Believe it or not, you can get a Samsung S23 Ultra as low as $299 today with some savvy workarounds — here's how

Black Friday is officially here and so are the sea of smartphone deals, but nothing comes close to this deal on the Samsung S23 Ultra. I've been searching online for a new mobile all week and not taken the plunge yet, but let me tell you if this was available in my country I'd have ordered it already. Believe it or not, you can now buy a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in the US for as little as $299 from the Shop Samsung app but you need to follow our instructions very carefully to get this price. Read on for how to get this price.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Cell Phone | was $1199.99 now $299 (with trade-in at Samsung)

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Cell Phone | was $1199.99 now $299 (with trade-in at Samsung)

With a valuable enough trade-in, the combined saving on Samsung's latest flagship phone when bought through the Shop Samsung app makes for an unbelievable discount on one of the best phones of the year. If you go the unlocked route, the lowest price is $299 with the max trade-in value. 

✅Perfect for: Photography lovers who want the best screen and best battery life. The 200MP camera is impressive, the 6.8 AMOLED screen is gorgeous, bright, and smooth, and the battery life is great.

❌Avoid if: You dislike the Samsung OS as it comes preloaded with apps (though many can be deactivated)

💰Price check: $899 at Best Buy (Still a good deal if you don't want to trade in)

🔍Hands-on review:
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Cell Phone review at our sister site Android Central

More great early Cyber Monday deals

Follow these instructions to get the best price on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Step 1. Clicking the deal above or this link to Samsung will present you with a pop-up asking if you want to be redirected to the Samsung Shop. The pop-up will look like the below image. Do not ignore it, go to or download the Samsung Shop app following this link, which will give you an instant 25% off the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, taking it down to $899. (Side note, you'll need your ad blocker turned off for this too).

Click either of these options to be taken to the Samsung Shop for 25% off. (Image credit: Jennifer Young)

Step 2. The rest of the potential discount comes from trading in a device. This is heavily dependent on what device you're parting with. Also note that to get the lowest price, you need to also activate a new line with a carrier. For example, trading in a Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 will get you a whopping $800 off and the Samsung S23 Ultra for only $99. Wild right? 

But let's be realistic, most people will be trading something older than that. I for instance am getting the offer of $400 for my Samsung S21 Ultra, taking the price down to $400. This is still incredible, and the average price you will get if you have any phone to hand from the past 3 years will be around $299. 

Note that the cheapest of the cheap prices may require carrier activation, so you will need to play around between carriers or pick a completely unlocked device to get the best price for you.

If this all sounds like too much hassle, or you don't have a decent device to trade in, there is also a great deal at Best Buy for the Galaxy S23 Ultra unlocked for $899, which is still a $300 discount. 

Why the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and not the Google Pixel 8 Pro?

I've asked myself this question many times this week. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of, if not the best phone you can buy right now for photography, thanks mainly to its amazing hardware and software features. I've been comparing this constantly to the Google Pixel 8 Pro in my search for a new phone, and they both have their strengths, but the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra simply pips Google's offering to the post on many specs.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a powerful chipset and versatile camera, and in most side-by-side comparisons between the two phones, you'll notice that Samsung produces more colorful images compared to the toned-down output of the Pixel. More importantly, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra supports 8K video recording, and the Pixel does not. You're also getting a 12-megapixel selfie camera with the Samsung as opposed to the Pixel's 10.5 and it charges much faster

If you're likely to want to use a stylus with your device too, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with an S-pen that unlocks a bunch of productivity features. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Ultra S23 Ultra edges ahead of the Google Pixel 8 Pro, and at this crazy price, it's hard to not recommend it as the best you can get right now. 

Jennifer Young

Jen is a News Writer for Windows Central, focused on all things gaming and Microsoft. Anything slaying monsters with magical weapons will get a thumbs up such as Dark Souls, Dragon Age, Diablo, and Monster Hunter. When not playing games, she'll be watching a horror or trash reality TV show, she hasn't decided which of those categories the Kardashians fit into. You can follow Jen on Twitter @Jenbox360 for more Diablo fangirling and general moaning about British weather.