There exist in this world the kind of people that are going to pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9, and to hell with the price tag. You know that. Samsung knows that. We know that. And for those folk, we've created a guide to the best Galaxy Note 9 deals already on the market.
But everybody else is looking at that £899 SIM-free price and £1,200-plus contract deals – and that's just for the entry-level model – and thinking there's no way they'll be splashing out on the Note 9 any time soon.
Well this article is for the latter camp. The anything-but-the-Note 9 brigade. The Big Deal has picked out five mobile phones that you should consider instead of Samsung's new behemoth, and the best-value deals on them that you can pick up right now.
And for those wondering why the iPhone X doesn't feature... well that's even more expensive than the Note 9!
1. Samsung Galaxy Note 8: £350 cheaper than Note 9 deals
Okay, let's start with the obvious option. The Note 9 doesn't make massive leaps and bounds over the Note 8, and yet the 2017 model will cost you waaaaaay less. You still get a 12MP dual-lens main camera, Quad HD+ 6.3-inch display and plenty of power.
See all of today's best Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals
2. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: £297 cheaper than Note 9 deals
Sticking with Samsung for a moment, the S9 Plus arrived earlier this year at great expense, but thankfully prices fell fast and far. At 6.2 inches the screen is a tad smaller than the Note 9's, but it's noticeably lighter and its cameras really impressed us, especially in low light.
See all of today's best Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus deals
3. iPhone 8 Plus: £77 cheaper than Note 9 deals
As we said, we're leaving the iPhone X out of this little roundup, and that makes the iPhone 8 Plus your best big-screen option on Apple iOS. At 5.5 inches the screen is quite a lot smaller that the Note 9's, but you know with Apple that you're going to get a stylish phone that's a delight to use.
See all of today's best iPhone 8 Plus deals
4. Huawei P20 Pro: £400 cheaper than Note 9 deals
It's been the smartphone sleeper hit of the summer. It takes a lot to break the stranglehold of Samsung and Apple, but Huawei has done it in 2018 with its 6.1-inch wonder. People have fallen over themselves to get that 40MP main camera and massive battery.
See all of today's best Huawei P20 Pro deals
5. Google Pixel 2 XL: £350 cheaper than Note 9 deals
Google's Pixel phones shook up the market when they hit the shelves in 2016. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are soon to be replaced by the third iteration, but the Google-made six-incher 2 XL is jam-packed with quality, and is now upgradable to Android 9 Pie.
See all of today's best Google Pixel 2 XL deals
If you want to discuss, debate or deliberate any phone deals news and views with The Big Deal, then head over to our @TRDeals twitter feed – you'll also find the latest offers on phones, TVs, consoles, broadband and more tech.
