Cyber Monday phone deals 2023: recap

Cyber Monday phone deals 2023: recap
Cyber Monday is over and gone, and so are the amazing deals we came across on super-hot smartphones. In case you weren't following the event as closely as we did, now's the perfect time to find out exactly what happened during the most-awaited shopping event of the entire year.

Many smartphones hit rock-bottom prices during this year's Cyber Monday event, allowing shoppers to make the most of every penny spent. For instance, some of Samsung's best flagship phones got as much as $1,450 cheaper with a trade-in straight from the manufacturer's mobile shopping app. OnePlus flagships, the latest Google Pixel phones, and many more, also made an appearance. 

Let's dive into the world of Cyber Monday 2023! Here, you'll find all the memorable highlights of the event.

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Cyber Monday Galaxy phone deals


Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
7.1

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra


The Good

  • Battery life is great, big improvement from predecessor
  • New Snapdragon chip is the best one in years
  • Design is improved, feels more ergonomic
  • Screen is less curved and gets very dim (perfect for night time use)
  • Camera improvements are there, but not quite huge
  • Loudspeakers sound much better now
  • You get double the storage (256GB) at base model

The Bad

  • Base model still only has 8GB RAM
  • Charging speeds have not improved
  • Haptics are still not as good as rivals
  • Camera system hasn't improved as much as hoped for
  • Expensive if you buy at full price

If the Galaxy universe is your driving force, you should definitely have considered downloading the Samsung Shop app. It was the best place to find the hottest deals on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Z Fold 5, as well as the clamshell foldable Z Flip 5. Through this app, you could score up to 92% off on the latest non-foldable flagship with a trade-in. 

Samsung Galaxy S22+
8.0

Samsung Galaxy S22+


The Good

  • Superb display
  • Beautiful design
  • Adequate battery life
  • Good haptics and audio quality
  • Okay performance

The Bad

  • Image processing too extreme
  • Noisy low-light image quality
  • Not very ergonomic
  • Marginal improvements over Galaxy S21 Plus
  • Gets hot during gaming and heavier loads

The Galaxy S22+ was another deeply discounted device this Cyber Monday. Amazon offered you the chance to save as much as $271 on this incredible device, making it a no-miss for Samsung fans on a budget. As for more affordable alternatives, those were available as well. Walmart, for example, sold an AT&T-locked Galaxy A13 at 45% off, landing it under the $60 mark!

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
5.0

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G


The Good

  • Nice and clean design styling
  • Improved image quality
  • Solid battery life
  • Has a microSD card slot
  • Improved haptics

The Bad

  • Performance occasionally feels stuttery
  • Video stabilization could be improved
  • No wireless charging

Those who wanted something more mid-range could snag the Galaxy A54 5G. This device got its price tag reduced by $125 when Black Friday went live on Amazon. Amazingly, this discount remained live until Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday Motorola phone deals


Motorola razr 40
8.0

Motorola razr 40


The Good

  • Thin and lightweight
  • Stylish design
  • Great main display
  • Attractive price tag
  • Snappy performance
  • Good battery life
  • Wireless charging

The Bad

  • Small cover screen with limited functionality
  • Hinge feels wobbly
  • Camera not flagship-grade
  • No IP rating
  • Limited availability

Things were just as interesting in the world of Motorola. This Cyber Monday, you could treat yourself to a clamshell foldable phone by Motorola at under $500, a deal that was live not only at Amazon and Best Buy, but also at the official retailer. The Razr+ (2023) was another superb choice for foldable fans, as it was $300 off throughout the savings event.

Motorola Edge+ (2023)
6.8

Motorola Edge+ (2023)


The Good

  • Lovely curved front design
  • Clean software with buttery smooth and zippy performance
  • 125W fast charging is great
  • High quality Portrait Mode shots
  • 165Hz is a fun gimmick that gamers will appreciate
  • Solid battery life

The Bad

  • Iffy software update situation, only 3 years of OS updates
  • Camera not quite on par with the best
  • No proper long-range zoom camera

Motorola's non-foldable smartphone didn't fall behind. The Edge+ of 2023 could be yours at $150 off from Best Buy and Amazon. The official store took things up a notch, selling the same handset at an even more substantial price cut of $170, with no trade-ins required. The Motorola ThinkPhone was even cheaper at Motorola.com. This puppy could be yours for $340 less during the event, an exclusive markdown we didn't find anywhere else.

Motorola Moto G Play (2023)

Motorola Moto G Play (2023)


View full specs

There were some incredible discounts on more affordable Motorola phones as well. For instance, we came across a tempting deal on the Moto G Play (2023). During the savings event, prices for this device took a surprisingly big dive, landing below the $100 mark. Additionally, stylus-wielding options like the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) were about 38% cheaper, giving you plenty of value for money.

Cyber Monday OnePlus phone deals


OnePlus 11
6.7

OnePlus 11


The Good

  • Affordable price
  • Powerful chip inside
  • One of the fastest and smoothest phones around
  • Incredibly fast charging
  • Great haptics

The Bad

  • Camera quality a step below rivals, especially video
  • Display does not get as bright as rivals
  • OxygenOS makes weird changes to accepted Android gestures
  • No wireless charging
  • Throttles quicker than other Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones

Sweeter-than-sweet OnePlus phone deals were not to be missed this Cyber Monday. At some point during the event, Best Buy threw a mind-blowing deal on the amazing OnePlus 11. The deal required activation right away and helped shoppers claim $250 in savings on this supreme flagship killer.

OnePlus 10T
8.0

OnePlus 10T


The Good

  • Sets a new standard for fast charging
  • Very fast thanks to Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
  • 16GB RAM option is a sweet overkill
  • Large, bright display with gorgeous colors

The Bad

  • No zoom camera
  • Overall camera quality not quite on par with the best
  • Alert slider is gone
  • USB 2.0 speeds from the port
  • Who needs a macro camera?

Older but no less impressive alternatives also made an appearance at this savings event. For instance, we saw an incredible deal on the OnePlus 10T, which was $220 cheaper at Amazon. Markdowns on the OnePlus 10 Pro hovered around 20% at the same merchant, while OnePlus Nord models were up to 34% cheaper this Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday Pixel phone deals


Google's Pixel phones were among the stars of the event this year. We saw almost every desirable Pixel phone at discounts of well beyond $100. Let's get into details to find out just how generous retailers were with discounts on Google's smartphones this year.

Google Pixel 8 Pro
7.2

Google Pixel 8 Pro


The Good

  • Good battery life
  • Seven years of updates!
  • Clean software, no bloat
  • Top notch camera system

The Bad

  • Portrait Mode is frustratingly bad
  • Charging is on the slow side
  • No one really big standout new feature
  • Pricier now

Although it was released quite soon, the Pixel 8 Pro got as much as $200 cheaper this Cyber Monday. The huge discount actually went live on Black Friday, but we were pleased to see it remained active for much longer than we initially expected. 

Google Pixel 8
7.0

Google Pixel 8


The Good

  • Crazy-smart AI features
  • 7 years of software updates!
  • Pro-level display
  • Powerful camera system
  • You get a lot for the price
  • Good battery life

The Bad

  • Lower performance compared to competition
  • Battery charging still leaves room for improvement
  • Audio quality could be better
  • No dedicated telephoto camera

There was no shortage of deals on the Pixel 8 as well. This puppy got its price tag reduced by $150, which equates to 21%. This incredible deal was live at Amazon and Best Buy simultaneously, and Best Buy offered shoppers extra savings with a trade-in.

Google Pixel 7a
6.1

Google Pixel 7a


The Good

  • Good value for money
  • Stock Android with tons of AI/ML-powered software features
  • Display finally has a 90Hz refresh rate
  • Compact and user-friendly size
  • Face Unlock on board
  • Wireless charging
  • Capable camera with lots of features

The Bad

  • More expensive than its predecessor
  • Some slight build quality issues
  • Only a single 128GB storage option
  • Uninspiring digital zoom
  • Charges slowly

The old but gold Pixel 7a landed at rock-bottom prices this Cyber Monday. Why? Amazon went super generous with it, slicing a delicious $125 off its price tag, making it as much as 25% cheaper than usual.

Cyber Monday iPhone deals


Apple's iPhones weren't among the ones to receive incredible discounts. Then again, we didn't really expect iPhones to get discounts of over 10-15%. 

Apple iPhone 15 Pro

Apple iPhone 15 Pro


View full specs

This year, Verizon offered the incredible Apple iPhone 14 Plus for FREE with a new line activation, while Walmart was selling an AT&T-locked iPhone 15 Pro with a $300 eGift card. There was no shortage of cool discounts on renewed models, too. 

Apple iPhone 13
6.3

Apple iPhone 13


The Good

  • Much improved battery life
  • Dynamic and jolly photos in more challenging conditions
  • Easy to view outdoors display with perfect calibration
  • Snazzy Cinematic video mode
  • Double the predecessor storage for the same price

The Bad

  • Slow display refresh rate for the price point
  • Wired and wireless charging take comparatively long
  • Cinematic video mode is finicky without good lighting
  • Taller notch eats into some video formats
  • Worse value for money ratio than the iPhone 13 Pro

For example, Amazon offered a renewed iPhone 13 Pro Max at 20% off. We also found a refurbished iPhone 13 at Walmart, which was available at 22% off.


Cyber Monday deals on Asus, TCL, and more


Asus ROG Phone 6

Asus ROG Phone 6


View full specs

This Cyber Monday, we saw some incredible deals on less popular phone brands, such as TCL and Asus. During the event, mobile gamers had the chance to save $100 on the amazing Asus ROG Phone 6. There were also deals on the TCL 40XL, and more.

Which retailers launch the best Cyber Monday phone deals?


In short: all of them! From official stores like Oneplus, Motorola, and Samsung to the major US carriers and the largest online merchants like Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart, discounts on hot phones are virtually everywhere! 

If you're planning on upgrading your phone this Cyber Monday, we suggest following its prices during Cyber Monday and pick the offer that suits you best. Or, you can simply bookmark this page and visit it regularly to get the latest and best discounts on phones during the savings event.

Are phones on Cyber Monday sold unlocked?


Yes, the majority of the phone deals are for unlocked phones, especially at Amazon. However, Best Buy and carriers also have Cyber Monday offers, and some of these are tied to a carrier contract. You should be able to get almost any phone unlocked with deals from Amazon or Best Buy, but do keep in mind to double-check the deal before you pull the trigger.

Is Cyber Monday a good time to get a new phone?


Yes, definitely! Cyber Monday deals at Best Buy and Amazon, especially, are rocking and such discounts are not available outside of these sales. Even carriers have better deals during shopping events, including Cyber Monday. 

Then again, don't forget that the event prior to Cyber Monday, Black Friday, typically unfolds better discounts than Cyber Monday itself. But if you can't find the phone you want to get at a lower price during Black Friday, you can expect it to be discounted on Cyber Monday.

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