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The best Google Pixel 5 deals for November 2021

Google Pixel 5 against a background of magazines.

Finding some great Google Pixel 5 deals can be difficult. If you are already a Google Pixel fan familiar with Google Pixel smartphone deals, you may have been waiting for someone to start tracking the best cheap Google Pixel 5 sales, and we have you covered there. The Google Pixel 5 may be tough find on sale, especially if you are looking for a CDMA version to use with Verizon, U.S. Cellular, or other wireless carriers that do not use GSM SIM cards. The good news is that retailers have started their Black Friday deals earlier than ever this year. It’s the perfect opportunity to get the Google Pixel 5 for cheap, or any smartphone for that matter, and early too — with is a welcome change with the chip and supply change shortages!

Today’s best Google Pixel 5 deals

If you're itching to get your paws on the new 5G-capable Pixel 5, Amazon has fully carrier-unlocked models available. more
Plus $500 gift card for switching

Google Pixel 6 Pro (Preorder)

Up to $700 back with trade in
Sporting Google's Tensor chip and an all-new camera module, the Pixel 6 Pro is the Android flagship you've been waiting for. Ships in early November. more
The best way to save on earlier flagship devices is by buying refurbished, and this Amazon-renewed 64GB Pixel 3a XL works and looks virtually new (and it's even backed by a 90-day warranty). more
For the digital nomad looking for a worthy rival to the iPhone, the Google Pixel 4 is exactly that, offering an HD camera and motion-powered automation in one sleek and stylish package. more

Google Pixel 4a 5G (AT&T)

Save up to $200 with trade-in
Google just released a 5G-capable version of its Pixel 4a phone, which might be the best value to be had right now if you're after a brand-name 5G handset. more
Plus $500 gift card for switching

Google Pixel 6 (Preorder)

Up to $700 back with trade in (or buy one, get one)
The Google Pixel 6 is here, sporting a lovely edge-to-edge display, a proprietary Tensor CPU, and a new look. Grab one with an unlimited plan and save. Ships in early November. more
Buy Renewed and get a nice discount on the budget-friendly Pixel 4a, which is factory-unlocked so you can take it to the compatible carrier of your choice. more
BUY ONE, GET ONE

Google Pixel 5 (Verizon)

$23.33 for 30 months
Google's new 5G-ready flagship is here, and Verizon already has a solid deal on one if you're looking to buy a device for you and for someone else. more
The 2019 Google Pixel 4 is still a fantastic phone and an unbeatable value now that the Pixel 5 is out. New or current Verizon customers can score what might be the best price on one right now. more
If you feel like sizing up, Amazon has the Renewed Google Pixel 4 XL complete with a vibrant 6.3-inch OLED touchscreen. It's unlocked, too, so you can bring it to your favorite carrier. more

Should you buy the Google Pixel 5?

It’s a shame that Google Pixel 5 deals are so hard to find. In our Digital Trends Google Pixel 5 review, we praised its compact and lightweight design. The Pixel 5’s 90Hz screen is specced for truly flicker-less performance.

The Google Pixel 5 battery life answered a complaint with the four previous generations. If you configure the Google Pixel 5 in Extreme Battery Saver mode, the Pixel 5 can run for up to 48 hours per charge. That impressive run time answers complaints about battery life in our original Google Pixel review, Google Pixel 3 review, and Google Pixel 4 review. The slight exception was in the Google Pixel 2 review, where the best our reviewer could say was that it had “average battery life” — faint praise indeed. So a 48-hour maximum battery time per charge answers a previously consistent failing.

Another area where the Google Pixel 5 gets high marks is its virtual armada of on-board cameras. The front camera for selfies doesn’t break any records with its 8-megapixel image capture. On the rear, however, Google equipped the latest Pixel smartphone with dual 12.2MP cameras and a 16MP camera. Can you say “ultrawide angle”? The rear camera setup draws fully-deserved praise.

In summing up the Google Pixel 5, our review wrote, “The Pixel 5 represent[s] the best of Google’s software and hardware prowess, all crammed inside a compact, lightweight, but slightly dull-looking body.”

Unfortunately, as noted above, even if you think the Google Pixel 5 is the best next smartphone for your needs, your chances of finding one to buy are slim, even at full list price.

Here’s some background on what’s going on. Unlike Apple and Samsung, each of which manufacturer millions if not tens of millions of each new-generation smartphone, Google uses a different playbook. Compared to Apple and Samsung, Google manufacturers a limited number of devices of each model, and most generations have had only two or three models, unlike the other brands.

Also, with both Apple and Samsung, when a new model announcement gets close, both companies start selling existing-generation phones at steep discounts. They also continue to manufacture previous phones, at least for a while. Google acts differently.

When Google Pixel phones start to become scarce, or, as in the current case, nearly impossible to buy, that has historically meant that Google is about to drop a new generation or at least a new model.

So, when the latest-generation Google Pixel launched last fall, the smart, immediate move was to search for Google Pixel 4 deals, which you can actually still find. Fortunately, the Pixel 4 family is still an excellent choice, although it, too, may be hard to find if you’re looking for a 5G version. The Google Pixel 4a may be the best Pixel cell phone you can still find new today.

It is possible to find some Google Pixel 5 sales, though. You can find unlocked Google Pixel 5 deals for AT&T or for international use, but there are no steeply discounted deals. Even refurbished Pixel 5 smartphones cost close to their original list price. If your goal is to find the best Google Pixel 5 deals, your best bet at this time may be to wait for the next Google Pixel model rumored to launch this fall. Google plays close to the vest, but while some expect a Google Pixel 5a announcement, the majority opinion is that we can expect Google to skip directly to the next generation with the Google Pixel 6.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.

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