There’s never been a better time to buy a Google Pixel phone

Opinion
By James Rogerson
published

Opinion: now's the time to grab one of Google's great phones

Google Pixel 7 with foliage behind
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

One of the things I like most about Pixel phones is their price and value. While Google has built the brand up to the point where these have widespread appeal – and can compete in terms of specs with the best Samsung phones – they still tend to cost less than most of the big-name competition.

So if you’re looking for a smartphone bargain, then a Pixel is always worth considering. And that’s never been truer than right now.

We’re deep into Black Friday deals season, and many of the best Black Friday phone deals we’re seeing are for Google’s handsets, with discounts bringing these already reasonably priced phones down to even more tempting levels.

Let’s take a look at what’s on offer, starting with the Google Pixel 7 line – the best deals for which are limited to the US for now, but may well be mirrored in the UK before the Black Friday sales period is over (like the Pixel 6 deals you can find further down this page).

Today's best Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro Black Friday deals (US)

Google Pixel 7 (128GB, Obsidian): was $599 now $499 at Best Buy

Google Pixel 7 (128GB, Obsidian): was $599 now $499 at Best Buy - The Google Pixel 7 is the latest flagship phone from Google, and while it only came out recently you can already get it at a $100 discount in this Black Friday sale from Best Buy. That brings the base 128GB model down to just $499, but the same discount is available with more storage. In our review we praised the Pixel 7's cameras, so this is one for photography fans. But with the same chipset as the Pixel 7 Pro its performance won't let you down either.

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Google Pixel 7 Pro (128GB, Snow): was $899 now $749 at Best Buy

Google Pixel 7 Pro (128GB, Snow): was $899 now $749 at Best Buy - The Pixel 7 Pro is one of the best phones on the planet right now, and it's the very best Pixel. It also only launched recently, so any sort of reduction is notable - especially one as big as $150 off, as we're seeing here. That $749 price is for a 128GB model, but you'll find the same $150 saving on other variants too. The Pixel 7 Pro excels particularly when it comes to its cameras, its snappy interface, and its intuitive software. But this being a high-end phone it's good in most other areas too.

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Google Pixel 7 Series: save up to $900 with a trade-in at Verizon -

Google Pixel 7 Series: save up to $900 with a trade-in at Verizon - If you trade in a phone at Verizon then right now you can get up to $700 off the purchase of a Google Pixel 7 or up to $900 with a Pixel 7 Pro, which makes for a hefty discount off the company's latest flagship phones. You can also get big savings on buy-get-one, and there's a $200 gift card if you switch.

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Google Pixel 7: Buy one get one $700 off with unlimited plan at Verizon - Google Pixel 7 Pro

Google Pixel 7: Buy one get one $700 off with unlimited plan at Verizon - As well as trade-in rebates, Verizon is also running a buy-one-get-one scheme on the Pixel 7. With this you can knock up to $700 off the price of a second handset, and new customers will also get an additional $200 gift card on top of the BOGO saving. See this same deal - but knocking up to $800 off - on the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

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These are all worthwhile deals, but the Best Buy ones particularly stand out to me, knocking $150 off the price of a Pixel 7 Pro, so you can get one from as little as $749, and $100 off a Pixel 7, so you can pick one up from just $499.

That latter deal brings Google’s standard flagship down to a price that’s only slightly higher than the mid-range iPhone SE (2022), and well below the $799 standard starting price of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and the iPhone 14 – two phones that it’s more directly competing with. And let’s not forget that the Google Pixel 7 is newer than either of those, having only hit stores in October.

Google Pixel 7 on display at Williamsburg Google Store

The Google Pixel 7 (above) only arrived in October, but is already seeing Black Friday discounts. (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

For that $499 you’re getting a phone with an attractive design, a great dual-lens camera which in our review we found it hard to take bad photos with, and the same powerful Tensor G2 chipset as the Pixel 7 Pro. You’ll also get slick software and day one updates to new versions of Android.

As for that $749 Pixel 7 Pro deal – this is a true top-end phone. Granted, the battery life could be better, but most other aspects of this phone are seriously impressive – securing it a 4.5-star TechRadar review.

At that price, it's also substantially cheaper than the standard starting price of phones like the iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus. In fact, it’s cheaper even than the base iPhone 14 and S22, which are inferior handsets in most ways.

But you can get an even cheaper Pixel if you choose something in the Pixel 6 line, the best current US and UK deals for which you’ll find below.

Today's best Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a Black Friday deals (US)

Google Pixel 6: £599£299 at Currys

Google Pixel 6: was £599 now £299 at Currys
Google's 2021 flagship offers solid performance, a superb dual rear camera and a clean Android experience – designed as Google intended; all wrapped up in an eye-catching design. This fresh £200-off Currys deal – paired with the voucher code PIXEL100 at checkout – cuts the price of the Pixel 6 in half, rendering it £100 cheaper than the mid-range Pixel 6a that it usually sits above.

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Google Pixel 6 (unlocked): $699$471.20 on Amazon -

Google Pixel 6 (unlocked): was $699 now $471.20 on Amazon - You can take 33% off the 256GB storage model of Google's still-excellent Pixel 6; with its superb AI-bolstered camera, strong performance and distinct design. There's also a 25% reduction on the 128GB model.

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Google Pixel 6a (128GB, Charcoal): $449$299 at Best Buy

Google Pixel 6a (128GB, Charcoal): was $449 now $299 at Best Buy - The Google Pixel 6a is Google's latest mid-range phone, but with this $150 discount from Best Buy it's available at a low-end price. That's for an unlocked 128GB version in Charcoal. If you're not sure whether this is the right phone for you, we're fans of its small size, clean software, and speedy fingerprint sensor, but less keen on its battery life and charging speed. Still, at this price those flaws are much more forgivable.

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Today's best Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a Black Friday deals (UK)

Google Pixel 6a: £399 £299 at Google

Google Pixel 6a: was £399 now £299 at Google - The Google Pixel 6a is available for its lowest-ever price right now in the UK, as Google has cut £100 off the standard price, bringing it down to truly affordable levels. If you have an old phone to trade in then you can make it even more affordable, with a rebate of up to £325. And the Pixel 6a is easily worth what it costs, thanks to great cameras, a stylish design, and a powerful Tensor chipset.

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Google Pixel 6a (128GB, Charcoal): at Affordable Mobiles | Three | £0 upfront | 100GB data | unlimited minutes and texts | £18/pm

Google Pixel 6a (128GB, Charcoal): at Affordable Mobiles | Three | £0 upfront | 100GB data | unlimited minutes and texts | £18/pm - You can grab the Pixel 6a on a hefty 100GB plan with Three for just £18 per month if you buy it through Affordable Mobiles. That's the standard price but usually you'd have to pay £209 upfront, whereas with this Black Friday deal there's nothing to pay upfront.

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Last year’s Google Pixel 6 is still a fantastic phone, sporting a similarly eye-catching design to the Pixel 7 and similar screen, camera and battery specs too. It’s using an older Tensor chipset, but that holds up well, so if you want to save some money you shouldn’t feel like you’re missing out on too much by opting for this older model.

Like its newer siblings, the Google Pixel 6 is also subject to Black Friday sales, with the phone down to an almost budget $471.20 at Amazon. Given that the Pixel 7 is only slightly more expensive in one of the deals above we’d generally suggest going for that instead, but this is still a hefty 33% saving off the standard Pixel 6 price, and it gets you a meaty 256GB of storage.

The Google Pixel 6a

Some of the best Pixel 6 series deals in the US and UK are on the Google Pixel 6a (above). (Image credit: Future)

The best deals in the Pixel 6 line though are for the Google Pixel 6a, which you can pick up for just $299 right now, or £299 if you’re in the UK. If you'd rather not buy it outright, then £18 per month on Three with no upfront cost and 100GB of data is another very affordable way for UK shoppers to go.

That’s basically an entry-level price, but it’s getting you a phone that’s almost as accomplished as the full fat Pixel 6, but in a slightly more compact 6.1-inch size. The 12.2MP primary camera is a downgrade, but still capable of taking impressive snaps, and the Pixel 6a uses the same Tensor chipset as its pricier sibling.

At full price the Pixel 6a arguably isn’t as good value as some of Google's other phones, but with this discount it certainly is, as well as being the cheapest recent Pixel you can buy.

More Black Friday Deals

James Rogerson
James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.