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Best Cell Phone Deals August 2022
Here are the very best cell phone deals of the month, all in one place.
What’s new this summer? Not too much, it turns out. But that’s a good thing because you can still score an incredible deal on a brand new iPhone 13 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S22. AT&T, Verizon, Xfinity, and T-Mobile are offering great deals on iPhones and Samsung Galaxies for new customers who switch or trade-in eligible devices.
Read on to learn more about these amazing cell phone deals (plus a couple of deals from Mint Mobile and Boost Mobile).
- : Get a free iPhone SE (2022) when you add a new line on monthly installments
- : Save up to $700 on the iPhone 13 Pro
- : Save up to $800 on the Samsung Galaxy S22 when you sign up for Magenta MAX
- : Save up to $800 on the iPhone 13 with trade-in and a new line
- : Get 6 months of free service on any 12-month plans with a new phone purchase
- : Save up to $300 on the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G when you switch

The best baller, mid-range, and budget smartphones on major carriers
Looking for a little one-on-one guidance for choosing a smartphone? Check out this video from our smartphone guru Tshaka for some pro shopping tips.
Best Xfinity Mobile cell phone deal: Get a free iPhone SE (2022) when you add a new line on monthly installments
- Get a free iPhone SE (2022)
- Uses Verizon's great network
- Must add a new line on monthly installments and port-in your number
- Credits applied over 24 months
Xfinity Mobile has a few great deals going on right now for new customers. (Remember, Xfinity Mobile is available only to existing Xfinity home internet subscribers.)
The deal we're highlighting is a free iPhone SE (2022) when you add a new line on monthly installments and port-in your number.
Best AT&T cell phone deal: Save up to $700 on iPhone 13 Pro
- Huge savings on the newest Apple iPhone
- Get great AT&T service
- Discount applied over 36 months
- Must purchase an unlimited plan
The iPhone 13 Pro is still one of the finest phones around, with an incredible processor, good battery life, beautiful display, and a top-notch camera.
You can get up to $700 off the iPhone 13 Pro when you purchase an eligible smartphone on a qualifying monthly installment agreement through AT&T and purchase an unlimited plan.
Best T-Mobile cell phone deal: Save $800 on the Samsung Galaxy S22 when you add a new line on Magenta MAX
- Save up to $800 on the Samsung Galaxy S22
- Get great service
- Must add a new eligible line
Save up to $800 on a brand new Samsung Galaxy S22 when you sign up for a monthly installment on a Magneta MAX T-Mobile line. Then go ahead and enjoy T-Mobile’s super-fast data speeds in style.
Plus, T-Mobile just rolled out a new concept called “Forever Upgrade,” which means that the value of your new phone will be locked in at $800. You can upgrade to the newest phone every two years from here on out, maintaining that $800 value.
Best Verizon cell phone deal: Save up to $800 on the iPhone 13 with trade-in
- Save up to $800 when you trade in your old or damaged phone
- Enjoy Verizon's amazing coverage
- Requires a new line
- Must trade-in eligible device
Save up to $800 on a new iPhone 13 through Verizon Wireless when you trade-in an eligible device and add a new line. Verizon is also offering customers a $200 VZ gift card and up to 1 full year of AMC+ on select Unlimited plans.
Best Mint Mobile deal: Get 6 months of free service on any 12-month plans with eligible phone purchase
- Get 6 months of service free
- Enjoy cheap unlimited data
- Must sign up for a 12-month plan
- Must purchase an eligible device
Mint Mobile is already known for offering incredibly cheap cell phone plans. But you know what’s even cheaper than cheap? Free.
When you sign up for 12 months of service and purchase an eligible device, Mint will throw in an extra 6 months of service without charge. Nothing like the peace of mind that comes with taking care of your cell phone bill for over a full year.
Best Boost Mobile phone deal: Save up to $300 on the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
- A great 5G phone for an awesome price
- Get Boost’s unlimited data plan
- Must purchase a new device
- While supplies last
Boost Mobile offers powerful and affordable data plans on T-Mobile’s super-fast network.
The carrier is offering up to $300 off the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G when purchasing the device through Boost Mobile.
Image Source: Boost Mobile
Tips and tricks for finding the best cell phone deals
Here’s the golden rule of buying a new phone: never pay full price. There’s almost always a way to get the device you want with a discount, a BOGO deal, or some other promotional offer. Here’s what to look for when you’re shopping.
See if your carrier offers the latest phones for existing customers
Last year AT&T announced that it would start giving its existing customers some of the very same phone deals that it offers to new customers. Since then the other two major carriers—T-Mobile and Verizon—have followed suit.
Be sure to check your current carrier’s deals before running to a new company. It can help to actually call (so old fashioned) and tell a representative what you’re looking for (especially if you say you’re thinking of changing carriers!).
Look for refer-a-friend programs
You like your friends (most of the time) and you like saving money (all of the time), so why not put the two together? Many carriers—like Mint, Visible, and AT&T—will give you an account credit when you refer a friend.
While these account credits aren’t exactly phone deals, they do cut your monthly bill. Since many phones are bought on installments that you pay with your monthly bill, it’s basically the same thing.
Look for trade-in programs
Verizon is usually running some kind of incredible trade-in deal that will give you $700+ off your new device when you give up your old one. While not every carrier offers that kind of cash, most do have some sort of trade-in policy.
Remember, if you’re trading in an iPhone 6 with a busted screen, it’s going to be worth a lot less than a Samsung Galaxy S20+ that’s just a few years old.
Consider switching carriers to get the new customer treatment
We talked about how some carriers are beginning to offer deals to existing customers. But this is the exception to the rule. In most cases, switching to a new carrier opens up a whole new world of phone deals.
Companies often save their best deals—like iPhone BOGO offers—for those who sign up for an unlimited data plan. Besides, switching to the right company can save you money and give you more data (depending on what plan you’re on now).
Factor free streaming subscriptions and other perks into the total savings
Cell phone companies like to throw in perks to get you to sign up for their plans. Some perks are boring, like 500 MB free data when you travel south of the border. But there are other perks that are, to be honest, freakin’ awesome.
AT&T will give you a free HBO Max subscription on certain plans. T-Mobile will hook you up with a Netflix plan. And Verizon plans often give you Disney+, Hulu, and other subscriptions! These may not be directly related to your phone purchase, but they sweeten the deal for sure.
Frequently asked questions about cell phone deals
Welcome to the FAQ section, where we answer all of your burning questions about love, life, and cell phones. Well, mostly about cell phones actually.
When is the best time to look for cell phone deals?
It depends on what you want. It’s well known in the industry that Apple tends to unveil its new devices in September of each year, while Samsung usually sticks to a January release date. So, if you want a new iPhone or Galaxy phone, then those will be the times you’ll see a flurry of deals on new models.
You’ll also see a good amount of deals landing around Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other holidays.
If you’re not interested in waiting for the right deal to land in your lap, then you can take the initiative by switching to a new carrier or adding a new line to your plan (to make it a family plan). Since pretty much every company has done away with restrictive contracts, it doesn’t really matter when you switch.
Should I switch to a different cell phone carrier to get a good deal on a cell phone?
The short answer is yes, unless you’re really happy with your current carrier.
Not only are the best deals usually saved for new customers, but many companies will also give you other incentives to “break up” with your current provider. We've put the top 3 wireless providers to the test. Check out our reviews to see how Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T stack up against each other. For example, T-Mobile will pay up to $650 for you to pay off your phone or phone bill with your old carrier when you switch over. AT&T and Verizon will also provide steep discounts to switch over.
What are the best upgrade cell phone deals?
There is some incentive for folks to stay with their existing carrier. Most companies will offer upgrade deals every year or two. These deals can help you keep up with the latest models from Apple, Samsung, or Google, but they might not be as substantial as the deals for brand new customers.
If you think you should be eligible for an upgrade, give your carrier a call.
What are the best refer-a-friend cell phone deals?
Mint Mobile has one of the best referral deals around. You can get up to $240 of credit when you refer up to five friends. That’s enough credit to get you a full year on Mint’s 10 GB plan! Plus, each friend that you refer will get a $15 credit for themselves. Everyone wins.
Most companies have a referral program. So, if you’ve got friends looking for a new phone plan, be sure to ask your current carrier about their referral deals. You may be able to score some credit for a new phone or to help pay your bill.
What are the best smartphones?
There are several contenders for the best smartphone and brands on the market. But after a lot of research and analysis on various devices from Apple to Samsung, we’ve come up with three devices that clearly beat out the competition.
- Best overall performance: The Samsung Galaxy S21+ quite simply has everything. The best camera, a lightning-fast processor, an insanely beautiful display, 5G capability, and pretty much everything else you could want.
- Best overall value: If you want a phone that balances incredible performance with a reasonable price, the iPhone 12 is the way to go. You’ll get the beautiful design and solid reliability of an Apple product for less than $1,000 factory price.
- Best for budget: Google has snuck into the cell phone market in recent years with some phones that rival the performance of Apple and Samsung but cost half as much. The Pixel 4A is no different. You can get this surprisingly powerful phone for under $400.
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