Phone deals are the Black Friday category with the most small print. The headline discounts come from carriers and depend on a trade-in and a three-year plan; the clean, unlocked cuts are smaller but simpler. And this year there is a twist: Samsung and Google raised list prices in October, so a big discount buys less than it looks. Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27, with Cyber Monday on November 30. This guide gives you the October prices to beat, what the same phones fetched last Black Friday, the picks reviewers back, and how to read a carrier deal.
Hitechreports does not test phones. Every price below is one the linked outlet reported, on the date given. We will update this page as the 2026 deals land.
Why this year's phone discounts look bigger than they are
Memory chips cost phone makers far more in 2026, as AI data centres buy them in bulk, and the list prices moved before the sales did. Memeburn reports that Samsung raised every Galaxy S26 model by at least $100 in early October, and by $200 on the 1TB Ultra, seven weeks before Black Friday; Google moved the Pixel 10a from $499 to $599; and the Galaxy A57 starts at $549 against $499 for last year's A56.
So judge a deal by its final price, not the dollars off. Memeburn's example: a $420 cut on a phone that just got $100 dearer is $320 below its original launch price.
The other change is timing. During Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days on October 6 and 7, the Galaxy S26 Ultra dropped $420, the Pixel 11 Pro XL $300 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra $400, cuts Memeburn calls "similar in size to what last year's models got during Black Friday 2025". The sale has, in effect, already started.
The prices to beat
Memeburn's October snapshot of unlocked prices, measured against each brand's own list price rather than a retailer's "was". A Black Friday price at or below these is a real deal.
| Phone | Deal price in October | List price | Last year's equivalent, Black Friday 2025 |
|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB) | $979 | $1,399 | S25 Ultra "just under $900" |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB) | $724 | $999 | S25 launched at $799 |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (128GB) | $574 | $699 | S25 FE fell under $443 |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 / Fold 8 Ultra | $1,549 / $1,699 | $1,899 / $2,099 | Fold 7 dropped $470 |
| Google Pixel 11 (256GB) | $749 | $899 | Pixel 10 dropped $200 |
| Google Pixel 11 Pro XL (12GB/256GB) | $999 | $1,299 | Pixel 10 Pro XL dropped $300 |
| Google Pixel 10a | $524 | $599 (was $499) | |
| Apple iPhone Air (256GB) | $839 at Best Buy | $1,099 | |
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) | $1,199 unlocked; carriers up to $1,200 off with trade-in | $1,199 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A57 | $399 | $549 to $609 | |
| Nothing Phone (4a) Pro | $419 / $510 | $499 / $599 | |
| Motorola Razr (2025) | $499 | $699 | |
Memeburn's verdict on where waiting pays: "Foldables are the one category where waiting looks smart, since last year's Fold dropped by $470", and the Fold 8 is only $350 off so far.
What phones cost last Black Friday
The unlocked prices TechRadar and Tom's Guide recorded on Black Friday 2025:
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: $899 at Amazon, down from $1,299 (Tom's Guide); $850 with a free storage upgrade at Samsung (TechRadar).
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (512GB): $1,399.99 at Samsung, $720 off, which TechRadar called "the best Black Friday phone deal".
- Google Pixel 10: $599 at Best Buy, down from $799, plus up to $500 off with a trade-in.
- Google Pixel 10 Pro: $749.99 at Amazon, down from $999.99.
- Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: $899 at Best Buy, down from $1,199.
- Google Pixel 9a: $349 at Amazon, down from $499, "its lowest price ever".
- OnePlus 13: $699 at Amazon, $200 off.
- Apple iPhone 16e: $399 at Walmart, down from $599.
- Apple iPhone 17 series: no retail cuts. Apple offered a $75 gift card and up to $670 off with a trade-in; the real offers were carrier plans, below.
How to read a carrier deal
Last year's headline iPhone deal was "free". Verizon offered the iPhone 17 Pro Max at no cost with a new unlimited line, plus a free iPad and Apple Watch, Tom's Guide and TechRadar both reported. The terms, from Tom's Guide: a 36-month agreement on a plan from $65 to $90 a month, with the phone's cost returned as monthly credits, and the iPad and Watch each needing their own cellular line.
Memeburn's rule for 2026 is the right one: carrier trade-in deals beat retail sales on iPhones, "but they lock you in for up to 36 months". If you leave early, the credits stop and the balance is due. Carrier deals suit people who will keep both the phone and the carrier for three years; everyone else should buy unlocked.
Which phones to buy on Black Friday 2026
From our reviewer-sourced list of the best phones of 2026, each pick backed by at least two outlets that tested it, with Memeburn's prices to beat:
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: top of our list. The price to beat is $979 for 256GB. Memeburn notes the battery is still 5,000mAh, "while many rivals ship 7,000mAh or more", and the frame is now aluminium, not titanium. On Amazon.
- Google Pixel 10a: second on our list and the budget Pixel. Price to beat $524, though that is still above its original $499 launch price. On Amazon.
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra: the Ultra is third on our list. Wait for better than $350 off if you can; last year's Fold fell $470. Galaxy Z Fold 8 on Amazon.
- OnePlus 15: fourth on our list. Last year's OnePlus 13 was $200 off at Amazon on Black Friday. On Amazon.
- Google Pixel 10 and Pixel 11: the Pixel 10 is fifth on our list and now last year's model, which is where the deep cuts go: $599 last Black Friday. The Pixel 11's price to beat is $749; Memeburn praises its 5x zoom camera at that price and measured 25 hours of video playback, but found it slower than Samsung and Apple rivals in heavy tasks. Pixel 10 on Amazon and Pixel 11 on Amazon.
- Apple iPhone 17: sixth on our list, and now the cheaper iPhone next to the 18 Pro. Expect carrier offers rather than price cuts; last year's "free" iPhone 17 came with a 36-month plan. iPhone 17 on Amazon.
- Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 FE: the compact flagship at $724 to beat, and the FE at $574, the only S26 model Samsung did not raise in October. Galaxy S26 on Amazon and Galaxy S26 FE on Amazon.
How to tell a real phone deal
- Compare the final price with the table above, not the percentage off a list price that rose in October.
- "Free" means a plan. Check the plan price, the term (36 months last year) and whether the accessories need their own lines.
- Last year's model is the bargain. The Pixel 10, Galaxy S25 and iPhone 17 are now the previous generation, and that is where last year's deepest cuts fell.
- Storage upgrades count. Samsung's Black Friday offers paired a cash cut with a free step up in storage, TechRadar noted; price the model you would actually buy.
- Foldables: wait. Memeburn's one explicit "wait" is the Fold 8.
Where to buy
The links in this guide go to Amazon; Hitechreports earns a commission on qualifying purchases. Carrier deals are on the carriers' own sites.
Black Friday phone questions
When is Black Friday 2026? Friday, November 27, 2026. Cyber Monday is November 30.
Are phones cheaper on Black Friday than on Prime Day? Not by much. Memeburn found October's Prime Big Deal Days cuts on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Z Fold 8 Ultra were already as deep as last year's Black Friday cuts on their predecessors.
Will the iPhone 18 Pro be discounted? Unlikely at retail: Apple rarely discounts new iPhones, Memeburn notes. Carriers offer up to $1,200 off with a trade-in, paid as credits over 36 months.
What was the Galaxy S25 Ultra's Black Friday price? $899 at Amazon, per Tom's Guide, or $850 with a free storage upgrade at Samsung, per TechRadar.
Why did phone prices go up in 2026? Memory chips. Samsung raised Galaxy S26 prices by $100 to $200 in October and Google raised the Pixel 10a by $100, Memeburn reports, because AI data centres are buying the RAM every phone needs.
Which phone should I wait on? The Galaxy Z Fold 8: last year's Fold dropped $470 around Black Friday, and this year's is $350 off so far.
More Black Friday guides from Hitechreports
Published October 27, 2026. Prices are those reported by the linked outlets on the dates stated, not current Amazon prices; check the retailer for today's price. Hitechreports does not test phones. As an Amazon Associate, Hitechreports earns from qualifying purchases.
MDFiled by The Mobile Desk
Phones from leak to launch to price cut: what was announced, what it costs where, and when it goes on sale. Indian launches and prices included, not appended.
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