I’ve seen plenty of smartphone deals this year, but this one is the best

End-of-year sales are a fantastic opportunity to save on smartphones you’ve been eyeing for months. The Galaxy S25 is one of Samsung’s best values this year. It has a premium, compact design, an outstanding chipset, and ample software support. It may have been more reasonable than the other Samsung flagships at launch, but it was still $800. If you’ve been waiting for a deal, Mint Mobile has the best one I’ve seen yet on the Galaxy S25.

For a limited time, you can pick up a Galaxy S25 with one year of Mint’s Unlimited service for $530 — a significant discount. If you have a trade-in, you can save another $200. Yes, you have to pay the entire amount up front, and it does lock you in with Mint for a year, but if you’re already looking to switch and pick up a new device, it’s an excellent way to save.

What I like about the Samsung Galaxy S25

Excellent performance and software support

I enjoy a compact flagship phone experience, and the Galaxy S25 delivers. It features a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel that’s bright and vibrant. You are limited to 1080p, but that bothers me less on a smaller display, especially if I’m not spending over $1,000. Even though it’s smaller, it’s still well-made, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back and an aluminum frame.

Under the hood, the Galaxy S25 is every bit as premium as its linemates, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and 12GB of RAM. I’m pleased Samsung went with 12GB of RAM across the board, making the S25 an even better value. When the device had 8GB, it felt like too much of a compromise, but that’s no longer the case. A smaller chassis doesn’t mean lower performance.

Samsung offers seven years of software support for the Galaxy S25, and One UI 8 is a fantastic experience. The battery life is also solid thanks to the phone’s 4,000mAh cell. Camera performance is what you’d expect from a flagship phone. The Galaxy S25 features a triple-camera setup, but the 50MP primary sensor is the star of the show. Photos are crisp and detailed in good lighting, with respectable low-light performance. All told, the Galaxy S25 is an excellent smartphone — especially at such a deep discount.