Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Deals

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Best Labor Day Smartphone Deals 2020: Apple and Samsung

Christian de Looper
By

This summer has not been an easy one, and retailers really want to get us into the back-to-work and back-to-school modes with some terrific discounts on the best tech out there this Labor Day. If you’re in dire need of a new smartphone, then you’ll want to look no further than these fantastic Labor Day smartphone deals, brought about by this year’s Labor Day sales.

Today’s best Labor Day smartphone deals

  • Apple iPhone SE 2020 64GB (Verizon) — Free with unlimited plan, was $400
  • Blu Vivo XI+ (Unlocked) — $150, was $250
  • Apple iPhone 11 Pro 64GB (Verizon) — As low as $150 with eligible trade-in, $650 ($27/month) without, was $1,000
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 5G 128GB (AT&T) — As low as $300 ($10/month) with eligible trade-in, $450 ($15/month) without, was $1,000
  • Google Pixel 4a (Unlocked) — $300 with activation, was $350
  • OnePlus 7T (T-Mobile, Unlockable) — $449, was $599
  • Google Pixel 4 (Unlocked) — $549, was $799
  • Samsung Galaxy S10 128GB (Unlocked) — $600, was $750
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20 128GB (Unlocked) —  $1,000 plus free $200 Target gift card
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra — Up to $1,000 off with trade-in and qualifying activation

How to choose a new smartphone

Chances are, especially if you’re investing in an iPhone, this is a smartphone you’re going to have for some time, and you want to make sure you’re getting the one that’s best for you. To do so, start by considering your needs and priorities.

Is it for business? Is it for everyday use? Do you mostly want it for social purposes, or for pics of your friends and the kids? How much Zoom will you be doing by mobile? Any smartphone from Apple or Samsung is going to be able to handle any of these tasks, but you want the phone that’s going to be most efficient in the areas you care about.

Related

Think about the basics: How big of a screen do you want (if you’re planning on streaming a ton of Netflix, you might want a bigger screen)? Do you like using one hand so that the other one is free? What’s more important to you: An amazing camera or long battery life? How much music and photos and video content do you like to carry with you everywhere, as opposed to needing to download it from the cloud? Do you travel a ton? All of these factors are great starting points to figure out the basic direction for your phone choice. For example, if you’re someone who’s planning on watching a ton of content and doesn’t care at all about using a phone with one hand, you can start your search with the phones with the largest screens.

Another important consideration is the operating system. With Samsung and Apple, it’s a decision between Android and iOS, respectively. Take a look at your other smart devices. If your home and life run on Apple products, you might want to lean toward an iPhone, and the reverse if your smart gadgets are more of a mix or lean toward Android. Also, Apple is fanatic about making sure you can always get the latest update, easily; Android not so much. Keep compatibility in mind.

Some other aspects to keep in mind: Consider durability. If you’re someone who has a habit of breaking phones and screens, maybe you want something a little sturdier, less expensive (or at least a great case). We tend to look at our phones a lot, so make sure the screen is at least HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). Decide what kind of performance you need and then measure this against the phone’s processor and its RAM. When it comes to the camera, the choices can overwhelm you; feel free to test and read our reviews to see which one is best for you. If you’re looking at Android, be aware of bloatware or hobbled features; these phones can come with unwanted apps you cannot uninstall. When it comes to the battery, don’t just go by the numbers; contrast those against the size of the screen, the resolution, and the software to mediate the demands on your phone. Finally, you need to think about space. Most phones start at 16GB so you should ask yourself how much “stuff” (music, videos, photos) you need to carry on your phone and shop accordingly.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Best Memorial Day air conditioner deals for 2023
A Frigidaire 3-in-1 portable room air conditioner installed with its exhaust vent connected to the window.

With Memorial Day comes the reminder that higher temperatures are here to stay, but with Memorial Day also comes great discounts. Right now you can beat the heat and save along the way, as there are several air conditioning units seeing discounts. Whether you're an apartment dweller in search of the best portable air conditioners or you're looking to keep a space cool with a window unit, we’ve got the details on how you can save on an air conditioner this Memorial Day.
GE 5,000 BTU window air conditioner — $200, was $230

This window air conditioner made by GE is a good option if you’re looking to keep a fairly small space cool this summer. It comes in at 5,000 BTU, which is good for about 150 square feet of cooling coverage. It has three cooling settings and three fan speeds to choose from, and an eco mode automatically turns off the fan and compressor when the room is cool enough. It comes with a remote control so you can adjust the A/C from anywhere in the room, as well as an EZ Mount Kit that makes installation quick and easy.

Read more
Apple Watch Ultra just got a big price cut for Memorial Day
The yellow circle shows the Apple Watch Ultra is in Low Power Mode.

The Memorial Day weekend has brought with it some great Apple Watch deals including being able to buy the Apple Watch Ultra for $749 instead of $799 at Amazon. That's a pretty hefty price cut on the popular high-end smartwatch and if you've been waiting to snap one up, this is an excellent time to do so. We can't say how long it'll stay this price but we do know that delivery dates are bound to be pushed back the longer you wait. Don't delay and hit that buy button.

Why you should buy the Apple Watch Ultra
The Apple Watch Ultra is a truly premium smartwatch. It makes up for any issues or qualms you may have about the Apple Watch Series 8 and adds some great features. Designed to be robust, rugged, and capable of following you on all your adventures, the watch has a 49mm corrosion-resistant titanium case, a larger Digital Crown, and more accessible buttons. It's also 100m water resistant so it can handle all your diving plans.

Read more
Best Buy Memorial Day sale brings laptop deals from $169
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 15 front angled view showing display and keyboard deck.

Whatever kind of laptop that you need, you can get it from Best Buy's Memorial Day sale that includes more than 300 offers. These laptop deals are already available well ahead of the holiday, so you can finish your shopping early. There's a chance that these discounts don't last through the weekend though, with stocks possibly selling out sooner than we expect. As soon as something catches your attention, you should probably proceed with the purchase because it may no longer be there when you get back to it.

What to buy in Best Buy's Memorial Day sale for laptops
One of the cheapest laptops in Best Buy's Memorial Day sale is the , which you can buy for $169 instead of $269 for $100 in savings. Chromebook deals are generally less expensive than Windows-based laptops because of their low-end components, with the Samsung Chromebook 4+ packing the Intel Celeron N4000 processor, integrated Intel UHD Graphics 600, and 4GB of RAM. Chromebooks, however, still function efficiently because of Google's Chrome OS, which uses web-based apps instead of installed software. The other laptop that you can buy for $169 in this sale is the , which was originally priced at $249 so you'll be getting savings of $80. In addition to being a Chromebook, it also falls under 2-in-1 laptop deals as it's capable of switch between laptop mode and tablet mode through the 360-degree hinges on its 11.6-inch HD touchscreen. Inside it are the MediaTek Kompanio 500 MT8183C processor, integrated MediaTek Mali G72 MP3 Graphics, and 4GB of RAM.

Read more