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Need a New Phone? We’ve Found Excellent Black Friday Deals on Our Favorites

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Need a New Phone? We’ve Found Excellent Black Friday Deals on Our Favorites


It’s the best time of year to buy a new smartphone. I review dozens and dozens of handsets every year, and I exclusively recommend you buy them unlocked—don’t be beholden to a carrier! But the sticker shock of a new phone can be scary; these Black Friday phone deals can help ease the burden on your wallet. Whether you want a folding flip phone, a super-slim Galaxy Z Fold, or the latest magnetic Google Pixel 10, you’ll find your next smartphone upgrade in this list.

Hunting for more discounts? Read our Absolute Best Black Friday Deals roundup for more.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Samsung

Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S25 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is seeing healthy discounts this Black Friday, probably because its successors are right around the corner—the Galaxy S26 series is expected to be announced in January. But if you don’t really need the latest and greatest, you have three excellent smartphones to choose from. The S25 is the smallest, the S25+ gets a few extra perks plus a bigger screen and better battery life, but it’s the Galaxy S25 Ultra that really steps things up, with a dual telephoto camera system, integrated S Pen stylus, and a beefy battery.

Read our Best Samsung Phones guide for more details about each of these devices.

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Google

Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL

One of my favorite parts of Google’s new Pixel 10 series (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is that they’re the first flagship Android phones with Qi2 magnetic wireless charging. That means, just like MagSafe iPhones, you can attach magnetic accessories and enjoy faster wireless charging. It’s great! The phones also have excellent cameras, good performance, and tons of helpful and smart software features. Better yet, these are the first Android phones to support AirDrop with iPhones, Macs, and iPads.

Read our Best Pixel Phones guide for more info.

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

This is the smartphone most people looking for a new handset should buy. If you’re not married to a particular camp or brand, the Google Pixel 9a (9/10, WIRED Recommends) strikes the best balance between features and price, and this sale makes that even better. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better camera system at this price, and if you hate ginormous camera bumps, you’ll love the flat-back design here. Performance is flagship-grade—it has the same Tensor chip that powers the Pixel 9 Pro—and you can access many of the great Pixel software perks, like Call Screen to cut spam calls from your life.

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Samsung

Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7

Folding phones are not as fragile as they used to be. No, seriously. Companies have been improving durability year over year, while also slimming them down. The Galaxy Z Fold7 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is my favorite booklike folding phone this year—it’s so amazingly slim that what used to be a chunky device now feels kind of like a candy bar phone. Use the front screen like normal, and when you need extra real estate, open the device up. You can view apps on a much larger scale or easily split-screen two apps. Don’t want a big folding phone? The Galaxy Z Flip7 is a pretty solid update this year, with a more usable front screen. These devices are still annoyingly expensive, but this Black Friday sale makes the prices a little more palatable.

Read our Best Folding Phones guide for more options.

Image may contain: Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone, Iphone, Adult, Person, Accessories, and Glasses

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola

Razr Ultra and Razr (2025)

If you’re really interested in the idea of a folding flip phone, then might I suggest Motorola’s Razr Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends)? Take your current phone today and fold it in half—OK, don’t actually do that, but that’s kind of what it’s like to use this style of smartphone. Right now, the Razr Ultra is the best in this category, with a fresh design, good performance, surprisingly great cameras, and a functional external display. If you hate big phones, you’ll love being able to stuff the Ultra in any pocket or purse. There’s also the cheaper Razr 2025, which doesn’t have as good performance or a camera system, but is still an incredible value, especially on sale.

Read our Best Motorola Phones guide for more.

Image may contain: Electronics, Phone, and Mobile Phone

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola

Moto G Stylus 2025

Do you want a headphone jack? Do you want a microSD card slot? Are you a very cool and smart person? Yes. Then this is the smartphone for you. This is an incredible deal on a phone that delivers surprisingly smooth performance, not to mention a bright and sharp screen, and an integrated stylus. It looks smart with a textured back, and while it may not get many software updates, it’s just hard to beat at this price. And you get 256 GB of storage to boot.

Read our Best Cheap Phones guide for more options.

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

It’s not flashy, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is a perfectly serviceable Android phone that should only be purchased at this $175 discount. Seriously, it’s not worth the MSRP because you can usually find a Galaxy S25 on sale for close to that price. But under $500? You’re getting a solid triple-camera system with a 3X optical zoom sensor, smooth performance, and day-long battery life, plus all the usual flagship extras like Qi2 Ready wireless charging and IP68 water resistance. It’ll still get seven years of software updates, too.

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Prefer Pixel phones but want a folding phone? This Pixel 10 Pro Fold (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is pretty much your only option. The cameras aren’t as good as the Pixel 10 Pro series, but they’re still respectable. The phone isn’t as slim as the Galaxy Z Fold7, but it’s one of the only folding phones with an IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating. Considering it launched last month, this is a heck of a discount. I have to say, having Qi2 magnets in a folding phone is very nice.

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Nothing’s Phone (3) (7/10, WIRED Recommends) looks nothing (heh) like any other smartphone in this list. That’s the company’s calling card, but it extends to the phone’s Android interface, which is beautiful and unique. The fun Glyph Matrix display on the back offers up notifications and can even be used to play rock, paper, scissors. It’s a quirky device, but performance is slick, the cameras are solid, there’s 256 GB of storage, and good battery life. It’s not the best value from a price perspective, but that might not matter if you’re head over heels about how it looks.

Closeup of the cameras on the backside of the OnePlus 13

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Despite launching in January of this year, the OnePlus 13 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is no longer the latest flagship phone from the company. That’d be the OnePlus 15. But the latest and greatest isn’t on sale, and the OnePlus 13 is still a very good smartphone with good battery life, extremely fast charging, and a decent camera system tuned by Hasselblad (this partnership is effectively over in the OnePlus 15).

What About iPhone Deals?

Apple doesn’t have sales, and you won’t find discounted iPhones at third-party retailers. The only way to spend a little less is to look at the Black Friday carrier offers. We typically don’t recommend carrier devices because it means you’re getting a locked phone, but most people upgrade through their carrier. If you’re going to do it, here’s what the big three are offering right now.

  • Verizon’s hot Black Friday promotion is an iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple Watch, and iPad for free if you get a new line on select unlimited plans. You also have to get a cellular plan for the watch and iPad, though.
  • T-Mobile has something similar. You can get an iPhone 17 Pro, iPad (A16), and Apple Watch SE3 for free if you trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan. (Make sure to read the fine print for all the details.) Keep in mind that the “savings” are usually in the form of bill credits.
  • AT&T is offering the iPhone Air for less than $3 per month if you get a new line. This offer is available online only and runs out on December 1. It requires a 36-month plan and “well-qualified customers.”

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.



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These $500 Windows Laptops Show That the MacBook Neo Has Serious Competition

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These 0 Windows Laptops Show That the MacBook Neo Has Serious Competition


Today, Apple announced its new budget MacBook. At $599, it looks seriously impressive. While I haven’t tested its performance, battery life, or display just yet, it may end up being hard to beat at that price based on some of the specs alone.

But that doesn’t mean the competition isn’t there. I want to recommend a couple of Windows laptops deals that offer various advantages over the MacBook Neo, showing where the Neo has both strengths and weaknesses.

First, check out this Asus Vivobook 14, a laptop I’ve been happy to recommend as a budget computer for the past year. In many ways, this is the Windows version of a laptop like the MacBook Neo. It uses a highly-efficient ARM chip, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X, meaning it gets great battery life and performs admirably in daily tasks. It’s not quite as thin or light as the MacBook Neo, but it’s fairly portable for a laptop at this price.

Asus

Vivobook 14 (X1407QA)

Unlike the MacBook Neo, the Vivobook 14 comes with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. That’s twice what you get in the MacBook Neo’s starting configuration. Right now, this configuration of the Vivobook 14 is on sale for $539. That’s a killer deal for those specs. It even comes with a healthier mix of ports, including HDMI, two USB-A, one USB-C, and a headphone jack. That also means it can support two external displays unlike the MacBook Neo, which can only handle just one.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not at all saying the Vivobook 14 is a slam dunk over the MacBook Neo. Based on specs alone, I know the Vivobook 14 is a serious step down when it comes to the display. It’s less sharp, stretched across a larger screen, and the color performance isn’t so good. The Vivobook 14 maxes out at 280 nits, whereas Apple says the MacBook Neo can go all the way up to 500 nits. I have a hunch that the MacBook Neo will deliver a much better display in just about every regard.

There’s also the touchpad. It’s a little clunky to use, which is typical of budget Windows laptops. This is just a guess—but the touchpad on the MacBook Neo will likely feel smoother. It’s a mechanical trackpad (unlike the MacBook Air’s haptic feedback trackpad), but Apple has almost never made a bad trackpad.

If you’re not convinced by the Asus Vivobook 14, I’d also recommend the HP OmniBook 5, which is currently on sale for $500 and uses the same Snapdragon X chip. While it only has 256 GB of storage, it has a much better screen than the Vivobook 14, using an OLED display. It’s not any brighter than the Vivobook 14, but it gives you far better color performance and contrast. It’s also just 0.50 inches thick, matching the MacBook Neo exactly in portability.



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Don’t Buy Some Random USB Hub off Amazon. Here Are 5 We’ve Tested and Approved

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Don’t Buy Some Random USB Hub off Amazon. Here Are 5 We’ve Tested and Approved


Other Good USB Hubs to Consider

Ugreen Revodok Pro 211 Docking Station for $64: Most laptop docking stations are bulky gadgets that often require a power source, but this one from Ugreen straddles the line between dock and hub. It has a small, braided cable running to a relatively large aluminum block. It’s a bit hefty but still compact, and it packs a lot of extra power. It has three USB ports (one USB-C and two USB-A) that each reached up to 900 MB/s of data-transfer speeds in my testing. That was enough to move large amounts of 4K video footage in minutes. The only problem is that using dual monitors on a Mac is limited to only mirroring.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Hyper HyperDrive Next Dual 4K Video Dock for $150: This one also straddles the line between dock and USB hub. Many mobile docks lack proper Mac support, only allowing for mirroring instead of full extension. The HyperDrive Next Dual 4K fixes that problem, though, making it a great option for MacBooks (though it won’t magically give an old MacBook Air dual-monitor support). Unfortunately, you’ll be paying handsomely for that capability, as this one is more expensive than the other options. The other problem is that although this dock has two HDMI ports that can support 4K, though only one will be at 60 Hz and the other will be stuck at 30 Hz. So, if you plan to use it with multiple displays, you’ll need to drop the resolution 1440p or 1080p on one of them. I also tested this Targus model, which is made by the same company, which gets you two 4K displays at 60 Hz but not on Mac.

Image may contain Electronics Hardware Router Modem Computer Laptop and Pc

Kensington Triple Video Mobile Dock.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Anker USB-C Hub 5-in-1 for $20: This Anker USB hub is the one I carry in my camera bag everywhere. It plugs into the USB-C port on your laptop and provides every connection you’d need to offload photos or videos from camera gear. In our testing, the USB 3.0 ports reached transfer speeds over 400 MB/s, which isn’t quite as fast as some USB hubs on this list, but it’s solid for a sub-$50 device. Similarly, the SD card reader reached speeds of 80 MB/s for reading and writing, which isn’t the fastest SD cards can get, but adequate for moving files back and forth.—Eric Ravenscraft

Kensington Triple Video Mobile Dock for $83: Another mobile dock meant to provide additional external support, this one from Kensington can technically power up to three 1080p displays at 60 Hz using the two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort. It’s a lot of ports in a relatively small package, though the basic plastic case isn’t exactly inspiring.


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Trump’s War on Iran Could Screw Over US Farmers

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Trump’s War on Iran Could Screw Over US Farmers


Global oil and gas prices have skyrocketed following the US attack on Iran last weekend. But another key global supply chain is also at risk, one that may directly impact American farmers who have already been squeezed for months by tariff wars. The conflict in the Middle East is choking global supplies of fertilizer right before the crucial spring planting season.

“This literally could not be happening at a worse time,” says Josh Linville, the vice president of fertilizer at financial services company StoneX.

The global fertilizer market focuses on three main macronutrients: phosphates, nitrogen, and potash. All of them are produced in different ways, with different countries leading in exports. Farmers consider a variety of factors, including crop type and soil conditions, when deciding which of these types of fertilizer to apply to their fields.

Potash and phosphates are both mined from different kinds of natural deposits; nitrogen fertilizers, by contrast, are produced with natural gas. QatarLNG, a subsidiary of Qatar Energy, a state-run oil and gas company, said on Monday that it would halt production following drone strikes on some of its facilities. This effectively took nearly a fifth of the world’s natural gas supply offline, causing gas prices in Europe to spike.

That shutdown puts supplies of urea, a popular type of nitrogen fertilizer, particularly at risk. On Tuesday, Qatar Energy said that it would also stop production of downstream products, including urea. Qatar was the second-largest exporter of urea in 2024. (Iran was the third-largest; it’s also a key exporter of ammonia, another type of nitrogen fertilizer.) Prices on urea sold in the US out of New Orleans, a key commodity port, were up nearly 15 percent on Monday compared to prices last week, according to data provided by Linville to WIRED. The blockage of the Strait of Hormuz is also preventing other countries in the region from exporting nitrogen products.

“When we look at ammonia, we’re looking at almost 30 percent of global production being either involved or at risk in this conflict,” says Veronica Nigh, a senior economist at the Fertilizer Institute, a US-based industry advocacy organization. “It gets worse when we think about urea. Urea is almost 50 percent.”

Other types of fertilizer are also at risk. Saudi Arabia, Nigh says, supplies about 40 percent of all US phosphate imports; taking them out of the equation for more than a few days could create “a really challenging situation” for the US. Other countries in the region, including Jordan, Egypt, and Israel, also play a big role in these markets.

“We are already hearing reports that some of those Persian Gulf manufacturers are shutting down production, because they’re saying, ‘I have a finite amount of storage for my supply,’” Linville says. “‘Once I reach the top of it, I can’t do anything else. So I’m going to shut down my production in order to make sure I don’t go over above that.’”

Conflict in the strait has intensified in the early part of this week, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have reportedly threatened any ship passing through the strait. Traffic has slowed to a crawl. The Trump administration announced initiatives on Tuesday meant to protect oil tankers traveling through the strait, including providing a naval escort. Even if those initiatives succeed—which the shipping industry has expressed doubt about—much of the initial energy will probably go toward shepherding oil and gas assets out of the region.

“Fertilizer is not going to be the most valuable thing that’s gonna transit the strait,” says Nigh.



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