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July 21, 2025

Best Back to School Phone Deals in 2025

Written by Valeria

Pens, planners, and packs used to be the marker of a new school year, and while that may still ring true to some, more likely than not, back to school looks a lot more like: “Where can I buy a new phone?” Or more specifically, “Where can I buy a new phone on sale?”  

Back to School season is a great time to invest in a new phone, whether it’s your first, the first you’re giving to your kid, or if you just decided it was time for an upgrade. Find the best phone that works for you – and your budget – with any of these picks.  

Summary: Best Phone Deals Overall

Category Phone Price Find it at:
Best Phone Deal Overall Motorola Razr $199.99 Total Wireless
Best Free Phone Deal Apple iPhone 14 Plus $0 Total Wireless
Best Unlocked Phone Deal Motorola Moto G Power $169.99 Motorola
Best iPhone Deal Apple iPhone 16e $99.99 Boost Mobile
Best Phone Deal for Under $200 Samsung Galaxy S24 $199.99 Cricket Wireless

Best Back-to-School Phone Deal Overall

Motorola Razr
Price $199.99
Network Total Wireless
Phone Plan Only available with a minimum 2-months on either the Total 5G Unlimited ($50/month) or 5G+ Unlimited ($60/month) plan.
Our Take The iconic Motorola Razr has made a significant comeback, offering all the benefits of a flip phone we once loved with the added luxury of modern features that make this phone a great buy.

Get it at Total Wireless
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • pOLED screen with a 120HZ refresh rate for a smooth, premium scrolling experience.
  • Dual camera system with 4K video recording capabilities to capture all your moments in vivid detail.
  • 256GB of storage with ample space for all your photos, videos, and saved files.
Cons:
  • Not unlocked; will have to pay minimum $50/month on Total Wireless to qualify for this deal.

Best Back-to-School Free Phone Deal

iPhone 14 Plus
Price $199.99
Network Total Wireless
Phone Plan Only available with a minimum 2-months on either the Total 5G Unlimited ($50/month) or 5G+ Unlimited ($60/month) plan.
Our Take Total Wireless has a couple other phone deals active right now, including this iPhone 14 Plus, which you can get for $199.99 right now, with a $20 credit/month over 10 months to essentially get your money back when you make the switch. While it's not a $0 upfront cost, it's still an affordable checkout right now, with a chance to reduce your monthly payment for the bulk of the next year to make that money back.

Get it at Total Wireless
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • super retina display for a vivid scrolling experience
  • Dual camera system to capture all your moments in vivid detail.
  • Affordable iPhone.
Cons:
  • Not unlocked; will have to pay minimum $50/month on Total Wireless to qualify for this deal.

Best Back-to-School Unlocked Phone Deal

Motorola Moto G Power 5G
Price $169.99
Network Motorola
Phone Plan Pick from any of the cheapest phone plans, affordable unlimited data plans, prepaid phone plans, or even talk & text only (no data) plans.

Our Take Motorola is known for value, and if you're looking to get your kid/teen their first phone, this is a great option that won't break the bank. It comes with all the features they want – triple camera system, big screen, big internal storage – and with the one feature that mattes most to you – being unlocked – so you can activate it with any phone plan you want.

Get it at Motorola
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • 128GB internal storage with a 1TB expandable storage slot (microSD) so you never run out of space.
  • Triple camera system to capture all your moments in vivid detail.
  • One of the rare phones to actually come with a headphone jack (so you don't also have to invest in expensive wireless options).
  • Ample battery capacity (more than the leading iPhone!)
Cons:
  • The vegan leather backing may make it feel bulkier than most are comfortable with.

Best Back-to-School iPhone Deal

iPhone 16e
Price $99.99
Network Boost Mobile
Phone Plan Only available with an Unlimited Premium ($60/month) plan.
Our Take If your teen is begging you for an iPhone, this is a great way to pick the latest one up without crossing over into the 5-digit checkout mark. Note, however, that it comes with a mandatory $60/month commitment to their unlimited plan, which could end up costing you more in the long-run.

Get it at Boost Mobile
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • Satellite connection capabilities when there's no cell service or Wi-Fi (great for peace of mind for parents).
  • Dual camera system to capture all your moments in vivid detail.
  • Apple Intelligence built-in for a next-gen experience.
Cons:
  • Not unlocked; will have to pay minimum $60/month on Boost Mobile to qualify for this deal.
  • e-SIM only (no physical SIM option).

Best Phone Deal for Under $200

Samsung Galaxy S24
Price $199.99
Network Cricket Wireless
Phone Plan Only available with a minimum Unlimited ($60/month) plan.
Our Take The Samsung Galaxy models are great for those who are looking for cutting-edge tech and quality, and to cop one for less than $200 is a deal that should absolutely be taken advantage of.

Get it at Cricket Wireless
Pros & Cons Pros:
  • Double camera system to capture all your moments in vivid detail (plus, AI editing available).
  • AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate for a smooth scrolling experience.
Cons:
  • No eSIM support.

Methodology: How we select the best Back-to-School phone deals 

Bck-to-School is a great time to score a new phone at a reasonable price. Considering it is most likely a phone for them (your kid or teen), we mainly account for: camera quality, storage, and price. While the camera quality needs will vary person to person, it's important that a certain minimum standard (16MP) be met. We know how important those photos are! 

Storage is equally as important, as low storage can affect phone performance overall (slower apps and errors on certain apps), so if 128GB isn't standard, we look for phones that can support expendable storage to avoid poor performance. 

And lastly, the price – nothing that looks like a month's rent is considered, because you have a whole other Back-to-School list to take care of, and we understand the budget doesn't need to be stretched that much.

Guide to finding the best Back-to-School phone deals

When looking for a phone deal, whether you're ready for an upgrade, looking to get your kid their first phone, or just looking for a sale, there are different considerations to make. Here is a rundown of everything you need to know.

Difference between locked and unlocked phones

We use "unlocked" and "locked to..." a lot, so here is a a simple explanation of what those mean!

An unlocked phone should actually be expanded to say carrier-unlocked. Because that's what it means – a phone that isn't locked to any one carrier. Usually bought from a retailer (not a carrier) like BestBuy, Amazon, or even directly from the manufacturer, like Apple or Samsung.

A locked phone, on the other hand, is locked to a specific carrier. So, say you buy a Verizon-locked phone, that phone has software on it (from Verizon) that prevents it from being activated on or connecting to any other network. So you won't be able to easily take it to another carrier if you decide to switch plans.

Don't forget! Locked phones can be unlocked, but that process differs across carriers. You can check out TextNow's guide on how to unlock your phone from your carrier for more information.

Types of phone deals

You're going to find very different phone deals, and it's important to know which one works for you.

  1. Carrier Discounts and Promotions
    Carriers like to bring in new customers with phone sales/promotions. Those can include a "new customer" sales price when you sign up for a (usually premium) monthly plan, a contract-based discount where you can get a phone discounted when signing up for a 24 or even 36-month plan contract, or just a plain switch promotion – switch from your old carrier and get a free (or discounted) phone!
    Our take: Be sure that you're willing to commit to a certain monthly plan before going through with one of these deals.

  2. Trade-in Offers
    This kind of deal can be found through carriers, but also through manufacturers and other retailers directly. It involves trading in an old phone to get a discount on a new one. (If you want to trade in a phone, you'll need to know your phone model and other details to discover trade-in value.)
    Our take: These are great if you already have a phone and are looking for an upgrade, as they give you a lot more options, and won't lock you in to any commitment.

  3. Instalment Plans
    You will find a lot of online websites promoting a low weekly or monthly price tag next to a phone, as part of their financing option. The phone is then usually advertised with the more appealing monthly price (say, $30/month) to seem like a good deal.
    Our take: A true deal will be when you can find a finance plan that has 0% APR (interest). That way, you're only ever paying for the actual price tag of the phone, and not a penny more. You can also build credit with your phone purchase if it's through a retailer or manufacturer that reports finance plan payments to the credit bureaus.

  4. Seasonal Sales
    And lastly, the most common one is the tried and true seasonal sale. Most common for phones around Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the holidays, and Back to School.

    Our take: It's definitely worthwhile to wait until one to find a deal, as that is when you'll find the most options with the deepest discounts!

Pros & Cons of getting a phone deal

Pros: Cons:
Savings:

The obvious pro is that you get a new phone for less, giving you some money back in your budget. 		Environmental concerns:

Upgrading your phone frequently isn't exactly the most environmentally friendly move. The manufacturing of new phones is an extremely taxing process (mainly due to lithium mining), and most discarded phones actually end up in a landfill.
New tech:

Upgrading to a new phone means that you get to upgrade your phone capabilities as well! From sharper pictures with a better camera to faster loading of pages and feeds with a better processor/RAM, your online experience can be greatly improved by a good phone deal. 		Contracts:

As mentioned before, a lot of deals are dependent on signing up for a contract to secure the discount. These usually entail signing up for a monthly service plan that starts at $50-$65/month. Over the course of the contract, you'll probably end up spending more than you would have without the discount but with a cheaper phone plan.

TextNow Tip: Hand down your old phone to a family member or friend. You can even hook up your teen with their first phone this way by activating a TextNow SIM card so they can get access to unlimited calls & texts, plus essential apps while on the go!

How to select the best phone deal

What's better, buying a phone online or in-store?

That will all purely depend on what's important to you. The prices won't vary between online or store for the most price, but other factors you'd need to consider would be:

  1. Shipping Time
    If you're purchasing a phone online, you'd have to account for shipping times (usually within 1-3 business days, but delays are always possible). On top of that, you may also need to account for availability to receive the package to ensure it's not stolen.

  2. Hands-on Experience
    If you're buying a new phone that you've never used before, you may want to test it out in your hand first to determine if it's a phone you actually like. You can feel out the size, the screen, the controls, even the camera in-store to make sure it's a 100% loved purchase.

  3. Customer Service
    While you can certainly find a chatbox or a FAQ page to answer any questions you may have about the phone, or more importantly, to help you with the activation of the phone, that kind of help is more easily found in-store.

  4. Phone Selection and Price Comparisons
    It's decidedly much easier to find a wide range of phones and compare their prices online than it is in-store. Online shopping is generally recommended for finding the best deal.

Tips for getting a good phone deal

  1. Verify it's a sale.
    Before falling for the shiny price tag, make sure the "sales" price you're seeing online is actually a sale. You'd be surprised by how many retailers (ahem, Amazon) actually hike up the prices a few weeks leading up to a sale, only to drop them down to a normal price and call it a sale.
    Websites like CamelCamelCamel (specifically for Amazon), or PriceSpider (for most other online retailers) will look up the historical price of the item you found so you can make a more informed buying decision.

  2. Look for coupons.
    Even if you did find a verified sale, there's no harm in looking around for even deeper discounts. There are plenty of online coupon websites like RetailMeNot or SlickDeals to find decent promo codes.

  3. Compare, compare, compare!
    If you're after a specific phone, and find a deal, make sure you look up that phone model on Google, click on the "Shopping" tab and compare all the prices from all the retailers to find the best one. Never assume the first price you see is the best one!

Commonly Asked Questions About Back to School Phone Deals

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