Afraid of commitment? Getting a new cell phone can be really stressful. Carriers want to lock you into a contract, and if you’re indecisive it can seem impossible to get a phone without one. That’s where these deals come in. We’ve scanned all the major retailers to find deep discounts on carrier-free phones of all sorts, including some seriously powerful hardware at heavy price cuts. Here’s our guide to the best deals on unlocked cell phones for May.The Best Unlocked Samsung Phone Deals
Renewed phones are some of the best deals on the market, and Amazon’s program is known for getting devices back to factory standard so you can’t even tell. The Samsung Galaxy S22 is a powerful and compact portable that we gave an “Excellent” rating to in our review, commenting that it’s “the best small Android phone you can buy” thanks to its high-quality cameras, fast charging and potent processor.
We’re big fans of Samsung’s form factor experiments, and we gave the Galaxy Z Flip 5 an Excellent rating in our review, proclaiming it “a stylish, powerful handset that flips closed for maximum portability.” With dual screens, a square one on the outside paired with a rectangular one on the inside, you can operate the device in multiple modes, with bright screens up to 1,600 nits. Both panels are covered in Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is rated for drops up to 6.5 feet. Getting $150 off is a surprising price drop at this point in the phone’s lifespan.The Best Unlocked Google Phone Deals
Google Pixel 8 Pro
All-time low price on the flagship Android
$799.00
at Best Buy
$999.00
Save $200.00
This is the lowest price we’ve seen on the Pixel 8 Pro, a solid Android device we called “a refreshing entry into the Android space thanks to its AI-powered software tricks.” in our review. Google’s new image processing software lets you do all sorts of cool things with your photos, like choose optimal facial expressions from multiple shots, easily delete unwanted objects and more. The hardware is nice, with a solid metal build and a bright 6.7-inch OLED screen that looks great even in direct sunlight.
Google Pixel 7 128GB
The Pixel 7 is showing its age but it still does the job
$339.99
at Walmart
$599.00
Save $259.01
It’s been a few years since the late 2022 release of the Google Pixel 7, but at the time we called it “the best $600 Android phone you can buy, particularly if you want flagship features and performance on a budget” and gave it an Editors’ Choice award in our review. Now it might be the best $350 Android phone you can buy, courtesy of a sizable price drop at Walmart. Great cameras, a sharp screen and speedy performance make it a solid pick for most users.Other Best Unlocked Phone Deals
OnePlus 12R
A powerful Android phone with a long-lived battery
$529.99
at Amazon
$599.99
Save $70.00
OnePlus makes a variety of Android phones with solid internals and subtle, minimalist cases. The 12R is the budget version of the OnePlus 12, but it barely sacrifices quality and performance for a significantly lower sticker price, made even cheaper with a $70 discount from Amazon. It has some of the longest battery life we’ve recorded with a screen this nice. When we reviewed it, we gave it an “Excellent” rating and said that “if you love playing graphically rich mobile games on a big screen and want the longest-possible battery life, the 12R is easy to recommend.”
Recommended by Our Editors
Motorola Moto G Stylus
A super-affordable Android with a pointer to boot
$129.99
at Best Buy
$199.99
Save $70.00
Here’s an absurdly low price on a phone we said “features a large, vibrant screen, competitive battery life, and a stylus for doodling and note-taking” in our review. It’s rare for budget phones to come with an included pen, but even without that gimmick this is a perfectly decent budget Android portable with a sharp 144Hz refresh screen and a 5,000mAh battery which lasts a fair amount. The primary 50MP camera sensor is acceptable as well. It’s not the greatest mobile on the market, but you can’t beat that price. If you do sign up for a carrier too, Best Buy will give it to you for $30.
The Sony Xperia PRO-I is one of the most expensive smartphones on the market, but there’s a good reason behind that. For photography fans, this is the absolute best option out there. Multiple Zeiss lenses kit out a trio of 12MP cameras, and the razor-sharp 3840 x 1644 screen lets you examine your snaps in high resolution. There’s even a dedicated camera shutter button on the side of the phone. It’s definitely a splurge at full price, but cutting eight hundred bucks off makes it a lot more appealing. Don’t forget to check out our top tested picks for the Best Unlocked Phones of 2024.
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