\n<\/p>\n
For someone who wants to spend the absolute least<\/em> on a phone and not have to think about buying another one for a good long while, I\u2019ll always recommend Google\u2019s A-series Pixel phone. That\u2019s doubly true now with the Pixel 8A<\/a> on a $100 discount for Black Friday-ish Cyber Shopping Holiday<\/a> or whatever it is we\u2019re currently experiencing. The 8A is a solid value at its full $499 price, and cut down to $399 it\u2019s a ridiculously good deal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here\u2019s the kicker: Google is promising to update the Pixel 8A with OS version upgrades and security releases through May 2031<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>That means you can expect it to run Android 21. If you bought the 8A now for $400 and owned it for six years, that works out to $66 per year. You\u2019d have to use a $1000 flagship phone for 15 years<\/em> to get the same ROI. See? You\u2019re practically making money with the Pixel 8A.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n More importantly, the 8A is the kind of phone I recommend to friends and family who don\u2019t care about fancy features and don\u2019t want to be bothered with buying a new one every few years. Seriously: my mom has a 7A and my dad has the 8A. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n A $400 phone is also much more feasible to buy out-of-pocket than a flagship phone, Pixel or otherwise. If you don\u2019t want to be beholden to the terms of a wireless carrier\u2019s promotion in exchange for a \u201cfree\u201d phone, the Pixel 8A is a good deal \u2014 no strings attached.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n