Best Prime Day smartphone deals 2020: What to expect

We’re getting closer to the biggest day of the year, as least as far as Amazon is concerned: Prime Day, this year expected to take place in October. It’s a day of online sales at Amazon that’s quickly putting Black Friday and Cyber Monday to shame. Prime Day deals are really extraordinary, featuring some of the hottest tech out there — for back to school, your home office and small business, or just your own entertainment. Some of the best deals and biggest price cuts are in the Prime Day smartphone deals, featuring great discounts on smartphones from the likes of Apple and Samsung. It’s getting toward Prime time for smartphones — don’t miss out!

Today’s best Prime Day smartphone deals

• 2020 iPhone SE 64GB (AT&T) — $150 ($5/month) with unlimited plan, was $400
• Samsung Galaxy S20 5G 128GB (AT&T) — As low as $300 ($10/month) with eligible trade-in, $450 ($15/month) without, was $1,000
• Apple iPhone 11 Pro 64GB (Verizon) — As low as $150 with eligible trade-in, $650 ($27/month) without, was $1,000
• Apple iPhone 8 (Unlocked, Amazon Renewed) — $244
• Google Pixel 4a (Unlocked) — $300 with activation, was $350
• OnePlus 7T (T-Mobile, Unlockable) — $449, was $599
• Google Pixel 4 (Unlocked) — $550, was $799
• Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra — Up to $700 off with trade-in and qualifying activation
• Google Pixel 3 — $349, was $799

Prime Day deals aren’t quite live, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get ahead of things and take advantage of amazing deals being offered on smartphones. Maybe your iPhone or Android just isn’t working the same anymore, and you don’t want to invest in its upkeep. Or maybe you’re just champing at the bit for an upgrade. If you can’t wait for Prime Day, we’ve listed a number of fantastic smartphone deals waiting to be snatched up. It’s also not unusual for Amazon to throw teaser deals out there before Prime Day starts, to give us a taste of what’s to come, so keep an eye on our site for those as well.

When are the best Prime Day smartphone deals?

We open up our computers on Prime Day expecting to see the best deals, but Amazon loves to give shoppers a not-so-little taste of what’s to come, showcasing tons of great deals the week before. These bargains tend to be just as noteworthy as those offered on the true Prime Day, so the odds that you’ll lose out by waiting are pretty slim. Also, there’s always the chance that the item you’re browsing won’t go back on sale at all, so, while you can definitely wait and see, it could be a strike-while-the-iron-is-hot situation. If Prime Day comes around and you see the item you’ve purchased for a lower price, no need to worry. Amazon is fantastic with returns and you can simply buy the same item at the lower discounted price and return the original.

What Prime Day smartphone deals to expect

So, you need a new phone. But does it need to be the newest one? When it comes to big sales, whether it’s Prime Day or Black Friday, retailers tend to offer the largest discounts on the tech from the last generation, as a way to clear inventory for new items. You can expect to see the smartphones that were released in 2019, or even earlier, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Newer isn’t always better with phones. Yes, there are always flashy new bells and whistles, but different builds and not-yet-perfected tech often keep last-generation phones as prized possessions, and at top dollar. Smartphone brands like Apple tend to emphasize their support for older models, so your chances of buying a lemon are nil. Also, the amount of info and user reviews available for last-generation tech, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting with no disappointing surprises.

At the same time, on Prime Day we’ve seen some of the newest tech available for some of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen. These are the Lightning Deals. Chances are, you’ve done your research, and you know exactly what a new smartphone will have in store for you. So will other shoppers. This means that you really need to move when one of these Lightning Deals comes up; they tend to get scooped up right away. If a smartphone matches your criteria, snatch it up and get it in your cart. Amazon has a built-in insurance policy in its easy return policy. So even if you make an error and shop a little too quickly, you can always return it.

Should I shop on Prime Day or wait until Black Friday?

If you’re looking to invest in a new smartphone don’t hold off until Black Friday. With Prime Day and Black Friday happening only a month apart from each other it’s possible that most of these smartphones will sell out and not get a restock in time for Black Friday or even Cyber Monday. There’s also a possibility of hefty shipping delays due to heavier demand on Black Friday so you won’t get your new smartphone in time for Christmas. There’s also a very low probability of prices varying by much between these two events. So, if you’re interested in upgrading to a smartphone shop these Prime Day smartphone deals now instead of waiting until late November.

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