You don’t need to hang around until Black Friday to bag a cheap phone upgrade. Ahead of the sale’s official start date, I’ve rounded up the best phone and contract deals to shop right now, so you can get one of our tried and tested phones for less.
Whether you’re after the new iPhone, the latest Google Pixel or the Samsung Galaxy S25, Black Friday sees discounts on both handsets and new phone contracts. But not all offers are created equal: be on the lookout for deals that are too good to be true, like cheaper introductory prices at the beginning of a contract.
Don’t know what you’re looking for? We’ve got you covered with our expert guide to the best phones, where you’ll find hands-on reviews of top-rated models. We’ve also tested the latest raft of iPhones – from the Pro and Air devices to the regular iPhone – which were released in September this year.
Whatever you choose, in the run-up to the Black Friday sale, I’ll be rounding up the very best early phone deals as they land, with a keen eye on both SIM-free handsets and contract offers.
Follow live: Early Black Friday deals and news as it happens
The best early Black Friday phone deals to shop now:
iPhone 17 with unlimited data: £20.67 per month, £25 up front, giffgaff.com
For £32.67 per month, plus an upfront payment of £37, you can walk away with the brand-new iPhone 17 and never have to worry about data caps again. Apple’s latest model is “one of the biggest upgrades for the regular iPhone in years”, according to tech critic David Phelan’s iPhone 17 review. This deal at giffgaff works out to paying just £11.50 per month for your unlimited data plan.
Last year’s Galaxy S24 gets a £300 discount at Argos. While the newer S25 offers some fun new AI features, the older S24 remains a brilliant and fast Android phone with an impressive display and one of the best cameras available on any smartphone.
Here’s £200 off the Galaxy S25, the standard-tier phone in Samsung’s latest range of flagship devices. Top-end cameras, the latest Snapdragon chipset, timeless and durable design, slick software and a range of fun colour options all mark this year’s S-series phones out as Samsung’s new best.
Apple’s relatively budget-friendly iPhone launched earlier this year, but the device has already been reduced at Laptops Direct, ahead of Black Friday. This year’s “most affordable iPhone is a lot more expensive than the iPhone SE was, but you get an awful lot more, from more storage to a bigger display that’s OLED and high-resolution,” said tech critic David Phelan in his iPhone 16e review.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Was £949, now £899, Ao.com
Here’s a chance to save on one of Samsung’s most premium smartphones, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, with £50 off at AO. “Boasting the best hardware Samsung can muster, the S25 Ultra is very powerful,” I said in my round-up of the best Samsung smartphones. Its camera is superb, the display is “bright and brilliant” and it’s powerful enough to handle demanding tasks and gaming.
When is Black Friday 2025?
Black Friday falls on Friday, 28 November this year – the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. The deals will continue to roll out across the weekend and through to Cyber Monday on 1 December. However, if previous years are anything to go by, the offers will kick off a lot sooner and hang around a little longer after the official sale dates.
What phone deals can you expect on Black Friday?
Black Friday is a feeding frenzy for phone deals, with retailers such as Amazon and Currys slashing prices on SIM-free handsets. Last year, the biggest savings were on slightly older but still brilliant flagship models. One of the best deals of the sale was on the superb Google Pixel 8 Pro, for instance, which was cut by a massive 50 per cent.
It’s also a busy time for network providers. Expect to see competitive contract deals from the likes of O2, Vodafone and EE, who will be out in force with lower monthly payments, reduced upfront costs or bonuses such as extra data to entice new customers.
Why you can trust us to find the best phone deals this Black Friday
At IndyBest, we test the top smartphones year-round to bring you launch-day reviews, assessing everything from camera performance and battery life to long-term value. This means we know a genuinely good phone deal from a dud, and we won’t recommend a discount unless the device itself is worth your money.
For more tips and tricks, read our comprehensive guide to the best Black Friday deals to expect
