Christmas Deals on Cell Phones
A phone as a Christmas gift, or a Christmas deal for yourself? Choosing a phone for someone else involves different considerations than choosing one for yourself, and further down on this page, you’ll find what to look for. Click on a phone to see its price history and compare prices from all providers side by side, in an independent comparison.
How do you interpret a Christmas discount?
An advertised discount is compared to the lowest price from the previous thirty days, and for almost all of December, the week of Black Friday still falls within that window. The “from” price is often already a promotional price itself. So you can only really see what a Christmas price is by comparing it to the prices from the preceding weeks.
Sometimes it’s not a price drop, but a device that comes with an accessory. Those offers are listed below.
A phone as a Christmas gift: what should you look for?
When choosing for yourself, go with what you want; when choosing for someone else, go with what that person is used to. These points make all the difference.
How do these phones differ as gifts?
- Android or iPhone: if you switch from one system to the other, you’ll need to reconfigure apps, backups, and payment methods.
- Years of updates: the number of years a device receives updates varies greatly by brand and model and is listed in the specifications.
- The user: whether it’s for a child, a student, or an older family member, preferences vary widely—from a simple phone with large text to a camera phone capable of doing it all.
- Unlocked or with a plan: a plan remains in the name of the person who signs up for it; an unlocked device belongs to the recipient right away.
Virtually every phone in this overview makes calls, sends messages, and takes photos without any problems. The difference lies in how many more years the device will last and whether it’s a good fit for the person unboxing it.
Choose based on the number of years of updates if you want the gift to last for years.
Choose the same operating system as the old device, so the recipient doesn’t have to learn anything new.
Choose a unlocked device if you’re actually giving it away; a subscription remains in the name of the person who signs up for it, along with the associated monthly fees and credit check.
If you’re not sure which phone someone wants, it’s wiser to figure it out together than to surprise them. People use a phone for years, and the wrong choice will cost more than the surprise is worth.
