The Pixel 10a is now available for pre-order, but depending on your situation, the Google Store might not be the best place to pick one up. From $100 gift cards and free earbuds to heavily-discounted — or even free — offerings from carriers, it’s not hard to make an already-affordable device an even better deal.
If you’re looking to buy unlocked, your options are pretty simple. While the Google Store is your best bet for trade-in offers, Amazon has sweetened the deal with two different bundles. If you’re looking for a new pair of earbuds with your next phone, Amazon is including Google’s Pixel Buds 2a — usually priced at $129 — for absolutely free with the Obsidian model. If your current earbuds are working just fine, Amazon will also give you a $100 gift card with any of Google’s four color options, effectively reducing the price to just $400. Both of these offers are available until March 11th at 11:59pm PT.
Best Buy is pulling something similar, including a $100 gift card with its own pre-orders alongside an additional $100 discount if you activate it through your carrier at checkout. That could let you grab Google’s latest phone for just $300 when all is said and done — not bad for semi-recycled hardware.
Regardless of which of these retailers you buy from, neither requires a trade-in to take advantage of these deals — though Best Buy will allow you to save even more if you’re willing to part with an old phone.
Both Verizon and AT&T also have a handful of pre-order discounts that might make it a whole lot more affordable — or even free — to grab Google’s latest phone, but not without a catch or two.
Of these two carriers (T-Mobile has yet to list the phone on its storefront), AT&T undoubtedly has the better deal. New and existing users can pick up the Pixel 10a for $4 per month over 36 months, for a grand total of $144, not including taxes and fees. That’s without a trade-in or being forced to add a new line, which might come up later in this article — who’s to say? AT&T is also throwing in a free pair of Pixel Buds 2a if you order online, though this offer ends one day prior to the Pixel 10a’s official launch date.
Frankly, this is a great deal, without much in the way of those pesky attached strings. As long as you’re already on one of AT&T’s unlimited plans — and if you’re a subscriber, you probably are — the only reason I can see to buy the device anywhere else is if you can’t live with Obsidian. Unfortunately, AT&T isn’t offering the device in any of its three other colors.
Verizon has its own offers up for grabs on Google’s latest phone, but as has become pretty common with the carrier, you’re dealing with some fine print every step of the way. Verizon is giving new and existing users a free Pixel 10a as long as they’re on one of the company’s three current unlimited plans, but you’ll need to add a line to your monthly bill to get this deal. It gets worse, too — you’re stuck paying the $500 MSRP upfront for the phone, after which Verizon will issue “promotional credits” back to your account over the next 36 months.
Like AT&T, Verizon’s color choices are also limited, with only Obsidian and Lavender to pick from. While that’s undoubtedly better than AT&T’s singular (Cingular?) shade, it’s missing out on Berry, a color that all but matches Verizon’s brand identity. Seems like a real missed opportunity to me.
Wherever you decide to buy, you won’t have to wait long to get the phone in your hand. The Pixel 10a’s official launch date is March 5th.
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