Did your presents include a new phone? If not you can be your own Santa – here are some of the best deals that we found in the UK, Germany, the US and India. In the US in particular we took a detour through the smartwatch section as well. The links below will help you jump to your region:
UK
Apple is not known for offering discounts on its current models, so a 128GB iPhone 14 is £850 from the Apple store. However, if you go through Amazon you can get the same phone for £50 less.
The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro were some of our favorite phones of 2022 and both are discounted from their launch prices. You can get similar deals from Google itself, but Amazon’s prices are a few quid lower.
The Sony Xperia 1 IV is a very interesting phone, even if it appeals only to select individuals. Part of that is the painfully high price, though it is now slightly less painful. Unfortunately, you don’t get Sony’s over-ear ANC headphones bundled (you can, but without the discount).
There is also the smaller Sony Xperia 5 IV, however, at only £150 cheaper than the 1 IV is it really worth it? It depends on whether you want a smaller device, because the 1 IV has a 4K-class display and a variable focal length tele camera, but it is a fairly tall phone.
Sony’s mid-range Xperia 10 IV has a microSD slot and a 3.5m headphone jack just like its flagship siblings and the battery life this generation is outstanding. The Mark 4 flagships may be out of your budget, but if you’re on the hunt for a mid-ranger you should consider the 10 IV.
We’ll round this section off with the Samsung Galaxy M53. It’s a large phone with a 6.7” 120Hz display, it packs a 108MP camera and a suitably large 5,000mAh battery, plus a zippy Dimensity 900.
Germany
The Motorola Edge 30 packs an impressive 144Hz 6.5” OLED display (FHD+ resolution), which makes it a standout in the €300-400 category. The Snapdragon 778G+ has a fairly capable GPU (a flagship-class Adreno 642L) to boot. And you get a dual 50MP camera setup. The 4,020mAh battery is a bit on the small side, however.
The Pixel a series has a devoted following and the Pixel 6a is one of the best entries so far. It is a bit smaller than the Pixel 7 and uses the original Tensor chipset, also it has a pair of 12MP cameras. Still, it’s roughly half the price of a Pixel 7 while offering most of the same features.
The Nokia X30 is not the most glamorous phone out there, but it will receive 3 years of OS updates – note that this is counting from September 2022. This is a fine pick for people who are not all that into poring over smartphone specs all day.
Finally, something cheap – a Moto E22. Its best feature is the €120 price tag, which makes it suitable for a kid’s first phone. It even has a card slot and 3.5mm jack, so you can load it up with MP3s and skip the Spotify subscription.
USA
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S23 series in February, so this is the worst time to buy an S22 – or the best, considering that the price has dropped to $650. Also, the phone has long term support (4 OS updates, one of which already happened, plus an extra year of security patches), so it will be a while before the S22 is obsolete.
That being said, you may want to get a Galaxy Z Flip4 instead. Foldables are the form factor of the future as far as Samsung is concerned, all that’s holding them back is the price. The Z Flip4 has gotten cheaper over time and currently sits at $850. Note that the Z Flip5 isn’t too far away either, but there is about half a year before it comes out.
If you’re not into foldables, check out the OnePlus 10T – it has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset for $550 (the S22 has the original 8 Gen 1). It doesn’t have the best camera setup, but it does have very fast charging, 125W.
The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 from 2021 uses the older Apple M1 chip, while the 2022 models switched to the M2. The M1 is still one of the fastest laptop chips around, however, so it will beat basically any other tablet out there (other than its successor we mean).
Let’s look at some wearables next. The latest Apple Watch Series 8 is $50 off. We have linked the 41mm model below, but the 45mm one is just $30 more. Note that this is the version without LTE connectivity.
If the Series 8 is too pricey, how about the new Apple Watch SE (2022). It uses a smaller, older display and it lacks ECG and a skin temperature sensor, but most other features are on board while the price is over $100 lower.
If you want an all out adventure watch, the Apple Watch Ultra is ready to go anywhere. This one in particular has the Ocean band, which is suitable for diving, but you can pick other bands as well. Note that all Ultra models come with LTE connectivity.
Alternatively, there is the Samsung Galaxy Watch5, which costs as much as the SE but does have ECG on board, plus a blood pressure monitor. You can also get the Watch5 Pro if you want longer battery life.
Finally, Amazon has knocked a few bucks off its new Kindle Scribe tablet. We call it a tablet even though the smart functionality is limited compared to Android tablets. Still, the 10.2” E-Ink display will go easy on your eyes while you read documents and jot down notes with the included stylus.
India
We kick things off with some old but still powerful flagships. The Xiaomi 12 Pro may not have the 1” sensor of its successor, but the triple 50MP camera is still quite capable. And there is a high quality 6.73” QHD+ display to view your photos on. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 has been eclipsed in speed but is no slouch and you get 120W wired and 50W wireless charging.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 will be replaced soon, but the new model won’t be this cheap. The S22 is only slightly more expensive than the Xiaomi and it will appeal to those looking for a smaller device.
While we’re at it, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is a cheaper way to get a high end chipset with 5G connectivity – a Snapdragon 865 in this case.
You can have the Snapdragon 888 instead and for less money too with the iQOO 9 SE. You can use the chipset to game on the 6.62” 120Hz AMOLED display and the 4,500mAh battery is quick to top up with the 66W charger – it just needs 14 minutes to go back up to 50%.
The Redmi Note 12 series just launched in India, but the base model starts at ₹15,500 for a 4/128GB unit. The older Redmi Note 11 is down to ₹12,500 for a version with 6GB of RAM. Comparing the two, the new model has an ultra wide camera and a microSD slot. It is missing 5G connectivity and its screen is smaller and slower – 6.43” 90Hz vs. 6.67” 120Hz. The 5,000mAh battery is the same (33W charging).
Finally, an offer in the sub-₹10,000 category, the Tecno Spark 9. This runs full-blooded Android 12 (with HIOS 8.6) instead of Go Edition and has a roomy 6.6” IPS LCD, even if it isn’t too sharp with only HD+ resolution. It also packs a large 5,000mAh battery.
