By
Scott Houghton Jr. Staff Writer
Updated

Memorial Day deals are coming

Memorial Day is May 25, 2026, and carrier deals on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S26 and the iPhone 17 are on the way. We're tracking every promotion from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Amazon, and more as they go live. See the latest Memorial Day tech deals here.

Looking for awesome deals and discounts on a new smartphone? We've tracked down the best trade-in discounts and BOGO deals on the market to help you save on your next device.

Carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are offering excellent deals on devices like the new iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. You'll also find other top flagship smartphones for 2026, like the Google Pixel 10 or Samsung Galaxy S26. Finally, we've found some excellent budget device deals on the iPhone 16e and Pixel 9a.

New cell phone deals change every week—but we're on the ball, so you don't have to be. We find the best cell phone deals from all of the carriers, big and small, online or in-store, so you can save. 

Best cell phone deals in May 2026

Device Deal Details
iPhone 17 Pro Max Get $1,100 off the iPhone 17 Pro Max from AT&T with a trade-in and new line. View Deal
Samsung Galaxy S26 Order the Samsung Galaxy S26 $800 off with an eligible plan on T-Mobile. View Deal
Google Pixel 10 Order a Google Pixel 10 for free through T-Mobile with no trade-in required. View Deal

iPhone 17 series deals


The new iPhone 17 series is probably the best smartphone on the market. With a new A19 processor and updated 18MP Center Stage selfie camera system, Apple has once again redefined what to expect with a premium smartphone. Plus, it also kept all your favorite features from last year's series, like the Camera Control button and access to Apple Intelligence. So which carrier has the best offer for you? We've scoured them all—here are our top picks.

AT&T
  • Available on Unlimited Extra EL or higher plan
  • Trade-in required
  • 36-month installment plan required

Free iPhone 17 Pro Max with AT&T

AT&T is offering the iPhone 17 Pro for free with a trade-in on select unlimited plans. This deal will help you save $1,100 overall. To qualify, you must purchase your device on an installment agreement and sign up for (or upgrade to) an eligible unlimited plan. Your discount will be applied as a monthly bill credit.

View at AT&T
T-Mobile
  • Experience Beyond or Better Value plans required 
  • Trade-in and new plan required
  • 24-month installment plan required

Free iPhone 17 with T-Mobile

New T-Mobile customers switching to the Experience Beyond or Better Value plans and trading in an eligible device can save up to $1,100 on an iPhone 17 series with a 24-month installment plan. That's enough to get one with 512GB of storage for free. T-Mobile will take devices as old as the iPhone 13 Pro in any condition for your trade.

View at T-Mobile
Verizon
  • Unlimited Ultimate required
  • Trade-in and new line required
  • 36-month installment plan required

Get an iPhone 17 for free with Verizon

Verizon is offering the iPhone 17 for free when you trade in your old device and add a new line of Unlimited Ultimate. They'll also through in a free $100 Verizon gift card. Even better, your trade-in can be in any condition! This deal requires a 36-month installment plan.

View at Verizon

Samsung Galaxy S26 deals

The Samsung Galaxy is arguably the closest rival to the Apple iPhone, and with good reason. With 8K video recording, new Galaxy AI features, and 5G capability, the latest Galaxy smartphones are the cream of the Android-powered crop. Here's how you can save on one of your very own, with Galaxy trade-ins, BOGOs, and more. You can also check out our list of the best Android devices to figure out which one is best for you.

T-Mobile
  • Available on Experience More or Experience Beyond
  • New line required
  • 24-month installment plan required

Get $800 off Galaxy S26 with T-Mobile

You can get the brand-new Galaxy S26 $800 off on a 24-month installment plan with a new line on the Experience More or Experience Beyond plans. This deal does not require a trade-in. This is the perfect Galaxy deal if your current phone is too old or broken to qualify for a trade. 

View at T-Mobile
Verizon
  • Available on Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate
  • New line activation required
  • 36-month installment plan required

Get $900 off a Galaxy S26 with Verizon

You can get the Galaxy S26 $900 off on a 36-month installment plan with the new activation of any Verizon postpaid unlimited plan. This includes Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate. This deal does not require a trade-in.  

View at Verizon

AT&T
  • Available on AT&T's postpaid plans (Unlimited Starter and up)
  • New line or line upgrade required
  • 36-month installment plan required

Galaxy S26 $900 off with no trade from AT&T

AT&T is offering the Galaxy S26 $900 off on a 36-month installment plan with its most popular postpaid unlimited plans. All you need to do is purchase a new line or upgrade an existing one. This deal includes the base-level Value 2.0 plan, which normally doesn't qualify for AT&T's best offers. 

View at AT&T

Google Pixel 10 deals


The brand-new Google Pixel 10 series includes the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro Fold devices. All of them offer a serious upgrade over previous Pixel models, with a new processor, upgraded 48MP cameras, and the newest Gemini AI features. With these available Pixel deals, you're sure to find one at a price you love.

T-Mobile
  • Available on Experience More or Experience Beyond
  • New line required
  • 24-month installment plan required

Snag a Free Pixel 10 with T-Mobile, no trade-in required

Order the new Pixel 10 and get it for FREE with a new line on T-Mobile's popular unlimited plans. All it requires is a new line on plans like the Experience More or Experience Beyond plans. You'll save $1,000 overall through 24 monthly installments and don't need a trade-in.

View at T-Mobile
Verizon
  • Available on Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate
  • New line activation required
  • 36-month installment plan required

Get $800 off a Pixel 10 with Verizon, no trade required

Order a new Pixel 10 with a new line on select Verizon postpaid unlimited plans and get it cheap. This Verizon deal will knock $800 off the price of the phone through 36 installments, making it absolutely free. It also doesn't require a trade-in and is eligible with popular plans like Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate

View at Verizon

AT&T
  • Available on AT&T's postpaid plans (Unlimited Starter and up)
  • New line or line upgrade required
  • 36-month installment plan required

Pixel 10 for $10.99/month with no trade from AT&T

AT&T is offering the Google Pixel 10 for $10.99/month on a 36-month installment plan with its most popular postpaid unlimited plans. All you need to do is purchase a new line or upgrade an existing one. This deal includes the base-level Value 2.0 plan, which normally doesn't qualify for AT&T's best offers. You'll save $562 overall and do not need a trade-in

View at AT&T

Mint Mobile
  • Save on phone plan and device
  • $630 in total savings
  • Can finance through Affirm to avoid a full upfront payment

Budget device deals


Not everyone needs the newest and flashiest devices. You can save a lot by picking a budget device or an older model of your favorite smartphone. Companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google typically discount their previous year's phones by $100 or more after the newest series comes out. Savvy customers can pick these devices and get tons of great features at a much friendlier price point. 

T-Mobile
  • Available on Essentials, Experience More, or Experience Beyond
  • New line required
  • 24-month installment plan required

Snag an iPhone 15 for 50% off with T-Mobile

You can get the iPhone 15 for up to 50% off (making it just $315 overall) on a 24-month installment plan with a new line on one of T-Mobile's popular postpaid unlimited plans. This deal will save you big and does not require a trade-in. While the iPhone 15 is an older device, it still has an excellent camera system, a powerful processor, and years of iOS updates left. This is one of the lowest prices you'll find for a flagship iPhone.

View at T-Mobile
Verizon
  • Available on Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate
  • New line activation required
  • 36-month installment plan required

Get a free iPhone 16e with Verizon

You can get the iPhone 16e (Apple's newest budget phone) for free on a 36-month installment plan with the new activation of any Verizon postpaid unlimited plan. This includes the Unlimited Welcom, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plans. You'll save $600 overall and don't need a trade-in to qualify.  

View at Verizon

Mint Mobile
  • Save on phone plan and device
  • $480 in total savings
  • Can finance through Affirm to avoid a full upfront payment

Save $300 on a Pixel 9a and get 12 months of Mint Unlimited for $15/month

Mint Mobile is offering a special deal with the purchase of a new Google Pixel 9a. You'll save $300 on the device itself, dropping the price to $199. You'll also get one year of the Mint Unlimited plan for $15/month (50% off). The total savings of this offer is $480 overall. The Mint Unlimited plan includes 35GB of high-speed data and a 10GB mobile hotspot. This is a great way to save on your plan overall since Mint offers much cheaper pricing than postpaid plans from major carriers. Even better, you can also pay for the Pixel 9a with monthly installments using Affirm.

View at Mint Mobile

How to pick the best phone deal

To pick the best deal, you should consider your needs and budget. The best deal for you may depend on whether you want the newest device, need an installment plan, or are buying phones for the whole family.

  • Deals from major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are best for customers who need installment plans, are buying for the entire family, or want to score the newest phone as soon as it comes out.
  • Deals from MVNOs like Mint Mobile, US Mobile, and Visible are best for customers who want an older phone or budget device, can pay for their phone outright, or are looking to save on their wireless plan overall.  

Make sure to shop around! The offerings are different at every carrier, so you're sure to find at least one deal on the phone you want.

Ready to find a deal? Punch your address into our comparison tool. You'll see which carriers are offering deals in your area. You can also add the phone you're interested in to see deals on that specific model, or use the filters to show only results with specific networks and carriers.

What different kinds of phone deals are there?

Different kinds of deals come with different rules and eligibility requirements. Here are the most common types of mobile phone deals and how to qualify for them:

  • New customer (switching) cell phone deals: Most cell phone deals are geared toward new customers. Carriers need a way to entice people to join their networks, so they save their best offers as a "switch cell phone carriers" deal. Existing customers usually still have an opportunity to save when they upgrade—it just won't be as high a discount.
  • Buy one, get one (BOGO) deals: BOGO deals require you to purchase more than one phone to get the discount. You usually have to purchase both phones on monthly payments, and you'll often need to sign up for a specific kind of plan (usually an unlimited plan). You'll get a certain amount back as a monthly bill credit that ends up significantly reducing the cost of the second phone. The best BOGO deals discount the second phone for free! These offers are excellent for families or two people teaming up to save money. 
  • Trade-in deals: Trade-ins offer credit for your well-loved device and put it toward a shiny new smartphone. While you can almost always get a basic trade-in credit even without a special deal, carriers will often tack on extra savings with your trade if you sign up for a specific plan (usually unlimited) and activate a new line.
  • Location-specific deals: Some discounts are available specifically for online or in-store purchases. Make sure you know where your local store location is to snag some deep discounts!
  • Outright discounts: Some carriers offer special pricing if you pay for the phone outright instead of selecting an installment plan. These types of deals are most common at MVNO carriers. 

Installment plans vs. purchasing outright

When sifting through smartphone deals, you'll see offers tied to both smartphone installment plans and outright purchases. 

Installment plans spread the cost of the phone out over several monthly payments. At major carriers, they can be as lengthy as 36 months (3 years) and are usually limited to the newest smartphone models. The monthly cost of the phone is cheaper, but you're locked into a contract until it's paid off. Discounts tied to installment plans are applied as a monthly credit to your bill.

Purchasing outright means that you pay full price for the phone as soon as you buy it. The discount is typically applied as a one-time credit, and you pay any remaining costs on the phone upfront. This kind of discount is usually tied to budget devices or last year's model, and is much more common at MVNOs.

Which method is better depends on your needs and the offer. If you're ok with being locked into a long-term contract, installment plans often include the best discounts. If you like the freedom of rate shopping and switching carriers, purchasing outright may be better for your needs. 

How we pick the best cell phone deals 

WhistleOut reviews smartphone deals from over 40 of the most popular cell phone carriers and retailers in the United States. We audit deals daily and update our picks as needed. Here’s how we rank the best deals each month:

  • Max savings: We factor in the total savings and percentage of savings compared to the full price of the device. We prioritize free phone deals over discounted phone deals, though both can be beneficial.
  • Features: We favor new models as they include the best deals and newest features. 
  • Eligibility: We also factor in eligibility requirements for each deal, giving higher marks to offerings that have a low barrier to eligibility for maximum savings.
  • Extras: Lastly, we look at whether the carrier is throwing in any freebies to sweeten the deal. These could include things like discounted smartwatch plans, streaming subscriptions, or free devices like tablets. 

You may wonder why we rarely list offers from retailers. Big box stores like Best Buy or Walmart often promote huge deals on the iPhone. However, these deals are almost always the exact same deals that you get from the major carriers. Of course, when you buy an iPhone from one of these retailers, you are also purchasing a plan (or upgrading your phone) from one of the carriers.

Scott Houghton

Jr. Staff Writer

Scott Houghton
Scott is a Jr. Staff Writer for WhistleOut with over five years of experience writing about tech, education, and digital services for SaaS companies, higher education platforms, and podcasting brands. He specializes in turning complex topics into clear, helpful content, cutting through the noise, and making smarter decisions about the tools and tech they use every day.

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