Best Cell Phone Deals for October 2025

With the recent iPhone 17 drop, now is a great time to get a deal on the newest model or even the iPhone 16. Many carriers rely on heavy discounts on older iPhones and other phone models as a way to prepare for the newest iPhone launch. As for Samsung, there are a lot of active Samsung phone deals available now—including deals on popular new foldable models.

Here are the latest standout deals we found:

• Get a free iPhone 17 or a Samsung Galaxy S25 through T-Mobile when you open a new line. A T-Mobile Experience plan is required for both phones.
• Order online and get $200 per line when you switch to AT&T, and get a new iPhone 16 Plus or Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 with a qualifying trade-in.
• Get a Verizon premium plan and you could get a new Google Pixel 10 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S25+ for free, or a pre-owned phone for $0.00/mo.
• Xfinity Now Mobile offers a free iPhone Air or a free Motorola Edge G with a new mobile line, a qualifying trade-in, and an Xfinity Internet plan.
• MVNOs like Mint Mobile, US Mobile, and Tello are literally giving away free phones with a plan purchase. Tello also offers massive discounts on new and refurbished phones.

Ever heard of the phrase quid pro quo? It means something for something, and that’s exactly what an ‘on us’ deal is like. The carrier gives you a phone ‘on them’ as long as you do something for them. The phone is technically free, but only in exchange for a new line, a phone upgrade, or a trade-in. As long as you stick with a wireless plan from the phone carrier, the carrier pays for your new phone.

From the T-Mobile iPhone 17 Pro and 16e to the Samsung Galaxy S25+ to the Google Pixel 9a, T-Mobile offers some of the best and newest models you can get your hands on.

Get these phones through T-Mobile via 24 monthly bill credits when you trade in an eligible device or activate a new qualifying line. T-Mobile accepts phones in ANY condition. Save up to $999.99 on some devices! Take a look below and click “View Full Results” to see more details.

You can still find the Samsung S25 FE—with its 50MP camera sensor and IP68 water and dust resistance—with Verizon. You can also get a deal on the Google Pixel 10 Pro. The Google Pixel is especially cool because it has Gemini AI built in, a triple rear camera system, and AI-powered photo editing.

Get these phones through Verizon via 36 monthly bill credits. Requires the line to remain on any Unlimited phone plan. Save up to $999.99 on some devices!

A free iPhone 17, iPhone Air, or Motorola Edge is at your fingertips when you’re an Xfinity internet customer. This Motorola Edge phone has an improved Pro Grade camera system and a powerful 5200mAh battery.

Get these phones for free when you meet certain conditions:

• Become an Xfinity or NOW internet customer
• Sign up for a Premium Unlimited plan
• Trade in an old (and eligible) phone

So while the phone isn’t quite free up front, Xfinity will give you a monthly credit on your bill over a longer period of time (usually 24 or 36 months) that equals the monthly cost of the phone. As long as you stay locked into your plan with Xfinity for the duration of those bill credits, you pay $0 total for the phone itself.

You can get a great discount deal by adding a line to your plan or bundling services. This is a bit different than the ‘on us’ deal as it’s less about the free phone and more about the promise to save a specific dollar amount on the entire phone plan or other bundle deal. You may still pay a small monthly amount with the discounted phone deal, whereas the ‘on us’ deal is $0, but the latter locks you into a wireless plan for a certain amount of time.

You could get an iPhone 16 Pro or a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 through AT&T and save up to $1,100 with a qualifying trade-in on an unlimited plan. This means you won’t be paying the full price on that phone, and with this kind of deal, you could pay as low as $5.56 per month for an iPhone over 36 months.

Get these phones through T-Mobile via a trade-in on a premium plan. You can also save $1,000 or more on a Galaxy Fold7 or Motorola device.

For example, instead of paying $83.34 per month over 24 months for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, you pay $37.50 per month over 24 months when you trade in an eligible phone in any condition on a premium plan. Expect a lower monthly bill as long as you’re tied to a T-Mobile plan.

Many carriers sell pre-owned or refurbished models of current or recent phones. You might think you don’t want some old, used phone from a random stranger, but there’s actually a difference between used and refurbished—used phones are usually sold as is from private sellers. Refurbished phones typically come from the original manufacturer, look brand new, have fresh battery strength, and come with warranty options.

The basic concept of this type of deal is that you get a free or very cheap pre-owned phone in exchange for a long-term commitment to a specific phone plan. The phone carrier covers the cost of the phone by giving you monthly credits over the course of a payment plan. Because the pre-owned phone is already much lower than its standard new price, the carrier will put you on a cheap payment plan while simultaneously giving you a monthly bill credit for the exact same amount as your monthly phone payment. Because the monthly charge and the monthly credit cancel each other out, the phone could be $0 per month (see the Verizon pre-owned deals below).

Get Grade A refurbished devices—rigorously tested to look and act new. Offerings include the iPhone 15 ($599), Google Pixel 9 Pro XL ($799), and Samsung Galaxy S25 ($719).

Get these online-only deals for pre-owned iPhone 14 Plus, 15 Pro, and 16 models starting at $0/mo. over 36 months.

Buy unlocked pre-owned devices like the iPhone 11 ($329.99) and iPhone 12 ($379.99) for an upfront and one-time price. No need to wait to see savings over 24 to 36 months.

No need to trade in your phone to get a discounted price on a new phone. With these deals, all you need to pay for is a new qualifying line. However, while it seems to be a better bargain than trading in your old phone, keep in mind that some of these deals offer older model phones that won’t be as enticing for fans of the latest tech.

Get the iPhone 17 (Full price: $829.99) or iPhone 17 Pro (Full price: $1,099.99) via bill credits when you switch to T-Mobile and open a new Experience or Experience Beyond line. You can also get the iPhone 14 for 50% off via 24 monthly bill credits when you add a new line (Full price: $629.99) or the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G for $99 via 24 monthly bill credits when you add a new line (Full price: $399.99).

Get the Samsung Galaxy S25+ starting at $12.99/mo. or a Motorola moto g stylus 5G for as low as $2.99/mo. after 36 monthly credits with a new unlimited plan.

Get $400 off the iPhone 15 Pro Max or the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge when you add a premium NOW Mobile line.

Buy new phones like the Pixel 7 ($429) and Pixel 9 Pro XL ($799) at a discounted upfront price.

Get a free Maestro 3 phone with the purchase the Unlimited Annual Premium plan or Starter Plan.

Trade-in? Phone on us? Bill credits? All these phone deal phrases can be confusing, so what tips should you keep in mind when looking for a new phone?

We have three tips to help you get started:

While a phone may be discounted, it usually comes attached to a wireless plan from a specific carrier. Many carriers offer the same types of phones, but you get them with different phone deals and plans. If you like your current phone carrier, then see what kind of deals it currently offers. And if you’re ready to shop around, sometimes it pays to do a little research to find out what else is out there.

The Big Three networks include T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T. But did you know that Mint Mobile also uses the T-Mobile network … and requires you to pay a whole lot less? Don’t be afraid to consider an MVNO (these are wireless carriers that piggyback off of the big carrier networks with a much smaller price tag). These discount prepaid carriers also offer phone deals along with their affordable plans. It’s a win win! We mention Tello and US Mobile above for some of the best phone deals you can get (and they’ve got some of the cheapest wireless plans around). See this page for some of the Best MVNO Carriers.

Sometimes, switching to a new carrier can bag you the biggest discounts and savings on phones and service. And not only that—many carriers offer to pay for penalty fees if you break a contract with a competitor.

These carriers pay you to switch:

• Xfinity offers you $500 back per line to pay off your current phone contracts (get up to $2,500 for up to five lines).
• T-Mobile offers a Keep & Switch promotion, which pays off your remaining device balance up to $800 per line for up to four lines.
• Verizon offers up to $650 to help cover early termination fees or device payments when switching from other carriers.
• AT&T may offer up to $800 per line in a virtual prepaid card to help pay off your current phone’s remaining balance.

To find the most up-to-date standout deals, we comb through pages from big popular carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Xfinity, as well as highly regarded MVNO carriers like Visible and Mint Mobile. We search current deals and promos, filter for lowest prices and biggest savings, read fine print, and evaluate pricing and discounts. Our research process is designed to provide readers with accurate, trustworthy, and unbiased information on cell phone deals.

Learn more about how we review on our methodology page.