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Get the best deal on a Samsung Galaxy S 5 smart phone
Published February 05, 2015
Cell carriers are always fishing for new customers—and trying to lure business away from the competition. The latest bait: deals on the Samsung Galaxy S 5 smart phone, which has a super-smart 16-megapixel camera, a fingerprint scanner, and even a heart-rate monitor for fitness buffs.
So which among the Big Four carriers has the best deal on the S 5? That’s a loaded question, because the cost of the phone is just a tiny fraction of what you'll pay in service charges over a two-year contract; charges can exceed $2,000 per phone line. Check out our recently updated comparison of cell-service prices.
We put together a table comparing the cost of the S 5 phone from the Big Four carriers. Verizon comes in lowest, saving you $50 to $60 upfront. It has also been touting a buy-one-get-one-free offer, which sounds great. But the fine print reveals that the offer applies only to the down payment on the phone if you go with a pricey traditional two-year plan. And you’ll keep paying for your phone even after two years.
If you're gravitating toward a Galaxy phone, also consider the now bargain-priced Galaxy S 4, which will save you $100 or more—we included that phone's prices in our table as well. The water-resistant Galaxy S 4 Active, an AT&T exclusive, may not have the S 5's fingerprint scanner and heart-rate monitor, but it has oodles of other great features, including intuitive gesture controls, a fantastic display, and a great camera.
—Mike Gikas
Find the right smart phone using our cell phone buying guide and Ratings.
Samsung Galaxy S 5 vs. Galaxy S 4 price comparison
|
Carrier |
Phone |
Up-front price |
Installment plan |
Down payment for a conventional two-year plan |
|
AT&T |
Galaxy S 5 |
$650 |
20 monthly payments of $32.50 on the Next 12 plan |
$200 |
|
Galaxy S 4 |
$510 |
20 monthly payments of $25.50 on the Next 12 plan |
$0 |
|
|
Galaxy S 4 Active |
$485 |
20 monthly payments of $24.25 on the Next 12 plan |
$100 |
|
|
Sprint |
Galaxy S 5 |
$650 |
27.09/month for 23 months / $26.92 final payment |
$200 after $50 mail-in rebate card |
|
Galaxy S 4 |
$550 |
24 payments of $22.92 |
$0 |
|
|
T-Mobile |
Galaxy S 5 |
$660 |
24 monthly payments of $25.22 |
NA |
|
Galaxy S 4 |
$549.60 |
24 monthly payments of $22.90 |
NA |
|
|
Verizon |
Galaxy S 5 |
$600 |
24 monthly payments of $25.22 ($605) |
$200 for first phone; second one is free |
|
Galaxy S 4 |
$500 |
24 monthly payments of $20.90 ($501.60) |
$100 |
Copyright © 2005-2014 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission. Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this site.
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