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Smartphones do not go on sale all that often, but we expect to see several great phones on sale for Prime Day 2020.
We’ve rounded up the best Prime Day smartphone deals by Samsung, LG, Google, and more from last year, how much they cost now, and whether we expect to see similar deals this year.
We’ve also included recent phones from this year that we think will get a Prime Day treatment, based on deals from last year.
If you want to save now, you can also check out our Deal of the Day and Insider Coupons pages for current discounts on a variety of products.
For details on even more deals, you can find all of our Prime Day 2020 coverage here.
The more expensive smartphones get, the more important it is to get a sweet deal on your next phone. Luckily, Prime Day this year is closer than it is far away, and with it come many excellent discounts on great tech products — including phones.
We’ve rounded up the best smartphone deals from top brands like Samsung, LG, Google, and more from Prime Day of last year. We then updated the current prices of these phones at the time of writing, and added some thoughts on whether to leap now, wait for 2020, or set your eyes on something newer.
You can rest assured that most of these phones are truly excellent buys — we’ve been professional technology reviewers for nearly two decades collectively, and we’ve personally tested most of the below.
Updated 9/11/20 by Antonio Villas-Boas: Added new language for timeliness. Updated all prices and links for accuracy, and added newly recommended products, including Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Google Pixel 4a.
Samsung's Galaxy S20 is among the hottest smartphones of 2020 because of its beautiful design, incredibly powerful specs, 5G connectivity, great battery life, amazing screen, and its excellent and versatile camera system. In just about every respect, the Galaxy S20 is the perfect phone for anyone who's looking in the high-end, premium flagship space for a new smartphone — except in one major area: Price.
The Galaxy S20's original $1,000 price tag is ... a lot. It's a major reason why it's not the first phone I think of when someone asks for recommendations. But when you can find a deal on it, like the $850 deal right now, it becomes an easier recommendation.
The Galaxy S20 hasn't gone through the Prime Day gamut yet, but based on the Galaxy S10's run through Prime Day 2019, we can expect even more of a deal on Prime Day 2020. We've seen a better deal that took $200 off the price tag earlier this year, so there's a chance you could get a better deal on Prime Day 2020, especially if you consider that the Galaxy S10 got the Prime Day treatment. Still, $150 off is already a great deal for the latest and hottest smartphone from Samsung, so you won't be making any mistakes by getting it today.
Samsung's Galaxy S20 Plus is essentially a larger version of the Galaxy S20 — you're getting a 6.7-inch display instead of a 6.2-inch display. Plus, a larger phone means a larger battery, and even with the larger screen, the Galaxy S20 Plus has slightly better battery life.
The current deal ($150 off) is closer to what the price should have been in the first place, so you'd be making a good move if you wanted to buy it today. With that said, we saw a $200 deal earlier this year, and there's a good likelihood that the price will go even lower on Prime Day, at least based on what we saw with the Galaxy S10 Plus during last year's Prime Day.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra represents Samsung's peak smartphone prowess. It includes even higher-end camera sensors, more 5G connectivity, bigger size, bigger 6.9-inch screen, and more battery life. It started off its life with a $1,400 price tag, which was ridiculous, and guaranteed that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. In fact, it shouldn't even have been an option at all.
Today, however, with a deal that brings that price closer to $1,200, smartphone enthusiasts with bigger budgets may want to start to take notice. It'll be very interesting to see what prices we'll find during Prime Day 2020 on this one. Wait until then if you're interested in the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is Samsung's productivity-minded device that comes with a stylus the company calls the S Pen. Many doubt the usefulness of a stylus, but Galaxy Note phones make a positive impact every time I use and test them, and I often miss their functionality and S Pen when I have to move on to test another phone.
Even with the current $200 off, $1,100 is a lot to spend on a smartphone. If you want the phone that comes with absolutely everything with very little compromise, then you'll be happy with the Note 20 Ultra at its current price. Prime Day 2020 may bring a little extra off the top, so it might be worth waiting unless you need a new phone now.
You may have noticed that we haven't included the standard Galaxy Note 20 here, which is less expensive than the Ultra version. The standard Galaxy Note 20 does not come recommended from us, even with a $200 discount at the time of writing. It poses poor value relative to its feature set for a premium smartphone in 2020.
The OnePlus 8 marks the first OnePlus series that is being sold "officially" on Amazon, rather than through third-party resellers that often list international models that aren't especially well suited for the US.
The OnePlus 8 is among the least expensive flagship phones of 2020, and it's a very solid option. With that said, it's missing a couple flagship features, like wireless charging, official water resistance ratings, and it doesn't quite have the top camera hardware (but you'll be hard pressed to see a difference).
It's already well priced as it is, but it's not at deal pricing. Now that OnePlus is officially being sold by Amazon itself, we'd be unsurprised to find a good Prime Day deal for this phone. Buy now, or wait for Prime Day, if you can.
The OnePlus 8 Pro is the company's first fully flagship smartphone that doesn't come with any compromise whatsoever. And yet, OnePlus has still managed to keep its retail pricing lower than the competition.
With the OnePlus 8 Pro, you're getting the smoothest, fastest, most fluid experience on any smartphone with its 120Hz screen, as well as excellent battery life, absurdly fast wired and wireless charging, gorgeous good looks, and an great triple-lens camera system. This is the Android enthusiast's phone.
It's already well priced seeing as its cheaper than equivalent phones, but the only deal on Amazon for the OnePlus 8 Pro is for the 256GB model, price at $919 compared to its $999 retail tag. Like the OnePlus 8, the fact that Amazon is selling it officially can mean a tasty deal is to be had on Prime Day. Buy now or wait for Prime Day if you can.
Google's Pixel 4a stunned when it came out with a flagship-level camera, a sleek modern design, and good performance for just $350.
Indeed, the Pixel 4a comes with a camera that takes photos as good or better than flagship phones that cost around $1,000. It's a smartphone that makes the idea of spending anywhere near $1,000 seem completely ridiculous.
It doesn't have a tasty deal price at the moment, but at $350, the retail pricing is a deal on its own. I wouldn't be surprised if a little extra was chopped off the top during Prime Day, if you want to wait.
Google's Pixel 4 is the search giant's most up-to-date idea of what a smartphone should be like. It continues Google's legacy as the best smartphone camera maker around, and it offers a pure Google Android experience that's simple, clean, and gets timely updates for security, bug fixes, and features. It was also one of the earliest phones to adopt a high-refresh-rate screen at 90Hz, which makes for a smoother experience while swiping around apps and Android.
With that said, the Pixel 4 is a little divisive with its fine-but-unimpressive battery life and specs, large "forehead" where advanced facial recognition tech is found. The facial recognition works well, but it led to a less-than-premium design that some may not like. It's also missing an ultra-wide camera lens, which was a huge bummer when other flagships from its biggest competitors like Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus included more versatile camera systems that included ultra-wide lenses.
The current deal is actually pretty good for the Pixel 4, and it's unclear if it'll go lower for Prime Day. The Pixel 3 went down to a similar mid $500 range during Prime Day 2019, so the current deal may be what we're looking at for Prime Day 2020.
As much as the Pixel 4 is a good deal at the moment, Google is expected to announce a new Pixel smartphone in October. Unless you're specifically looking to spend around $500, we'd wait to see what Google has in store.
Google's Pixel 4 XL is exactly what it sounds like — a larger version of the Pixel 4. Features and functionality are identical, save for the larger screen. That means the pros, as well as the cons, of the Pixel 4 are present here. For the pros, you get a stunningly good camera, a smooth 90Hz screen, and Google's purest expression of Android, as well as timely updates.
As for the cons, battery life isn't terribly impressive, it's missing an ultra-wide camera lens, it's design is ultra utilitarian, and it was too expensive for what it was, at least compared to the competition.
Based on the previous Pixel 3 XL and its Prime Day from 2019, the current deal is similar to what we expect for the Pixel 4 XL during Prime Day 2020 — something in the mid $600 range. With that in mind, it's unlikely the Pixel 4 XL will go much lower.
As much as the Pixel 4 is a good deal at the moment, Google is expected to announce a new Pixel range in October. Unless you're specifically looking to spend around $600, we'd wait to see what Google has in store.
The Google Pixel 3a XL is an affordable phone for Android fans who don't need all the latest specs from the latest Pixel 4 XL. Although it's quite a bit cheaper, Google did not skimp on the specs, and the experience is still good.
The Pixel 3a XL has the same excellent camera tech as the Pixel 4 series, meaning it takes the best photos in the mid-range and budget segment, and even among top premium flagships. It also has all the latest Android features from Google. Last year's Prime Day deal wasn't really a discount, with a $100 gift card, and today's $384 deal is pretty good already. We wouldn't be surprised if the Pixel 3a XL gets an even steeper discount during Prime Day 2020, as it will over a year old at that point.
Another option in the $300-$400 range is the $350 Google Pixel 4a, which is an amazing smartphone for its price. And Google is set to announce another Pixel 4a model with 5G soon. We'd refrain from buying the Pixel 3 XL unless it goes below $350 on Prime Day.
The Google Pixel 3 is an oldie but still a goodie. Although it has been succeeded by the Pixel 4, the Pixel 3 is still quite a superb deal with this discount. It's smaller than the Pixel 3 XL, so it's easy to hold.
It has one the best cameras in the smartphone world, a fast processor, and a sharp screen. It may not be as flashy and modern looking as the latest Galaxy phones, but the Pixel 3 is an excellent device. At the time of writing, the phone is now even cheaper than it was on sale for Prime Day last year, so now's the time if you want to save — it's essentially a year-old flagship phone with a mid-range price.
Just note that Google is expected to announce the Pixel 5 series in October, when the company usually announces new Pixel phones. That means both the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 4 series may be even cheaper than they are today when the 5 series is announced in October.
And if you're deciding whether you should go for the Pixel 3 that comes with top specs from 2018 or the Pixel 4a that comes with mid-range specs from 2020, I feel your anguish — it's a tough decision. At its current price, I'd go for the Pixel 3, as it sports more premium materials, specs, and features.
If you're a big Google fan, the Google Pixel 3 XL remains a top smartphone you can currently buy. Although it has been replaced by the Pixel 4 XL, it is still an excellent phone and one we highly recommend — especially at this price.
It has one of the best cameras in the smartphone world, and many consider the shots taken on Pixel to be superior to the iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy flagships. You also get pure Android software straight from Google that is more secure and updated with more frequency than other Android phones. Considering its age, we wouldn't be surprised if it goes for even less during Prime Day 2020. But, if you want to secure yourself a year-old high-end phone for a mid-range price, you'd be wise to pick one up sooner rather than later. At under $500 at the time of writing, this phone is even cheaper than it was for Prime Day last year.
Just note that Google is expected to announce the Pixel 5 series in October, when the company usually announces new Pixel phones. That means both the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 4 series may be even cheaper than they are today when the 5 series is announced in October.
Google is also set to unveil another Pixel 4a with 5G supposedly in October for a rumored $500. I'd wait to see what Google has in store, but at about $400, the Pixel 3 XL is a good buy.
The Samsung Galaxy S10e is actually the best deal among the S10 series, thanks to its great specs and remarkably low price tag. It even has the exact same great camera sensors as the S10, so you're not missing out on much there (beyond the 2x zoom). Its processor is equally fast, too, and you get similar storage options.
Really, the biggest difference is the screen tech: The S10e does not have a curved screen and its bezels (the black borders around the screen) are a bit wider, however, there is still no notch, so you do get a big beautiful screen, even though it's technically the smallest of the bunch at 5.8 inches. It doesn't have the in-screen fingerprint sensor, either — that's on the power button instead.
Last year's Prime Day and today's deal aren't super impressive for this phone. Hold out for a better Prime Day 2020 deal on this one if you can.
Samsung's Galaxy S10 was the brand's flagship smartphone for 2019. The phone was widely regarded to be one of, if not, the best smartphones you can buy. Its 6.1-inch screen is absolutely gorgeous, and it's not interrupted by anything more than a tiny dot where the selfie camera is located.
The phone runs on a speedy processor, has tons of storage space, and fantastic cameras. In fact, many reviewers say the S10 has the best cameras of any current phone except maybe the Google Pixel.
The current deal isn't great, and I'd wait to see what kinda deals Prime Day 2020 will bring — hopefully something even lower than last year's $600 deal.
If you love the S10, but you want an even bigger screen, the S10+ is a phone you'll want. Its 6.4-inch screen is slightly bigger than the regular S10's, and it's just as beautiful if not more so given its larger size.
You get the same speedy processor and slick design, but with the addition of better battery life and a three-lens rear camera that can take normal, telephoto, and ultra-wide photos. We say that this is the same situation as above.
The Galaxy S10+ is at full retail price right now, so it's bad time to buy it from Amazon. Definitely wait for Prime Day 2020, where you can hopefully get it for less than $700.
Like most recent flagship phones, the LG G8 has a full, nearly bezel-free screen with a sharp Quad HD resolution. It's also powered by a zippy Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and 6GB of RAM. There are two cameras on the back and one on the front, all of which take great shots.
This version of the phone comes with a few pre-installed Amazon apps, including Amazon Shopping, Amazon Music, Audible, and Amazon Alexa. If you don't need or want those apps, you can delete them when you set up the phone. Even though you do get some bloatware on this version of the G8, it's a sweet buy for this price — even after Prime Day of last year. Just ignore the weird hand sensor thing — its gimmicky and involves you making strange claw gestures with your hands.
At $400, it's a good buy for a phone with top-end 2019 specs. It'll be somewhat surprising to see an even better deal on Prime Day 2020.
The Moto G Power is one of the latest budget phones from Motorola (which is owned by Lenovo). It has a large 6.4-inch HD screen, a 16-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide, and a somewhat baffling 2-megapixel macro camera. It has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
It's certainly not the most high-powered phone you can buy, but it does everything you need perfectly well, except perhaps high-powered games.
At $250, it's already a great deal — it's amazing what you get for that much. Will we see an even cheaper price on the phone for Prime Day 2020? Here's to hoping. I can say that, for $100 more, you might be happier with the $350 Pixel 4a for its better camera and overall package.
