Samsung started regular sales of the Galaxy S23 series this week, so pre-order bonuses are no longer available. But there are still many good offers to choose from. Just like last week, Google Pixel phones offer a premium experience for less than most flagships these days, for example.
We’ve also selected a number of refurbished units – you don’t need to buy a brand new phone to get a premium experience. Use the links below to jump to the region you’re interested in:
Germany
Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, as well as Pixel 6a, offer the Google experience at three distinct price points. And we mean Google’s expertise as they get exclusive feature reductions not available on other Androids.
The global price of the Xiaomi 13 will be announced next week, but it will definitely be higher than the Xiaomi 12T costs. While it can’t compete with flagships with its Dimensity 8100-Max chipset, it offers a 6.67-inch 1220p-class display with 120Hz refresh rate and 12-bit color. The camera setup features a 108MP main module (with OIS) and an 8MP ultra-wide angle, as well as a 20MP selfie camera. The 5,000mAh battery supports 120W fast charging (0-100% in 19 minutes).
Nothing started rolling out the stable Android 13 update for the phone (1) this week. And while the phone (2) will arrive later this year, we don’t know much about it: CEO Carl Pei says it will be more premium and as a new model it will certainly cost more than that.
We know that many think the Samsung Galaxy A52s is a great value mid-ranger. And is that the Snapdragon 778G chipset is better than the Exynos 1280 inside the Galaxy A53. Additionally, the A52s has a 3.5mm headphone jack, though its battery is 4,500mAh, 500mAh smaller than the A53. The A53’s biggest benefit is that it’s a year newer, so it launched with Android 12 instead of 11 (both have updates to v13, but support for the A52s will end sooner).
The Nokia G60 spec sheet doesn’t blow your mind, but this is a perfect “no frills” phone. For €250 you get 3 years of warranty, 3 years of OS updates and 3 years of security patches. The phone isn’t bad either, even if it’s certainly not for enthusiasts.
We conclude with a cheap 4G model, the Galaxy M13. It runs full-fledged Android 12 with One UI Core on top, and has a 6.6-inch FHD+, as well as a big 5,000mAh battery. Again, not one for the enthusiast, but great for those on a budget.
Netherlands
Amazon is selling select iPhone 14 models in select configurations for less than Apple’s price. You might not find the right model/container/color combo you’ve been looking for, but there are savings if you’re willing to compromise.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max with 256GB of storage is $150 cheaper than what you’d find on Apple.com. The vanilla iPhone 14 costs just over €100 less.
If those are still too expensive, consider the latest iPhone SE (2022). Its outdated design isn’t for everyone, but it’s a current entry into the Apple ecosystem at less than half the price of the aforementioned iPhone 14.
Moving on to the Android offerings, the Realme GT Neo2 is from late 2021, so it’s hardly a new model. However, a Snapdragon 870 and 6.62-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with HDR10+ and a 5,000mAh battery with 65W wired charging seem like a good deal for €364. Usually this is Snapdragon 695/778G territory. .
By the way, the Galaxy A52s was not available, but the Galaxy A53 is. We know A52s are better value, but supplies have been erratic. Anyway, this will get better software support than Realme.
UK
What do you think of leaflets? If your answer was “too expensive”, we understand. However, the 2022 Razr is down to £750, £150 less than you could pay for a Galaxy Z Flip. The hardware is still quite current with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a relatively wide display coverage, a 6.7″ 144Hz FHD+ internal display and a 50+13MP camera setup.
Next up, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, as well as the cheaper 6a. They’re not as powerful as the Galaxy phones in terms of raw performance, but the cameras are competitive with more expensive Samsung phones.
You can also accessorize with some Google TWS buds. Google has started rolling out an update for Pixel Buds Pro that enables head tracking, which makes spatial audio even more immersive. Or you could go for the cheaper A-Series Buds, if you don’t care about immersive audio.
The Samsung Galaxy A53 is also present in most other regions, it’s such a good price for a capable mid-ranger with extensive software support.
Next, some iPhones that Apple no longer wants to sell you. While the iPhone 12 is still available, the small iPhone 12 mini and older iPhone 11 are not. For comparison, an iPhone 13 mini with 64GB of storage costs £650, but for £25 more you can get the older 12 mini with 256GB of storage. Alternatively, a refurbished iPhone 11 is a good choice for a schoolboy who doesn’t want to cause the dreaded green bubble in group chats.
While we’re looking at older Apple hardware, take a look at the Apple Watch Series 7. The 45mm aluminum model with GPS and cellular is cheaper than most other configurations right now.
United States of America
The OnePlus 11 is starting its global rollout and is one of the few flagships in the US not made by Apple or Samsung. And it’s starting at a $100 discount, which is pretty cheap for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with 16GB of RAM, QHD+ displays, Hasselblad cameras, and a 5,000mAh battery with 80W charging (warning: no wireless charging this time). Well, cheap by US standards, the market doesn’t have much variety (for example, the Moto Edge 30 series is not yet available).
Next, a couple of iPhone deals from eBay for drives locked on AT&T. You can save $150 on an iPhone 14 Pro and $180 on an iPhone 14 Plus over unlocked units from Apple.com. There aren’t many units available, but they are still sealed in their boxes.
We’ll wrap up with a couple of budget 5G phones, starting with the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022). The large 6.8″ 120Hz (FHD+ resolution) IPS LCD can be used with a capacitive stylus, and you get a free 256GB microSD card that doubles your total storage capacity. The Snapdragon 695 is paired with 8GB of RAM and a 5,000mAh battery with glacial charging (10W).
The Nokia G400 isn’t a great phone, but it is a sub-$200 5G phone with a 6.58″ 120Hz IPS LCD display, a large 5,000mAh battery, expandable memory, a 3. 5 mm and an aluminum frame.
Canada
We haven’t spotted many attractive smartphone deals in Canada, so we’ll be quick. The Galaxy S23 series goes on sale this week, and while North America has avoided the price hike seen by most of the rest of the world, the new models are still expensive.
So, for your consideration, we present Refurbished Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra. These are only set for 3 OS updates which means Android 13 is the end of the road for them. The trio will continue to receive security patches until at least early 2024, so there’s still some life left in them.
India
The Galaxy S23 series goes on sale in India next week, but not everyone has the budget for the latest models. The Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra offer a similar experience at a lower price point, especially since India got Snapdragon models last year.
We’ve also found a renewed offer for the Galaxy S23 Ultra if you want to save an extra ₹10,000.
The foldables are still expensive, but the Galaxy Z Flip4 is priced just above the Galaxy S22+ and cheaper than a vanilla S23.
As an alternative to the old Samsung flagships, how about an iPhone 12 or 13? iPhone 12 with 64GB costs as much as an S22 with 128GB of storage, an iPhone 13 with 128GB of storage is cheaper than an S22+ with the same 128GB of storage.
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