Yahoo Finance The best mobile phone deals for Cyber Monday on iPhone 12, iPhone 13 Pro Max, Samsung S21 and EE
Whisper it — some of the best Black Friday phone deals are still live, even though Black Friday was weeks ago.
You may find some of them below. However, The Telegraph's constantly updated guides to the biggest Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts are no longer being refreshed (they'll be back next year). So some of these deals will may no longer be available and some prices may be out of date.
The good news, if you're in the market for a new smartphone, is that we are always updating our permanent guides to the best smartphones and the best budget smartphones. They also include jargon-busting explainers to help you choose the right phone for you.
Best mobile phone deals for Cyber Monday 2021
Are there deals on iPhone 13?
Yes, there are. The brand new iPhone 13 is so highly sought-after that discounts are scarce, but it is possible to find iPhone deals on contracts at Three, Sky and elsewhere. We listed the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts below. And, since the iPhone 12 is not the latest model – with some variants no longer made – it is showing up in numerous sales.
We also found the best smartphones from Samsung, Google, Sony and Huawei discounted at Carphone Warehouse/Currys and Amazon, among other retailers.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
The absolute latest, absolute best iPhone boasts the world's fastest smartphone chip (the A15 Bionic) and the longest ever iPhone battery life. But the big draw is the camera — or rather, four: a main camera, ultrawide camera and 3x zoom telephoto camera on the front (plus a LiDar sensor to help with low-light photography) and a 12MP selfie camera on the screen side. There aren't many deals around, but a three-figure saving on a two-year plan from Three was a step in the right direction. They applied the same Cyber Monday discount to the slightly smaller iPhone 13 Pro, which has a 6.1" screen rather than 6.7". You got £100 off both deals if switching to Three. Meanwhile, buyers were offered £50 off the upfront cost of a Three contract, or double data on a Vodafone contract, if buying through Affordable Mobiles.
Apple iPhone 13
60GB 24-month plan was £30 per month, reduced to £15 (£360 saving) from Sky
It lacks the telephoto lens of the Pro and Pro Max, has a slightly shorter battery life and doesn't come in a 1TB version, but the base model iPhone 13 packs the same A15 Bionic chip and super-sharp screen resolution. Deals are hard to come by, but Sky halved the monthly price of 60GB data, saving you £360 over two years. The same data discount was available on the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
EE's Cyber Monday sale also included iPhone 13 deals. They cut the price of their 40GB iPhone 13 monthly plan from £57 per month to £51 for a total saving of £144.
Best mobile phone deals
Apple iPhone 12
100GB and 150GB 36-month plan was £45.54 per month, reduced to £38.54 (£252 saving) from O2
The base model iPhone 12 is still in production and remains an excellent buy. Packing an A14 chip, the fastest ever until the iPhone 13 came out just a month ago, its dual-lens camera takes incredible photos and videos, with a special Night Mode and Portrait Mode included. It's 5G-ready too.
Google Pixel 6
Along with the Pixel 6 Pro, we placed Google's smartphone top of our list of the best smartphones this year. It comes with a 8MP selfie camera and a wide-lens camera. This handset is a great option for those who watch a lot of Netflix on the go, with a 6.4 inch OLED display creating as close to a cinematic experience as you can get. As an added bonus, it's also water-resistant.
Apple iPhone 11
80GB data for the price of 20GB (£28 per month, 24-month plan), Vodafone via Carphone Warehouse
The 11th-generation iPhone, released in 2019 and powered by the A13 Bionic chip, has a 17-hour battery life, a 12MP selfie camera with portrait mode and Smart HDR and two front cameras - one wide, one ultra-wide - with added Night Mode and deep fusion. It has most of the features of modern iPhones, including Face ID, and was in Vodafone’s Cyber Monday deal with 4x data.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Was £949, reduced to £899, Currys
Apple is no longer producing the iPhone 12 Pro because the iPhone 13 has taken its place at the top of the range. But it only came out in 2020 and is a seriously impressive piece of kit, equipped with a 6.1” Super Retina XDR display and super-fast 5G connectivity. It also takes amazing photos thanks to its powerful triple camera system with an ultra wide lens. A £50 Cyber Monday discount made an added incentive to pick it up sim-free at Currys. Meanwhile, O2 offered £7 per month off their 36-month 30GB and 100GB iPhone 12 Pro plans, for a total saving of £252.
Samsung S21 Ultra 5G
60GB 36-month plan was £62.98 per month, reduced to £54.65 (£300 saving) from O2
Released in January, Samsung's 6.8-inch flagship phone has no less than five cameras led by a huge 108 megapixel main sensor and boasts 100x 'space zoom' as well as improved focus and image-steadying. It's undeniably gorgeous, but not cheap: the S21 Ultra 5G is £1199 sim-free at Samsung. Providers such as O2 reduced their monthly plans for Cyber Monday.
Other Cyber Monday contract deals on the Samsung S21 Ultra 5G included:
SIM-free Samsung S21 - was £769, reduced to £649, Argos
£99 off the upfront cost when taking out a 100GB 24-month plan with Three via Affordable Mobiles.
Apple iPhone SE
£59 off the upfront cost and 40GB per month for the price of 20GB, O2 via Affordable Mobiles
It's clear why the iPhone SE is so popular. Starting from £389 sim-free, it's less than half the price of the range-topping iPhone 13 — but it is still an iPhone, and a very good one at that. The new A13 Bionic chip at its heart is fast, powerful and will withstand years of operating system upgrades. What's more, many people find the 4.7-inch screen a handier size. As well as O2's tempting deal via Affordable Mobiles, there was a 105GB 24-month plan for the price of 25GB from Vodafone via Mobiles.co.uk.
Apple iPhone 12 Mini
With a 5.4-inch screen, this is not actually as "mini" as the iPhone SE above, but rather serves as an entry-level iPhone 12, with many of the same features — including the A14 Bionic chip and the two 12-megapixel cameras on the back — for a more tempting price of £579 sim-free. It's 5G compatible and will be upgradable to the next-generation iOS 15 operating system when it lands.
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
Up to £8 per month off 24-month plans (up to £192 saving), EE
This great value handset is ideal for teens. There's an AI Game Booster for playing on the latest addictive mobile games, a four-lens camera for taking photos, and a 6.5 inch display with Dolby Atmos sound for watching TV shows and films. Throw in a Cyber Monday discount (with just a £30 upfront cost, too), and what's not to like?
Best Cyber Monday SIM-only deals
EE
If you're looking for a SIM-only deal, EE is often the place to go. It's most attractive18-month plan is 160GB for £25 per month. You can also choose a free Apple Music, Netflix or BT Sport Ultimate pass as an added benefit.
O2
All the O2 Black Friday deals on sim-only plans are available until December 8, 2021. They include a tempting 250GB for £20 per month or unlimited data for £25 per month.
Virgin
Virgin Media offered four Cyber Monday SIM-only star deals, including a 24-month contract that offers unlimited data, calls and texts for £16 per month.
GiffGaff
GiffGaff had a range of great value "goodybags" (ie. SIM-only packages) for Black Friday and Cyber Monday — including 30GB of 4G and 5G-ready data, plus 20GB of EU roaming, unlimited UK calls and texts for £15 per month. It's a flexible package with no contract commitment.
Plusnet
This provider offers a range of deals on 30-day SIM-only contracts. The most popular is the 30GB data option that comes with unlimited calls and minutes for £10 per month.
Talk Mobile
Talk Mobile is another provider to offer great SIM-only deals this year for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The most competitive is it's 6GB data plan, offering unlimited minutes and texts on a 30-day contract for £5.95 per month.
The best SIM-free phone deals
Though Cyber Weekend saw brilliant deals on contract-and-phone offers, it is sometimes cheaper to buy the handset outright and get a SIM-only contract separately. The initial layout is higher, but it can pay off long-term. Here are some of 2021's best Cyber Weekend deals on SIM-free phones.
Xiaomi Mi 11 phone, 256GB
Was £799 reduced to £599, Amazon
There was a big discount on this Xiaomi Mi 11, which comes in two colours and is Telegraph-recommended in our 2021 review of the best smartphones. It has no less than three cameras, including a ultra wide angle lens to take incredible photos and videos and a cutting edge processor, which means it's 30 per cent faster than previous models. It can also fully charge in just 45 minutes.
Buy now
Motorola Edge 20 Pro
Was £649.99, reduced to £549.99, Currys
There was a £100 discount on Motorola's Edge 20 Pro mobile, which boasts the brand's most powerful camera ever, which allows you to snap crystal clear photos from five times the distance without losing clarity. The OLED display and fast 144 Hz refresh rate means that downloading and streaming on the device are quick and seamless.
Oppo Find X3 Pro 5G 256GB
Was £1,100, reduced to £999, ao.com
You may not have heard of Oppo, but its smart tech phones pack a lot of brilliant features into their slim design. As well as a 6.7 inch screen, the phone is equipped for 5G making browsing the internet easy, and it has four camera for ultra wide shots and flattering selfies.
How to find the best phone deal for you
Choose a focus: Choose your phone (or phones) of interest before the sales begin. There will always be bargain-basement Cyber Monday deals up for grabs from lesser-known brands who want a slice of the pie. It is easy to be tempted when a price seems too good to be true, but a cheaper handset isn't necessarily a smarter buy than a slightly less-discounted phone you actually want.
Do your research: Research the device’s battery life, screen specs, design, and camera tech to ensure it meets all of your needs. A fantastic camera might matter to an avid Instagrammer in the way a Snapdragon processor might matter to a handheld gamer. Make sure your device fits your personal preferences.
New isn't always best: High spec often translates into high cost and sophisticates like the Samsung Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12 have price tags to match their power. While both may be discounted in the deals, such new and popular handsets are likely to be sold at close to full price.
The generation game: Remember you’re not only looking for brand and model, but generation. Older phones depreciate in value each time a new generation is released, meaning many retailers will offer £100s off former favourites. Double-check your dates before you double-click.
Bills, bills, bills: Networks and carriers often tout the best Cyber Monday deals of all, slashing contract and up-front costs. So don't take out or renew a phone contract in October. Holding out for a few weeks could save you far more on your phone bills in the long run.
Phone a friend: Two-for-one deals are becoming increasingly popular. If you have a friend or family member looking for a new phone of their own, consider these offers first. Half price is about as good as it gets.
Compare mobile phone deals
The Telegraph also produced constantly-updated guides to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from Apple, John Lewis, Dyson and Sky. There were also guides to deals on beauty, fashion, gaming, tech and electricals as well as iPads, laptops and mattresses. None are being updated any more.
