- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra at AT&T: AT&T
- Galaxy Z Fold6: Samsung
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Verizon
- Google Pixel 8a at AT&T: AT&T
- Google Pixel 9 Pro XL at AT&T: AT&T
- Google Pixel 8 Pro at Mint Mobile: Mint Mobile
- Apple iPhone 15 at Verizon: Verizon
From the workhorse you use for calls from the office and in the field to retro flip phones to kick off a casual conversation with a client, cell phones are arguably an essential device for most people today. If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, look no further than these hot deals happening this month.
Shopping for a phone can get more complicated than shopping for other hardware because of the carrier plans. A carrier might have low-cost upgrades or business unlimited plans, while an unlocked or prepaid phone works independent of any carrier. For business, it’s likely you have a carrier and maybe an unlimited plan, so we’ve tilted slightly toward the carrier deals, but you’ll need to double check whether they apply to your plan. If they do, you can often get a new phone as part of a free upgrade or join a payment plan that lumps the cost of the phone in with the cost of the data over a couple of years.
When assessing deals to determine the top five, we considered the depth of the discount, the quality of the product, and its possible applications for business, from corporate to freelance. We’ve tried to provide a variety of brands since it’s likely you already have a preference between Apple, Android, Google, and something else.
Disclaimer: The pricing and product availability information were accurate at the time of publication. Pricing for smartphones usually depends on numerous factors, which may be individual to the buyer.
Best smartphone deals for September 2024: Comparison table
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra at AT&T
Price: $299.99 with a trade-in and an unlimited plan.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra can run Google’s generative AI, such as the Imagen 2 image maker, and our reviewer called this model “incredible” earlier this year. For existing AT&T customers, you can trade in your existing phone and upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with an eligible unlimited plan for up to $1,000 off the $1,299.99 retail price. This kind of perk isn’t unusual with carriers, but the depth of this discount brings you to a very reasonable $8.34 per month if you pay for this phone on the payment plan. If you know you like the Galaxy and want to upgrade to the newest and more premium version, this is a great deal that could save you a grand.
Galaxy Z Fold6
Price: $120 with trade-in
Samsung’s foldable phone can double as a tablet. The inner folding screen and smaller, interactable outer screen make it versatile. The artificial intelligence features like Google’s Circle to Search, Live Translate, and a generative AI assistant are intended to make writing and answering emails faster, which could be a boon for work. Just keep in mind that flip phones still tend to sprout dead pixels at the seam after heavy use.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Price: $0 with trade-in and appropriate plan
It’s refresh season again. Apple’s newest phone came out in September, so carriers have trade-in deals. This free upgrade requires a 3-year sign-on to Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan. Doing so will give you the phone built for Apple Intelligence. With this, iPhone 16’s Siri will respond more naturally to conversations once iOS 18.1 launches later this year. Along with the AI features, iPhone 16 Pro offers a 6.3 inch screen, a high-resolution camera, and, Apple asserts, 85 hours of battery life.
Google Pixel 8a at AT&T
AT&T is offering a $5.99 per month deal for Google’s 2024 Pixel 8a, a really remarkable price. The catches: You have to sign up for or already have a qualified AT&T unlimited plan, and the savings trickle out over 36 months. So, you’ll need to plan to keep this phone for 36 months and lock in to AT&T. Still, that’s a very impressive per-month price.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL at AT&T
With Google opening preorders for its next smartphone at the Made by Google event in August, the Pixel 9 deals have begun. AT&T offers this current-generation phone for free with a rollup trade-in of “a Google Pixel smartphone from any year, in any condition or an eligible smartphone with trade-in value of $35 or higher.” Google Pixel 9 is packed with AI features and includes 256GB of storage (or 512GB, which you can get at the same price as part of the deal). This deal is open to people with new or existing AT&T unlimited wireless service plans.
Verizon is also sweetening their pot of Pixel 9s with various preorder deals, including up to $800 off.
Google Pixel 8 Pro at Mint Mobile
Price: $559.
Mint Mobile, now a subsidiary of T-Mobile US, offers prepaid phone plans through an eSIM, including six months free for new customers. If you want this type of plan, Mint Mobile offers a $440 discount on the Google Pixel 8 Pro with it.
SEE: Need to sync contacts between Outlook and your iPhone? Here are four ways.
Apple iPhone 15 at Verizon
Price: Free with Verizon Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate and 36-month contract.
Verizon is offering $829.99 off the previous-generation iPhone 15, meaning the phone works out to be free compared to the $799 retail price. You’ll need to pay for Verizon’s Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan, and the savings are doled out as monthly credit for 36 months. The iPhone 15 has good photo editing features, like editing out backgrounds, that can be used for work. Plus, it will be compatible with iOS 18 when the new operating system comes out this fall. The iPhone 15 won’t be able to use Apple Intelligence, though.
