The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are finally here, and they were worth the wait. Featuring top-tier specs, an innovative yet classy design, and features like the all-new Bixby digital assistant, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are the phones to beat in 2017.
It makes sense that you would want to get your hands on one for yourself. We’ve created a guide to help you get the new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus as soon as you possibly can.
Unlocked
The unlocked versions of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are available to individual and enterprise retailers. The devices work on “most U.S. and international networks,” according to Samsung, and you should opt to buy unlocked if you’d like to purchase your phone off-contract and independent of your data plan and wireless provider.
You can snag an unlocked Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus from Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, and Target. Some retailers, like Best Buy and eBay, are offering promotions on unlocked devices right now, slashing as much as $100 off the price. Samsung itself often offers extra stuff when you buy from them, so make sure you check our Samsung section before you buy from anywhere else — a free wireless charger, DeX Station, or Gear VR is often enough to swing you from one retailer to another.
Carriers
While you could buy the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus unlocked, there are some incentives to getting it straight from your carrier.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile offers both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, and it’s got one of the best deals out there right now. If you buy a Samsung Galaxy S8 on the Samsung’s website, you get a second one for free. All you have to do is buy two phones and activate one on an existing T-Mobile line on the Samsung website. You’ll be refunded $750 to cover the cost of the second phone.
Here are the standard payment options for the Galaxy S8 on T-Mobile.
- The Samsung Galaxy S8 costs $750, or $30 per month for 24 months with a $30 down payment.
- The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus costs $850, or $30 per month for 24 months with a $130 down payment.
- Jump! On Demand customers can pay $0 down and $33 per month for 24 months for the Galaxy S8 — however, the Plus variant will still cost the same down payment and monthly payments as non-Jump! customers.
Verizon
Verizon is also offering both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, but at a slightly cheaper price than most carriers.
- The Samsung Galaxy S8 costs $756, or $31.50 per month for 24 months.
- The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus costs $840, or $35 per month for 24 months.
- Verizon is offering up to $300 off the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus when you trade in an eligible device. but you will have to sign up for an unlimited plan. If you trade-in an iPhone 6 and sign up for Verizon Unlimited, for example, you can pay $15 a month for 24 months for the Galaxy S8.
AT&T
AT&T is selling both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. AT&T subscribers can “stream the latest videos, data-free,” from the DirecTV app.
- The Samsung Galaxy S8 costs $750, or $25 per month for 30 months. Frequent Upgrade plan customers can pay $31.25 per month for 24 months.
- The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus costs $850, or $28.34 per month for 30 months. Frequent Upgrade plan customers can pay $35.42 per month for 24 months.
- You can also get up to $750 in credits towards another Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus if you’re looking to get a second one, but you have to use AT&T Next.
Sprint
Sprint has the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus in stock, and a promotion where you can lease two devices for the price of one. You’ll need to activate a new line to take advantage, though.
Sprint also brought back its Galaxy Forever annual upgrade program, which means customers who enroll get the option to upgrade to the latest Galaxy phone after 12 monthly lease payments. After 18 months, they can buy their current phone, upgrade to any smartphone, or continue paying month to month. There is no added fee — Galaxy Forever is included in the new two-for-one promotion. And Sprint has just slashed their prices for that, giving Sprint some of best deals for the S8.
- The Samsung Galaxy S8 costs $750 or $15.62 per month for 24 months.
- The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus costs $850 or $17.71 per month for 24 months.
US Cellular
US Cellular is offering one of the best deals yet on the Galaxy S8. New and existing customers can sign up for a 30-month plan that comes with a free Galaxy S8. Subscribers receive monthly bill credits. Alternatively, the carrier is offering the Galaxy S8 for $738, and the S8 Plus for $851.
MetroPCS
The price of the Galaxy S8 from T-Mobile-owned MetroPCS is a little lower-than-average — it retails for $730. It doesn’t appear as though the Galaxy S8 Plus is available from MetroPCS.
Stores
Some people prefer to buy their phone unlocked from stores. Here’s a list of stores selling the device.
Samsung
Why not buy your shiny new phone straight from the manufacturer? Samsung is selling the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus to customers online, so why not buy straight from the source?
The unlocked, midnight black 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 and 6.2-inch S8 Plus start at $725 and $825, respectively, and can be used on “most U.S., GSM, CDMA and international networks.” They’re available for pre-order starting May 9, ahead of general availability on May 31.
Alternatively, Samsung is selling carrier-specific variants of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus for AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. The standard Samsung Galaxy S8 starts at $720 through Samsung, and the Galaxy S8 Plus starts at $840, although prices depend on the carrier you end up choosing.
And that’s not all — Samsung has done more than a few bonus deals for anyone buying the Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus from its store. Previously, it offered a free DeX Station, and a Gear VR system for anyone buying the smartphone from them. At the moment, Samsung is offering a free pair of $150 AKG wireless headphones to anyone who buys the S8 or S8 Plus. That’s in addition to the free $99 earphones that come in the box.
Best Buy
If you don’t want to go through a carrier, you can get the Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus straight from Best Buy.
The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are available network unlocked for $725 and $825, respectively.
On Verizon’s unlimited plan, the retailer is offering the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus starting at $15 a month with trade-in. On Sprint, it’s letting customers lease two Galaxy S8s for the price of one with new line activation. And it’s offering a buy one, get one free deal for DirecTV customers on AT&T.
You can get savings of “up to $100” if you order through Best Buy, as well as a free Gear VR with controller and $50 bonus Oculus content. Alternatively, you could get the Samsung Immersive VR Experience Box for a discounted price of $99, which includes the Gear VR with a controller, $50 of Oculus content, Harman AKG Y50BT black headphones, and a Samsung 256GB memory card.
Best Buy said you can stack its offers with other deals from carriers. The retailer sells the unlocked variant of the S8 and S8 Plus, and they’re slightly cheaper than what carriers are offering: $725 and $825 for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, respectively.
Walmart
Best Buy isn’t the only store you can walk into to get the Samsung Galaxy S8. The device is also available from Walmart, where the standard Galaxy S8 costs $659 and the S8 Plus costs $769 when you buy the phone through the StraightTalk or Total Wireless network. A down payment of $50 is required to get the phone.
Update: Added news that Samsung customers can receive a free pair of $150 AKG headphones when buying an S8/S8 Plus, and updated prices from the major retailers.
