Black Friday phone deals: what to expect in this year's sales
Always a hot ticket item, Black Friday phone deals represent one of the best ways to get that new flagship into your pocket without breaking the bank. Thanks to a whole plethora of excellent releases recently, we're definitely on track for a good Black Friday event this year and our handy guide is here to clue you in with everything you need to know.
Key dates, what to expect, and last year's deals will all be covered right here so come Black Friday, you can be sure to be armed with the knowledge you'll need to make that purchase decision. We'll also be highlighting the best prices on top smartphones this week just in case you wanted a little bit of context, or, would prefer not to wait until the big day itself.
While Black Friday is still a few months away now, every year we tend to see those deals cropping up earlier and earlier. Both major carriers and unlocked retailers will be looking to compete for the best deals fairly soon and we'll also be covering both these avenues in this article as well.
Of course, cell phones are just one of the many categories of top-tech items that'll be on sale over Black Friday. If you'd like to see the best overview available anywhere on the net, head on over to our main Black Friday 2020 page, where you'll find all the best deals on laptops, tablets, TVs, and much more.
Black Friday phone deals: what to expect
Phone deals in the US are generally split into two categories - deals from the major carriers, and deals on unlocked devices. Over Black Friday, we should be seeing some excellent choices for both deal types although we expect the carriers to lead the way on things like free phones, bundle offers and the biggest price cuts.
Verizon, for example, loves to offer buy-one get-one free phone bundles on newer releases - both at launch and over Black Friday. Last year we saw that happen with the fairly new iPhone XR and it's likely to return this year on a new model, perhaps even the iPhone 11. AT&T will also be up there with the free phones and bundle offers, as will T-Mobile, although we're still waiting to see how the recent merger with Sprint will play out in regards to Black Friday phone deals. Note, also, that all major carriers like to reserve their best deals for switchers and people picking up new unlimited plans, so while you might be eyeing up that free phone, remember you're still going to be getting your wallets out down the line.
For unlocked devices, we'll probably see much less generous offers, but that'll be traded off with the fact they'll be upfront discounts and not tied to any plans. We saw some neat deals on fairly recent Samsung, OnePlus and Google devices last year and it's looking like Android users will be well catered for again this year, especially if the generous Samsung trade-in program continues. On the iPhone front, unlocked deals tend to be a much quieter affair overall, although we could potentially see some great refurb offers and even free gift cards being offered over at the official Apple store itself.
