The Pixel 3 is a fantastically well-rounded smartphone with an industry-leading camera — and you can get it on the cheap for Amazon Prime Day.
Currently just $539 on Amazon (opens in new tab), the Pixel 3 normally costs $799. That means you're saving $260 on one of the finest handsets money can buy. And, being as this is the unlocked model, you'll have the ability to take your Pixel 3 and use it on any carrier that allows you to bring your own phone to their network.
(opens in new tab)To clarify, this deal covers only the base 64 GB model — the larger XL version is also on sale (opens in new tab), but costs $639. Unfortunately, the Pixel 3 does not include a microSD card slot for expandable memory, so you will be stuck with what you get in the box. However, you do get two years of unlimited, full-resolution Google Photos storage with every new Pixel 3 or 3 XL, so the capacity limitation isn't quite as bad as it may sound.
Additionally, this Prime Day deal — which runs for the entirety of July 15 and 16 — covers just the Clearly White and Just Black models. The third color, Not Pink, is available on Amazon, though not at the $539 price. Rather, Amazon is offering that particular variant, exclusively in the 128 GB spec, for $639 (opens in new tab).
(opens in new tab)Why do we love the Pixel 3 so much? It really comes down to two things: the camera and the software. The Pixel 3 has only one 12.2-megapixel lens on the back, but the photos it can paint with those optics and Google's computational photography know-how are consistently impressive. Couple that with Android 9 Pie — soon to be Android Q — in all its pure Google glory, plus exclusive features like Call Screen and Night Sight, and the Pixel 3 still feels cutting edge. That's the case, even if some other devices have newer processors, and the Pixel 4 is right around the corner.
That said, if Google isn't your cup of tea, there are other excellent smartphone deals on Prime Day. Samsung has slashed up to $300 off various models of the Galaxy S10 series, and the LG G8 ThinQ is cheaper than it's ever been at $499. If you happen to like the Pixel 3, but $539 is still a bit too high, Amazon also is giving away a $100 gift card with the purchase of a $479 Pixel 3a XL. The Pixel 3a series features a camera that is almost exactly as good as the one in the more premium Pixel 3, but also has a lower-spec CPU and plastic build to cut costs.
