Weekly deals: the best smartphone deals from the US, the UK and Germany

Amazon US is running what it calls “early Black Friday deals”, but the truth is there will be discounts this whole month. Here are some of the best deals that we found in the US, but also the UK and Germany.

Besides the offers below, you might also want to check out our Deals page, which covers multiple regions around the world and offers additional info like a price history for the last 30 days.

OnePlus phones have been heavily discounted in the US and the UK and even in Germany, though not from the official site (due to a lawsuit by Nokia). Amazon Germany still sells them, however. There are a few other models that we have picked out by country, here are links to jump straight to the one you need:

USA

The OnePlus 9 Pro is from last year, but $500 buys you a still capable Hasselblad-branded camera with a 48MP main sensor (1/1.43” OIS), 50MP Ultra wide (1/1.56”) and an 8MP telephoto lens (3.3x optical magnification). The phone also has a beautiful 6.7” QHD+ AMOLED display (120Hz) and a 4,500mAh battery with 65W wired and 50W wireless charging.

The OnePlus 9 is even cheaper at $350, that still buys you the same Snapdragon 888 chipset and same main and ultra wide cameras. The display isn’t QHD+ but FHD+ (still 120Hz, though). If you want a phone for its camera, the Pro is a solid budget pick, the vanilla model could serve as a cheap gaming phone instead.

More recent, but not as cheap are the Samsung Galaxy S22+ and S22 at $800 and $700, respectively. These two are powered by the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and feature FHD+ 120Hz displays (6.6” and 6.1”, respectively). They have the same cameras too, 50MP main (1/1.56”, OIS), 12MP ultra wide and 10MP telephoto (3x optical magnification). They will get 4 OS updates (starting with Android 13) and 5 years of security patches.

Foldables are still expensive, but $1,500 is about as low as we’ve seen the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 without trade-in deals. Unlike the S22 series (which is getting replaced in February), the Z Fold4 will be current for a while longer.

Golf fans may have noticed that Samsung unveiled “Golf editions” of all three of the Watch5 timepieces. The one based on the Galaxy Watch5 44mm is down to $330 and comes pre-loaded with golf course maps and features to help track and improve your game.

If you have money to spend but don’t want a foldable, the Sony Xperia 1 IV (512GB) is down to $1,400. This phone very much isn’t for everyone, instead it has features that make it unique (e.g. the 3.5-5.2x continuous zoom camera or having a 3.5mm jack) and thus popular among a niche audience.

If you experienced sticker shock, let us make up to you with a couple of cheap 5G handsets. The Motorola Edge (2021) is from last year and runs on the decently fast Snapdragon 778G. It has an expansive 6.8” 144Hz LCD and a 108MP main camera, plus a 5,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging. All this for just $250 (just don’t expect much in terms of software updates).

The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is another $250 5G phone. It is from this year, but drops down to a Snapdragon 695 and it has a smaller 6.43” 60Hz AMOLED display. The 64MP main camera is less impressive and there isn’t even an ultra wide lens.

UK

The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are heavily discounted in the UK as well. The Pro is £480, which nets you the capable Hasselblad cameras (48MP main, 50MP ultra wide, 8MP telephoto) and a sharp 6.7” QHD+ AMOLED display (120Hz).

The vanilla OnePlus 9 is £380 cheaper, though you lose the telephoto lens and QHD+ resolution (also, wireless charging drops from 50W to 15W). Whether that saving that £100 is worth it is up to you.

The 9 isn’t much smaller than the 9 Pro. The Motorola Edge 30 Neo is, however. It has a 6.28” P-OLED display (FHD+, 120Hz) and is powered by the Snapdragon 695. It also comes with more basic cameras, 64MP main and 13MP ultra wide. It is £60 less than the OnePlus 9, though it’s more of a mid-ranger than an aging flagship.

If you want something on the cheap, the Samsung Galaxy M23 is down to £200. It is a 5G phone (thanks to the Snapdragon 750G) and has a 6.6” 120Hz LCD. The cameras are noting special (50MP main, 8MP ultra wide), but you do get a large 5,000mAh battery, a 3.5mm jack and a microSD slot. This is a solid pick for entertainment on a budget as it will handle video streaming and light gaming easily.

Germany

Like elsewhere, the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are well below their launch prices. The Pro model is down to €540 and its Hasselblad cameras (48MP main, 50MP ultra wide, 8MP telephoto) still hold their own against the 10 Pro. And you get a QHD+ 120Hz display, which not all phones in this price range offer.

The vanilla phone is €440, €100 less than the Pro. Depending on how much you will miss the 3.3x optical magnification of the tele lens, this is either a good deal or not. Plus, the screen resolution drops to FHD+ and you lose wireless charging speed (from 50W to 15W).

Since we’re talking about cameras, we can’t not mention the Xiaomi 12T Pro. It’s still quite new so don’t expect huge discounts – the 256GB model is down to €720. This money buys you a 200MP camera (OIS), plus a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and a “1.5K” 120Hz AMOLED display (between FHD+ and QHD+). The basic ultra wide camera and lack of a telephoto lens limit 12T Pros abilities as a camera phone, but it is a capable “jack of all trades” type of phone.

The 12T Pro features 120W fast charging (5,000mAh battery), the Realme GT Neo 3 can go even faster – 150W (though with a smaller 4,500mAh battery). A 12/256GB unit can be yours for €550. This buys you a Dimensity 8100 chipset, 6.7” 120Hz AMOLED (FHD+) and a 50MP main plus 8MP ultra wide cameras.

The Xiaomi Redmi 10C is down to €120. If you’re reading this, it’s probably not for you – but your elderly parents might appreciate it. It has a large 6.7” display (HD+) and a large 5,000mAh battery. It’s nothing amazing, but covers the basics on a budget.