IFTINFO – Weekly deals: the best smartphone deals from the US, the UK, Germany and India laissez un commentaire

This week Samsung’s newly Unpacked devices went on sales in the first wave of markets – the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5, the two Watch6 and three Galaxy Tab S9 slates – so we’ll check out offers from Samsung itself as well as Amazon. Samsung aside, there are interesting deals on Motorola foldables and bar phones too, plus mid-rangers from other brands and some interesting accessories as well.

USA

Friday was the first day of open sales for Samsung’s latest foldables. This means that pre-order promos are over, but there are still some discounts that you can snag.

For the Galaxy Z Flip5 you get a minimum trade-in value of $200 – literally any Android smartphone will fetch that price, so now is a good time to get rid of an old device that’s gathering dust in your drawer. The max trade-in value is $600. Alternatively, you can go through Amazon and score a $150 gift card.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 kept its free storage upgrade, so you’re getting a 512GB unit for the price of a 256GB one. The same $200 minimum trade-in is in effect here too (the max is $1,000). Amazon didn’t keep the free storage upgrade, instead it is offering a $200 gift card (the 256GB to 512GB upgrade costs $120).

Or you can get one of the Galaxy S23 series. However, with the $200 trade-in offer on the Z Flip5 you can match the price of a Galaxy S23+ (256GB), perhaps even go lower than that. That said, a Galaxy S23 Ultra for less than $900 will give you much better cameras than either of the foldables.

For more on Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 offers from Samsung.com (including carrier deals), check out this post. It also details discounts and freebies for the Galaxy Watch6 pair and the three Galaxy Tab S9 slates.

The Google Pixel 7 lives on to fight another day – right now you can grab one for just $400. Or to put it another way, the old flagship is $44 cheaper than the Pixel 7a, which has been trying to replace it for a few months now.

Instead of either Pixel, you can get the Samsung Galaxy A54. Right now it costs $450 and is competitive with a better screen (120Hz vs. 90Hz) and a bigger battery with faster charging (5,000mAh/25W vs. 4,355mAh/20W, though the Pixels also do wireless). Don’t forget about the extra OS update that the Galaxy will get over the Google phones. And if you are a Prime subscriber, you can get the Galaxy A54 at just $350.

The OnePlus Nord N30 was announced last month. It’s a 5G phone (Snapdragon 695) for under $300 with a large 6.72” 120Hz IPS LCD (FHD+) and a 108MP main camera (no ultra wide or tele, though). It has a 5,000mAh battery with 50W wired-only charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speakers and a microSD slot.

The new Amazon Fire Max 11 is one of the best value for money tablets. It runs an Amazonified Android, but installing the Play Store is fairly simple. For just under $200 you get an 11” IPS LCD (2,000 x 1,200px, 15:9) with stereo speakers and a decently fast MediaTek chipset (well, it’s faster than other Fire tablets, anyway). We recommend the 64GB version as the microSD slot makes adding more storage simple and $50 is too much for a 64GB bump.

Finally, a couple of TWS buds. The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is the cheaper option, but still offers 25dB active noise cancellation (ANC), an IP55 rating and up to 36 hours of playback with the case (27 hours with ANC active).

The old Apple AirPods (2nd generation) costs more than double and lack ANC, they lack an IP rating and battery life is only around 24 hours. These do have better integration with iOS. however.

UK

If you’re looking to buy a Galaxy Z Flip5, Samsung is offering a guaranteed £200 trade-in value for any old smartphone in any conditions. Something relatively recent can fetch more than that, but if you held on to a junk old phone, now is the time to get some value out of it. The maximum trade-in discount is £560. Alternatively, you can go through Amazon and get a free storage upgrade from 256GB to 512GB.

Strangely, the Galaxy Z Fold5 offer only guarantees £150 trade-in value for any old smartphone in any condition. But even a Galaxy S9 gets more than that at £180. The maximum trade-in value is £650. Amazon’s offer is again a free storage upgrade from 256GB to 512GB.

There are other foldables you can get, of course, like the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, which is currently £100 cheaper than the Z Flip5. The Moto has an older chipset (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 vs. 8 Gen 2), but packs larger displays inside and out (6.9” 144Hz and 3.6” vs. 6.7” 120Hz and 3.4”). Note that the Samsung has better water resistance with an IPX8 rating compared to the basic water repellent design of the Moto.

The Motorola Razr 40 is even cheaper, £350 less than the Z Flip5, but it isn’t much of a competitor with its tiny line display on the outside and Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset inside. This one has a larger 4,200mAh battery, however, it only achieves the 85h endurance rating, which isn’t any better than what the Ultra and the Z Flip5 managed.

If a bar phone is more your speed, the Moto Edge 40 has a stylish vegan leather back and a fast 144Hz 6.55” display (P-OLED, FHD+). It is powered by a Dimensity 8020 chipset and a 4,400mAh battery with 68W wired and 15W wireless chipset (the endurance rating is 98h). The phone has a 50MP main camera (1/1.55” sensor, OIS) and 13MP ultra wide (120°), plus a 32MP selfie camera.

If you’re tired from the same old brands with the same old designs, the Nothing Pohne (2) offers a fresh option – it’s quite pricey compared to the Phone (1) (check out the deal from last week for £320), but it is better. And Fonehouse is offering a decent £60 discount.

It’s not just the foldables, Samsung also launched new smartwatches too. You can get a £50 discount on either the Galaxy Watch6 or the Galaxy Watch6 Classic using the supplied code. You can also claim a £50 or £75 voucher for Google Play too.

The Nokia G21 and G11 are mostly identical, except the G21 has a more capable 50MP main camera (vs. 13MP). HMD is promising 2 years of OS updates and 36 monthly security patches. It’s nothing jaw-dropping but it is a good deal for £100 (and we’d pick the G21 over the G11, the better camera is worth the 17 quid).

Finally, the Doogee S100 is a phone you can take to the construction site or go camping with. It’s a chunky device (17.9mm thick), but it has a huge 10,800mAh battery with 66W wired and 15W wireless charging. It’s tough with an IP69K rating (hot water jets) and can survive 1.5m/5ft drops on concrete. There is a 108MP main camera (1/1.52”) and 16MP ultra wide (130°), plus a 20MP night vision camera (with 2 IR LEDs).

Germany

In Germany, Amazon didn’t have offers on the new Galaxy foldables, so here is what Samsung itself is doing to sweeten the deal. The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 have guaranteed minimums for trading in an old device – €200 for the Flip and €150 for the Fold – so you can get rid of an old phone that has been gathering dust in your drawer and still get a meaningful discount.

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G was down to €200 a month ago, now it has fallen further to €185. This is one of the cheapest 5G phones and is powered by the new Exynos 1330 chip, plus a 5,000mAh battery (15W charging). It has a 6.6” LCD (90Hz, FHD+) and a 50MP main camera. It has both a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD slot.

How about some accessories? The official genuine leather case for the Galaxy S23 is down to just €20. This is slimmer than the silicone case, so you can add protection without extra bulk. There is a brown version available too for €5 more.

If you have an iPhone 14 Pro Max instead, here is an official case made out of natural leather for €40. It’s MagSafe compatible. You can get the dark brown color for €10 more too.

If you want to try out a smart band but don’t want to spend Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro money, check out the Redmi Smart Band 2. It has a smaller screen (1.47” vs. 1.64”) and it’s lower resolution too, plus this one doesn’t have a built-in GPS. Still, for €24 you get long battery life, sleep and exercise tracking, plus pretty decent notifications (the screen still is bigger than most smart bands).

If you want to try out VR instead, the Meta Quest 2 (128GB) can be yours for €345. Note that Prime Student members can get a 10% discount. You can sign up for the Quest+ service – for €9 a month (or €70 for the whole year) you will get to experience a couple of new games each month. The apps will remain accessible to you for as long as you keep the subscription active.

Another thing you might want to try out is vlogging – Sony built a dedicated point and shoot camera just for that, the ZV-1F. This one features the 1” sensor from the RX100 cameras, but has additional features for content creators. For example, the autofocus system is smart enough to know when to focus on your face and when on the product you’re showing off.

India

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 are on pre-order in India right now and will go on sale on August 18. The Z Flip5 starts at ₹100,000, but you can knock up to ₹45,000 off that price by trading in an old device.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 starts at ₹155,000 and thanks to the free storage upgrade, you will be getting 512GB instead of 256GB. Note that the price will show as ₹165,000 but there is an automatic ₹10,000 discount applied in the cart.

The new Poco M6 Pro launched last week, marking the M-series’ return to 5G. It uses the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset and features a lager 6.79” IPS LCD (90Hz, FHD+), plus a 50MP main camera and a 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging. A microSD slot and a 3.5mm jack are on board.

Also new is the Samsung Galaxy F34, which went on sale on Saturday. Well, it’s “new” – the phone is identical to the Galaxy M34. So it should be no surprise that they cost the same too.

The Moto Edge 40 has a stylish vegan leather back and a fast 144Hz 6.55” display (P-OLED, FHD+). It is powered by a Dimensity 8020 chipset and a 4,400mAh battery with 68W wired and 15W wireless chipset (the endurance rating is 98h). The phone has a 50MP main camera (1/1.55” sensor, OIS) and 13MP ultra wide (120°), plus a 32MP selfie camera.

The vivo Y100 is powered by a Dimensity 900 chipset paired with a 6.38” AMOLED display (90Hz, FHD+). It has a 64MP camera on its back (with OIS) and a 16MP selfie camera, inside is a 4,500mAh battery with 44W fast charging.

The vivo Y56 is cheaper while still offering 5G connectivity (with a Dimensity 700 this time) and a larger 6.58” IPS LCD (60Hz, FHD+). This one packs a 50MP main camera (no OIS) and the same 16MP selfie camera. The 5,000mAh battery is bigger, but it charges slower at 18W.

The vivo Y02t is a 4G phone with a Helio P35 and a 6.51” IPS LCD with only HD+ resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. The cameras are pretty basic too with an 8MP rear and 5MP front modules. The 5,000mAh battery is big, but the 10W charging will feel glacial.

For a bit more cash you can pick up a Realme Narzo 50 instead. It has a 6.6” IPS LCD – a 120Hz FHD+ panel – and while it is still only a 4G phone, it gets the much more capable Helio G96 chipset. The 50MP main and 16MP selfie cameras are better too and this 5,000mAh battery supports 33W fast charging.

There’s also the Realme C53 – for only ₹1,000 more than the Y02t, you can have a 108MP camera. There’s no ultra wide, but the same is true of the other two phones. This one has a Unisoc T612 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging.

If you’re fine with a 60Hz HD+ display, check out the Samsung Galaxy M04. It also uses the Helio P35 chip and has a 13MP main and 5MP selfie cameras, plus a 5,000mAh battery with 15W charging. Even better, the Samsung charges over USB-C, the vivo Y02t uses an outdated microUSB.

The Nokia C32 and C22 are a couple of cheap options too. The major difference between them is that the C22 has only 2GB of RAM so it runs Android 13 Go Edition. The C32 has 4GB of RAM and gets the full-fat Android 13 experience. HMD didn’t commit to any OS updates, but it did promise 2 years of quarterly security updates.

We’ll wrap up with the latest JioBook 11. This tiny laptop (11.6” display) is highly portable (it weighs 990g) and has a built-in 4G connectivity. Note that the laptop runs “JioOS”, which is based on Android 11 and has been tweaked to offer a proper desktop environment. Jio is offering a year’s worth of 100GB of cloud storage for free.

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