Even in a market dominated by an ecosystem, choosing a new smartphone can be difficult. Of course, it’s natural to want to stick to what you’re familiar with. For example, jumping up from Galaxy S21 to Galaxy S24. But things get even more complicated when you factor in price, design, update cycles, and the ability to effortlessly migrate from one Android OEM to another.
I have good news. All of the major 2024 Android smartphones hit the market well before the holiday shopping season, and thanks to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, it’s super easy to find deals on new smartphones right now. Whether you’re looking for the biggest and best display money can buy or you’re ready to dive into the world of foldables, you’ll find something here for you. As Android Police’s resident phone editor, I help you tell the difference between a good deal and a very good deal. Here are the four phones I’m recommending during Prime Big Deal Days.
The $600 Pixel 8 Pro is worth every penny
Don’t think about Pixel 9 Pro XL
Google’s latest hardware isn’t available yet. We’ll probably have to wait until Black Friday for the first big discounts on the Pixel 9 lineup. But that doesn’t mean you can’t save some cash on last year’s collection. . The entire Pixel 8 series is on sale during Prime Big Deal Days, but it’s the high-end Pixel 8 Pro that deserves your attention. At just $600, it’s a smartphone that offers a similar experience to this year’s Pixel 9 Pro XL for almost half the price.
This phone should be familiar to all Android Police readers, but in case you’ve forgotten what’s special about the Pixel 8 Pro, we’re here to remind you. With a 6.7-inch Super Actua display, frosted matte glass, and three impressive sensors, the basic experience isn’t far off from Google’s latest flagships. With seven years of OS and security upgrade support, support is guaranteed until October 2030, even though it celebrates its one-year anniversary next week. And many of Google’s best AI tools, like Gemini and Magic Editor, go right out of the box.
If you’re looking for something cheaper, the Pixel 8 is a bargain at $450, while the Pixel 8a will set you back just $400. Both of these smartphones offer great experiences in their own right, but to my eyes, nothing beats the value offered by the $600 Pixel 8 Pro. As long as you don’t mind having a device this big, this is the flagship product available in this week’s two-day sale.
google pixel 8 pro
600 dollars $999 Save $399
The Pixel 8 Pro may not be Google’s newest smartphone, but it’s still a great value in 2024. With three great lenses, a bright 6.7-inch display, and plenty of AI features, this could just be a Prime Day steal. 600 dollars.
Upgrade to foldable with $1,140 OnePlus Open
It’s a steal, even if you have an older processor
If there’s one thing holding Android fans back from upgrading to a foldable device, it’s price. It may feel futuristic, but its regular $1,800 price tag is a tough pill to swallow for an experience that’s more fragile and finicky than any other smartphone. If you’ve been holding out, the OnePlus Open is marked down to just $1,140 on Prime Day, making it one of the cheapest current-gen foldables we’ve seen in the US so far.
A year after its release, the OnePlus Open is still contending for the title of my favorite foldable device. While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a solid performer for its price, there’s no denying that OnePlus has paved the way for the future of foldable smartphones, and I’d say the future of multitasking on Android. Open Canvas is an innovative idea that turns the 7.81-inch inner display into a set of expanded apps, all at your disposal.
Now, there are a few caveats to this deal. This is 2023 hardware, so it’s not as thin as Google’s latest folding smartphones. That said, it’s aged particularly well over the past 12 months, and its internals, including a sturdy battery and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, feel worthy of a flagship even in 2024. Software support is also not up to the standards of the Pixel 9. The Pro Fold is a seven-year commitment, but it also promises four OS upgrades, meaning you’ll at least get Android 17 before updates start to stall.
Finally, this deal does not apply to the recent 1TB Apex Edition launched by OnePlus, seemingly as a placeholder model ahead of the OnePlus Open 2, but it does cover both the black and green models containing up to 512GB of storage. suitable for
one plus open
$1140 $1800 Save $660
OnePlus’ first foldable product comes with an impressive spec sheet and some notable features as well. The lightweight design, ultra-bright cover and folding screen, high-end internals, and triple-camera setup make OnePlus Open a great alternative to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold lineup.
Get Samsung’s Galaxy S24 for just $600
Google, take note. This phone actually feels small
For many smartphone buyers, Samsung is virtually synonymous with Android, even though it’s actually the brainchild of Google. The Galaxy S24 isn’t the most exciting phone on the market, but it might be the default Android experience right now, especially when a device like the Pixel 8 Pro is too big, and for $600 it’s the best to beat. It will be difficult. .
We’d hesitate to call the Galaxy S24 truly “small,” but it’s definitely more compact than the majority of modern smartphones. Despite being Google’s “small” flagship for this generation, it’s much smaller than the Pixel 9 Pro. Despite having a larger display than Apple’s iPhone 16, it’s smaller. Nevertheless, there are no obvious disadvantages to choosing Galaxy S24. There are some spec downgrades compared to its higher-end sibling, but nothing that will affect day-to-day usage. It’s a great, rugged phone that fits in your pocket, and at $200 off, it’s hard to pass up.
samsung galaxy s24
600 dollars $800 Save $200
The smallest of Samsung’s 2024 flagships will feature a significantly brighter refresh rate screen that can adapt from 1 to 120Hz, a camera that will finally rival the S24+, and a more refined version than the past two years. Packed with perhaps the most important upgrades in the series, including builds.
Get your favorite Galaxy S24 trio for $750
Galaxy S24 FE should feel like an afterthought
If you want something bigger and more powerful than the ones on this list, we recommend the Galaxy S24+. At $750, it’s not as expensive as the Pixel 8 Pro in my opinion, but it’s not far off. It’s still part of Samsung’s latest flagship trio, and while it’s due for a refresh in January, don’t expect too many changes to cause buyer remorse.
As Associated Press Google editor Taylor Kearns wrote in January, the Galaxy S24+ feels like a must-buy. It’s a bit smaller than the Galaxy S24 Ultra (which is currently on sale for $1,000 if you’re interested), and its curvaceous design makes it very comfortable to hold. It doesn’t have the 5x telephoto lens found on the Ultra, but cameras aren’t Samsung’s strong suit at the moment anyway. We finally have the S Penless flagship available at a pretty affordable price, and this sale gets even better the closer you look.
Late last month, Samsung announced the Galaxy S24 FE, an affordable version of just that smartphone. The $650 price looks pretty attractive if the S24+ were at full price, but for just $100 more you get a better display, a more premium build, a bigger sensor, a faster chipset, and 2x more storage is available. One UI 7 is scheduled to launch in 2025, and we can expect many new features to be added to the phone in just a few months.
Samsung Galaxy S24+
$750 1000 dollars Save $250
With richer AI-powered tools, a brighter screen, and a sleek all-in-one design, the Samsung Galaxy S24+ offers the larger screen and more features of the S24 Ultra at a nearly identical premium price. Seven years of updates and continuous revisions to One UI 6.1 have made the software shine on phones with nearly identical hardware.
There are many great benefits
Now and through the remainder of 2024
You’ll see plenty of mobile discounts between now and the end of the year, but Amazon’s two-day sale is your first taste of a truly sweet deal. Whether you opt for a generation-old hardware like the Pixel 8a or OnePlus Open, or buy the Galaxy S24 months before its successor arrives, now is the perfect time to buy a new smartphone. If these deals don’t work for you, there’s plenty to offer to others on Prime Big Deal Days.
related
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2024: Don’t miss the best deals on day one
Prime Day promotions of our choice
