireless charging. Its built-in speakers are loud and clear and it runs a nearly stock version of Android.
Senior Editor Justin Jaffe contributed to this story.