Finding Google Pixel 5 deals or even one at list price is difficult. If you are already a Google Pixel fan familiar with Google Pixel smartphone deals, you may have been waiting for someone to start tracking the best cheap Google Pixel 5 sales. The Google Pixel 5 is extremely hard to find, especially if you are looking for a CDMA version to use with Verizon, U.S. Cellular, or other wireless carriers that do not use GSM SIM cards. If your goal is to find the best Google Pixel 5 deals, your best bet at this time may be to wait for the next Google Pixel model rumored to launch this fall.
Today’s best Google Pixel 5 deals
Should you buy the Google Pixel 5?
It’s a shame that Google Pixel 5 deals are so hard to find. In our Digital Trends Google Pixel 5 review, we praised its compact and lightweight design. The Pixel 5’s 90Hz screen is specced for truly flicker-less performance.
The Google Pixel 5 battery life answered a complaint with the four previous generations. If you configure the Google Pixel 5 in Extreme Battery Saver mode, the Pixel 5 can run for up to 48 hours per charge. That impressive run time answers complaints about battery life in our original Google Pixel review, Google Pixel 3 review, and Google Pixel 4 review. The slight exception was in the Google Pixel 2 review, where the best our reviewer could say was that it had “average battery life” — faint praise indeed. So a 48-hour maximum battery time per charge answers a previously consistent failing.
Another area where the Google Pixel 5 gets high marks is its virtual armada of on-board cameras. The front camera for selfies doesn’t break any records with its 8-megapixel image capture. On the rear, however, Google equipped the latest Pixel smartphone with dual 12.2MP cameras and a 16MP camera. Can you say “ultrawide angle”? The rear camera setup draws fully-deserved praise.
In summing up the Google Pixel 5, our review wrote, “The Pixel 5 represent[s] the best of Google’s software and hardware prowess, all crammed inside a compact, lightweight, but slightly dull-looking body.”
Unfortunately, as noted above, even if you think the Google Pixel 5 is the best next smartphone for your needs, your chances of finding one to buy are slim, even at full list price.
Here’s some background on what’s going on. Unlike Apple and Samsung, each of which manufacturer millions if not tens of millions of each new-generation smartphone, Google uses a different playbook. Compared to Apple and Samsung, Google manufacturers a limited number of devices of each model, and most generations have had only two or three models, unlike the other brands.
Also, with both Apple and Samsung, when a new model announcement gets close, both companies start selling existing-generation phones at steep discounts. They also continue to manufacture previous phones, at least for a while. Google acts differently.
When Google Pixel phones start to become scarce, or, as in the current case, nearly impossible to buy, that has historically meant that Google is about to drop a new generation or at least a new model.
So, when the latest-generation Google Pixel launched last fall, the smart, immediate move was to search for Google Pixel 4 deals, which you can actually still find. Fortunately, the Pixel 4 family is still an excellent choice, although it, too, may be hard to find if you’re looking for a 5G version. The Google Pixel 4a may be the best Pixel cell phone you can still find new today.
It is possible to find some Google Pixel 5 sales, though. You can find unlocked Google Pixel 5 deals for AT&T or for international use, but there are no steeply discounted deals. Even refurbished Pixel 5 smartphones cost close to their original list price. If your goal is to find the best Google Pixel 5 deals, your best bet at this time may be to wait for the next Google Pixel model rumored to launch this fall. Google plays close to the vest, but while some expect a Google Pixel 5a announcement, the majority opinion is that we can expect Google to skip directly to the next generation with the Google Pixel 6.
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