Much like our other tech guides this year, we analyzed the top performing smartphones on Ben’s to help our readers get a good understanding of what prices will be like when the Black Friday sales hit.

Unlocked phones are generally the most popular option to our visitors because of their flexibility and ease of use with low-cost prepaid plans. But when you buy unlocked, the phone will cost more since you’re losing that phone company subsidy.

Black Friday sales tend to focus on major carrier promotions and big trade-in offers, and we’ll mention the notable ones as they relate to the specific phones. Keep in mind, these credits are tied to expensive monthly plans.

The general rule is, you pay less upfront with a locked phone, but over the long term (2+ years), you end up paying more than you would with an unlocked phone and a low-cost prepaid plan. How much depends on various factors, but it’s worth sitting down and calculating the costs.

For this guide, we divided smartphones into three categories: Samsung, Apple, and the rest. It’s still an Android vs. iOS world out there…

Take note of your favorite models below and set a deal alert on Ben’s to get a jump on the lowest prices of the holidays!

Samsung Smartphones

Samsung’s new foldable phones, the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 made a big splash this year with glitzy ads and impressive sales.

1. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G 6.7″ 128GB (2021): Earlier in the fall, this foldable phone was on sale for $700 with T-mobile activation at Best Buy ($300 off). That deal is sure to come back when Best Buy rolls out its big Black Friday sale on Nov. 19. Walmart is offering up to $750 in eGift Cards with eligible trade-in on Nov. 26. Verizon, AT&T, Samsung and Boost Mobile all have or will have big discounts tied to trade-ins. On the unlocked front, it’s been as low as $850 and $925 on Amazon. [Amazon (unlocked)]
2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G 7.6″ 256GB (2021): The Flip’s bigger, fancier cousin was on sale for $1300 with T-Mobile activation at Best Buy ($500 off). Expect that sale again come Nov. 19. Like the Flip 3, the Fold 3 has big discounts with trade-ins at the major carriers. The unlocked version has been as low as $1500, and probably won’t go any lower in the next few weeks. [Amazon (unlocked)]
3. Samsung Galaxy A32 5G 6.5″ 64GB (2021): This popular low-priced Samsung has been as low as $100 through Boost Mobile, and that offer is sure to return for Black Friday. The unlocked version has been as low as $205 on Amazon so that’s the price point you want to aim for. [Amazon (unlocked)]
4. Samsung Galaxy S21+ Plus 5G 6.7″ 128GB (2021): It’s currently on sale for $800 with T-Mobile activation at Best Buy ($200 off). Verizon, AT&T and Samsung all have or will have big discounts tied to trade-ins. The unlocked model has been as low as $700 and $750 depending on the color. That’s a big discount for a current year unlocked phone and the best you’ll see for the next few weeks. [Amazon (unlocked)]
5. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G 6.8″ 128GB (2021): Currently $900 with T-Mobile at Best Buy, this behemoth phone will likely get an additional $50 to $100 off come Black Friday. Plus, Verizon, AT&T and Samsung all have or will have big discounts tied to trade-ins. The lowest we’ve seen the unlocked model go is $900 ($300 off) on Amazon, and that’s as good a price to expect around Black Friday. [Amazon (unlocked)]

Apple iPhones

Apple dominates the smartphone space (nearly 40% of global smartphone revenue). The best deals for recent iPhones are going to be with the carrier promotions as deals on new, unlocked iPhones are pretty sparse.

6. Apple iPhone 13 5G 6.1″ 128GB (2021): Since it’s the hottest phone of the season, there are plenty of deals that will substantially lower the price of a locked model. On Black Friday, Walmart will offer up to $550 in gift cards with purchase of any iPhone 13 model on AT&T and Verizon plus trade-in. Apple Store is currently promoting up to $900 in credits with various carrier trade-ins. Because the iPhone 13 is new and in high demand, you’re not going to find an unlocked version below retail ($829), unless you get lucky on a random eBay auction. [Apple]
7. Apple iPhone 12 5G 6.1″ 64GB (2020): The appeal of the iPhone 12 is that it can be almost totally subsidized if you choose to get a locked model through a carrier. For Black Friday, Walmart will be giving a $350 eGift Card with purchase on AT&T or Verizon, plus up to $250 for trade-ins. After gift cards, that’s about $100 for the phone. Verizon’s also offering credit (up to $700, nearly the price of the phone) for trade-in with Unlimited Plan. You’ll be hard-pressed to find more than 5% off the $729 retail for a brand-new unlocked version. Apple Store will probably offer a $50 gift card with purchase on Black Friday. If you’re okay with refurbished, you can find it for around $650. [Apple]
8. Apple iPhone SE (2nd Gen) 4.7″ 64GB (2020): If you go the locked route, the deals are aplenty with this low-cost iPhone. You can get it for free with a new line on an unlimited plan at Verizon. Cricket Wireless has the 128GB model for $100 when you prepay $120 for 2 months service. We’ve seen the 64GB model refurbished with a 30-day plan on Total Wireless for $122. Like the iPhone 12, there aren’t many deals for brand-new unlocked models, though you might find $50 off the $399 retail on eBay or a $50 gift card from Apple on Black Friday. [Apple]
9. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 5G 6.7″ 128GB (2021): Like the other iPhones on this list, your best option for a deal is a locked phone. In addition to the Walmart gift cards on Black Friday, you’ve got the major carrier promotions with up to $900 in credits. Unlocked deals will be hard to find for anything brand-new (a hefty $1099 retail). [Apple]

Other Smartphones (The Rest)

If you’re not tied to Samsung or Apple, then you’re going to find the best bargains from the rest of the field, especially on unlocked models.

10. Google Pixel 6 5G 6.4″ 128GB (2021): The big carriers are all offering hefty credits (up to $700) with the usual trade-in and installment plans. On Black Friday, Target will have the unlocked version of Google’s new phone for $549 ($50 off retail). Google will start its Black Friday sale on Nov. 18. Details are unknown, but we’ve already seen Google throw in a Pixel Buds A-Series for free with purchase of Pixel 6. [Google]
11. Motorola Moto G Play 6.5″ 32GB (2021): This budget smartphone is aimed at the prepaid market, though it will work with postpaid plans. We’ve seen HSN sell it locked with a year’s worth of Tracfone service for just $80. Walmart sells it for $49 locked with AT&T. If you want it unlocked, there aren’t any major price cuts, although Amazon has sold it for as low as $150 ($20 off retail). [Amazon (unlocked)]
12. TCL 20 SE 6.82″ 128GB (2021): This unlocked only budget phone was recently on sale for as low as $133 on Amazon in early November, nearly $60 off retail. That’s a Black Friday price that’s sure to return in the coming weeks. By the way, it’s compatible with T-Mobile and AT&T LTE networks, but not Verizon (CDMA). [Amazon]
13. OnePlus Nord N100 6.52″ 64GB (2021): Metro by T-Mobile is currently offering a locked phone for free when you switch to this prepaid carrier. They have unlimited plans starting at $50 / mo. We’ve seen the unlocked version go for as low as $140 at B&H Photo Video a handful of times and even $130 on Amazon once ($40 to $50 off retail). That’s the price range to aim for during the holiday shopping season. [Amazon (unlocked)]
14. OnePlus Nord N10 5G 6.49″ 128GB (2021): This step-up model from the Nord N100 is also free when you switch to the Metro by T-Mobile prepaid carrier. The unlocked model has been $220 on Amazon a couple times and even $200 once ($80 to $100 off retail). Expect that unlocked price to drop below $240 when Black Friday rolls around. [Amazon (unlocked)]

Check Ben’s for the latest Smartphone deals

2021 Gift Guide: Top Smartphones and How Much You Will Pay For Them

Last year in this space, I said, “2020 will be the year of the foldable phone (for reals this time).” Yeah, well, that didn’t happen. Maybe something called a pandemic had a hand in that… While there have been a few foldable smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Microsoft Surface Duo, they’re just not catching on… yet.

However, super speedy 5G is here, and all the smartphone manufacturers from Samsung to Apple are utilizing this technology in their latest, greatest phones. 5G versions of older models are also being released—at a premium cost, of course. Consumers now have plenty of mobile options to surf the web with the fastest data speeds ever.

As usual, Black Friday (month) is the best time to buy a phone. All major carriers and most retailers like Walmart, Target, Apple Stores and Costco will be offering trade-in credits to apply to the new 2020 phones. See our Black Friday ads for more details!

This year, we’ve distilled the best phones into four quadrants of what most Ben’s visitors are looking for: Expensive Apple (but I repeat myself), Cheap Apple (yes, it’s true this year), Expensive Android and Cheap Android. Watch for price drops and deals on these phones on Ben’s in the coming weeks (set deal alerts here)!

Best Apple – Under $500

Best Apple – Over $500

Best Android – Over $500

Best Android – Under $500

Check Ben’s for the latest Smartphone deals

2020 Gift Guide: The Best Smartphones of the Season

Starting on February 7, Amazon is removing all advertisements that appear on the lock screen of smartphones in their discounted Prime Exclusive section. A software update will roll out to remove all ads from existing devices and newly purchased devices will simply ship without any of the ad software installed.

This is the first time that customers that purchased these phones will be able to change their lock screen wallpaper. This program launched a couple of years ago after Amazon was successful selling Kindles that included lock screen ads. It’s grown over the years, expanding to multiple smartphone brands including LG, Moto and Nokia.

Amazon is making this shift in order to keep up with technology on newer phones, specifically facial recognition and fingerprint scanning when unlocking phones. This will come at a small cost to the consumer though. Amazon will be raising prices on all Prime Exclusive models by $20 in order to compensate the loss of ads.

Customers still won’t be able to erase Amazon installed apps either such as Prime Music or Prime Video, even if you cancel your Prime subscription. However, the significant discounts on the phones should make up for the apps taking up space on the phone. You can find the full assortment of Prime Exclusive smartphones here.

Amazon pulls all lock screen ads from Prime Exclusive smartphones

There’s no need to ask if we can hear it now. We’ve all heard it in the past few weeks: Introductions of new unlimited data plans have dominated the news. The Big Four cellular network providers in the U.S. are back at war, and consumers can be the winners.

But you have to comprehend what each new plan truly involves and whether it’s worth your while to a consider a switch. Please know that there’s more to a cellular plan than price — picking a provider with poor coverage in your area or poor customer service does no good. With that in mind, we’ve broken down the latest offerings from each of the Big Four to see if you can save some money on your smartphone plan.

When Unlimited Means Something Else

Understand that although these unlimited plans all involved unlimited data usage, the speeds at which you’ll access that data is not unlimited. Each of the Big Four reserves the right to slow your download/upload speeds once you hit a certain amount of data usage within a billing month, depending on network congestion. This “throttling” effect may be tough to deal with for some users. It’ll be nearly impossible to stream HD video at throttled data speeds, for example. Here are the data limits you’ll hit before potentially seeing your speed slowed (per month and per line). All four offer very similar options.

• AT&T: 22 GB
• Sprint: 23 GB
• T-Mobile: 28 GB
• Verizon: 22 GB

AT&T

AT&T has offered some unlimited plans in the past, such as for those who also subscribe to its DirecTV or U-verse services.

With the recent shakeup in the industry though, AT&T has refined its plans a couple of times since the start of the year. These plans are available to current or new AT&T subscribers.

With the latest Unlimited Plus, you can have up to eight lines on one account with this plan. The baseline prices start at $90 for one line, $145 for two lines, $165 for three lines, $185 for four lines, and $205 for five lines.

If you’re a DirecTV subscriber who switches to Unlimited Plus, you’ll receive a $25 discount on your DirecTV bill every month. (DirecTV Now and U-verse subscribers receive the same deal.) AT&T says this is a limited time offer though.

What They’re Not Telling You

• Extra fees and taxes are not included in the quoted monthly prices.
• You cannot use the smartphone as a hot spot with this unlimited plan.
• You’ll pay one-time activation fees of about $25 per line if you’re a new customer.

Sprint

Sprint has decided to make its unlimited plans more enticing by using promotional pricing. You’ll pay $50 for the first line per month and $40 for the second line. Up to three additional lines are free.

Once the promotional period ends, which is expected to occur early in 2018, the first line will cost $60 monthly and the second line will cost $40 monthly. Additional lines will run $30 apiece up to five lines.

This means that as a baseline price, you’ll pay $90 during the promotional period for four or five lines. After the promotional period ends, you’ll pay about $160 as a baseline for four lines and $190 per month for five lines.

What They’re Not Telling You

• To receive the $90 promotional price for five lines, you have to use auto pay, otherwise you’ll be charged $5 per month per line.
• There are no paper bills with this offer; only electronic billing.
• For HD quality video as part of the unlimited data package, you’ll pay an extra $20 per month per line. (SD quality video doesn’t cost extra.)
• The promotional pricing deal is only offered to those new to Sprint; existing Sprint customers may be able to add unlimited to a current plan, but they’ll have to contact the carrier for details.
• Fees and taxes are not included in the promotional price.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile made the fewest changes to its unlimited plans. Even so, it still remains one of the least expensive options out there. In fact, it’s not out of line to think that the other Big Four providers were trying to match T-Mobile with their latest changes.

T-Mobile offers a first line for $70 per month on its unlimited plan, and the second line costs only $30 monthly. Two additional lines will run you about $60 total per month, so you’re paying around $160 per month as a baseline price for four lines and $180 per month for five lines. (For a limited time, T-Mobile is offering three lines for $100 per month, meaning you’ll essentially receive the third line free.)

What They’re Not Telling You

• Not much. T-Mobile includes all fees and taxes within its quoted prices, including any activation fees.
• If you don’t use auto pay, you’ll pay $5 per month per line extra.
• You must use the T-Mobile app to receive HD video; otherwise it defaults to SD video.

Verizon

Verizon may have started the latest shakeup among the Big Four with its decision to begin offering an unlimited plan in mid-February. Verizon’s deal costs $80 for the first line, $60 for a second line, and roughly $20 each for additional lines. That’s roughly $180 for four lines as a baseline price and $200 for five lines. This new unlimited data plan is available to new and current Verizon subscribers.

What They’re Not Telling You

• If you don’t sign up for auto pay and paperless billing, you’ll have to spend between $5 and $10 per month per line extra.
• A one-time activation fee per line will run you $30 (new customers only).
• Taxes and fees are not included in the quoted prices.

Final Things to Know

Finally, we have to mention a few things that may sway your decision.

• Taxes and Fees: The price points listed above do not include any taxes and fees that you’ll have to pay. T-Mobile includes all taxes and fees in its quoted cost, but the other carriers do not. Additionally, you will pay activation fees when signing up with AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint; again T-Mobile includes this fee with its quoted price. Activation fees typically are about $25-$30 per line.
• Hot Spot Support: T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint all offer support for running your smartphone as a mobile hot spot. AT&T does not. You will be limited to 10GB of data through a hot spot connection per month. After you pass that mark, your data speeds will slow considerably.
• Video Resolution: Each of the Big Four now offer HD quality video. However, you may have to turn on this feature manually (as with AT&T) or pay extra for it (as with Sprint). And the carrier may throttle you down to SD quality video after using a certain amount of data.

The cheapest service — as it has been for a while — is T-Mobile. (Unless you’re counting Sprint’s promotional pricing; then it offers the best price for now.) But each of the Big Four networks certainly has become much closer in price points and plan details with their new unlimited data plans, more similar than they’ve ever been.

However, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to save a few dollars by shopping around … and that also means shopping around within your current carrier. Perhaps the smartest thing you can do at this point is make sure that the plan you have through your current cellular network carrier is the most cost effective one it can be. If you’re happy with your current service, just making sure you are on the right plan may save you quite a bit per month without the hassle of switching carriers.

Unlimited Data Compared: AT&T vs. Sprint vs. T-Mobile vs. Verizon

Hate watching the battery life drain away on your smartphone throughout the day? The developers of the original InkCase are working on a new product for Android smartphones to help relieve battery usage.

Built into a case for your smartphone, the InkCase Plus e-ink screen (similar to the screen on a regular Amazon Kindle) folds over the top on your smartphone screen to provide an always-on screen image when you pull out your phone.

The advantage to this design is that you don’t have to flip on your smartphone to perform tasks like checking email or texts, thus draining the smartphone battery. With a battery life of 19 hours when continuously reading, the e-ink screen can display images like a boarding pass when going through airport security or a map when driving around a city. It’s also preferable to a smartphone screen when in direct sunlight, ideal for reading books or notifications as well as checking incoming calls.

Other applications integrated into the InkCase Plus e-ink screen include the ability to control music functions, a fitness data readout when exercising and a personalized display to show off your photos when the phone is not in use.

At the moment, the case has been fully funded on Kickstarter and the company promises to have the device in the hands of consumers by October 2014. The unusual speed of delivery is more probable for this particular Kickstarter project since this is the company’s second product in the InkCase line and likely understands the manufacturing process better.

Early backers can get an InkCase Plus for $99 with the retail price eventually climbing to $139 after launch. You can check out full details of the project here or by watching the video below:

More Images:

Shut Up and Take My Money: InkCase Plus E-ink Screen

With the official U.S. launch of the Samsung S5 upon us, fans of the S4 and previous generations of smartphones are considering an upgrade this week. While some reviewers have pegged the S5 as an incremental upgrade from the S4, there are plenty of fans who are excited to check out the upgraded camera, fingerprint scanner, waterproofing and the redesigned version of Android.

However, just because Samsung released a new smartphone doesn’t mean you should run out and buy it right away. History suggests that deals on a single Samsung S5 during the first couple weeks of sales will only amount to $10 to $20 in savings for the consumer.

That being said, Verizon is getting aggressive at launch by duplicating the Buy One, Get One promotion that promoted the Samsung S4 last month. While you will have to pay $300 upfront and wait for $100 in rebates, you will end up spending $200 for 2 smartphones, one being the Samsung S5 and the other a choice of the S5, HTC One or Samsung ATIV SE. In addition, Costco is running a limited time $100 promotion on the S5 here on new activations with Verizon.

To help you figure out, based on your budget, when the best time to purchase the Samsung S5 will be, we dove deep into Ben’s deal history data to analyze all the previous generation deals that we posted over the last few years. On average, Ben’s posts about 60 to 80 deals per year for each entry level, 16GB model in the Samsung S line of smartphones. We know exactly when smartphones go on sale and can predict some obvious price drop trends that the Samsung S5 will follow over the next 12 months.

What do the Samsung S4 and S III tell us about the Samsung S5?

At launch, the typical price of an under contract S model is $200, Of course, the cost of a two-year contract will likely be more than $2000 over the lifetime of the phone. Alternatively, an unlocked model costs between $600 to $750 at launch. The advantage to an unlocked smartphone is the ability to use it on any carrier, including less expensive networks like Straight Talk or Cricket Wireless.

2 months from the release date,  Samsung Galaxy S5 purchasers will save 30 to 40 percent on the cost of an under contract phone according to our historical deal data. Both the Samsung S4 and S III could be found for around $120 to $140 under contract at that time in the product life cycle. On top of that, Dell offered an additional $100 gift certificate with a $130 S4 purchase just two months after the initial release. If you wait three months before picking up an unlocked Samsung S5, you will likely save approximately 20 to 25 percent. Roughly, that will be a savings of $120 to $180 off the price of an unlocked phone.

(Click to Enlarge)

6 months out from release and you should see a 50 percent drop, or $99 price point, for the under contract Samsung S5. The Samsung S4, S III and S II all offered a price point of around $99 within the first six months of launch. In addition, you will be able to find 30 percent off deals on the unlocked version, perhaps anywhere up to $225 off the original MSRP.

9 months out, the Samsung S5 will likely be free under contract from major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon during Black Friday 2014. Both the Samsung S4 and S III hit the $0 under contract price within 9 months of release, thus the S5 will mostly likely copy the same price-reduction model. Samsung will also face stiffer competition from Apple this year with the release of larger iPhones, thus we could even see the free price point (under contract) in late October. The unlocked version will be about 40 percent off at the nine month mark, as well.

(Click to Enlarge)

12 months out, the unlocked price on the previous generation will hit the 50 percent mark easily when the next version is released. That’s why you should consider picking up the Samsung S4 this month instead of the S5. This is also when the unlocked price on previous generation models starts to flatten out dramatically. If the Samsung S III and S II are any indication, the best price that you will be able to get on an unlocked S4 a year from now will be around 60 percent off the original price, only a $50 savings by waiting an additional 12 months from today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the release of other popular smartphones trigger price reductions on the Samsung S5?

• Highly unlikely. While the marketing teams at Samsung, Apple and other companies definitely battle it out over the airwaves with multi-million dollar ad campaigns, the release of new phones from Apple, HTC or Nokia didn’t trigger a price reduction for the S4 or S III. The only thing that would trigger a significant price reduction on the S5 early on would be poor sales of the device in the first 4 to 8 weeks.

Does it matter which service provider I choose in regards to getting the best price on the S5?

• Beyond the initial offering from Verizon mentioned above, no. Approximately 80 percent of our data points of our best sales are from retailers, not service providers. Of the service provider deal posts, prices were in line with other retailers at the time. However, be on the lookout for solid service provider deals on Black Friday. These stores are often ignored during the Black Friday fracas, thus have to offer more aggressive deals. It’s also easier to pop into the store on the shopping holiday and pick up a new smartphone than shove your way into a Best Buy or Walmart.

Check Latest Verizon Wireless Deals on Bens

Does it matter which retailer  I choose in regards to future sales on the S5?

• Regarding deals on under contract phones, look for the most aggressive sales at Best Buy and Amazon. Both of these retailers led the charge on Samsung S model price reductions over the last three years. Regarding deals on unlocked phones, look to eBay for the best prices on unlocked phones. While Amazon is slowly catching up to eBay, the volume of unlocked Samsung devices is usually higher on eBay and the deals are more frequent.

So When Should I Buy the Samsung S5?

Our advice would be to choose from one of the price points above for an under contract or unlocked Samsung S5 that works best for you and set up a Deal Alert on Ben’s. The second that we post a deal that meets your price point, we will send you an email alert. In other words, you can set it and forget it. You can also peruse our mobile phone deals here:

Check all Mobile Phone Deals on Bens

Want the Samsung Galaxy S5? Wait two months; you could save up to 40%

I once took a trip outside the country, and when I woke up my first day there, I had a text message from AT&T saying I owed them $300 in international roaming charges. I spent my first day of the trip talking to customer service reps. That was the day I became a stark unlocking advocate.

Thanks to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, it is illegal to unlock your smartphone in the U.S. without permission from your carrier, which is a lot like saying you can’t install a new operating system on your computer unless Comcast says it’s okay. (This may change soon, according to a bill that was passed last February in the House and is awaiting consideration from Senate.) But the locking/unlocking debate isn’t over because you can buy a new phone that’s already unlocked… and besides, as anyone who’s seen Boardwalk Empire knows, just because something’s illegal, doesn’t mean you can’t still do it.

So, if you’re trying to decide whether ’tis better to lock or unlock, let’s start with the basics…

Locked and Unlocked — What’s the difference?

In a nutshell, locked phones are committed to one carrier and whatever restrictions they apply. Unlocked phones can be used with any SIM card from any carrier (on your network*) you choose. While this seems like a clear-cut choice between being a free person or a prisoner, it’s important to note, as a trade off, carriers offer better deals when buying a smart phone with them… in theory.

(*Networks are important in this discussion… in the U.S., AT&T and T-Mobile are on the GSM network, while Verizon and Sprint are on the CDMA network.  Translation:  You can NOT use an AT&T GSM SIM card on a CDMA phone you got with Verizon, whether it’s unlocked or not.)

So, in essence, you’re wondering if you should shell out the extra cash for an unlocked phone. Consider the finer points…

Freedom (Impatience)

Unlocked phone users are paying more for the freedom to change their minds and use plans geared more towards what they want at any given time. While locked phone contracts do offer some degree of personalization, having more carrier options makes the degree of personalization exponential in comparison! However, most of these SIM cards are short-term, and preferred by people who don’t have the patience to wait out 2-year contracts.

Hardware Upgrades

… and waiting out that 2-year contract becomes a problem when you find a better phone you want but still have one year and eleven months on your previous agreement. Because unlocked phones lend themselves to short-term service, you can trade in your current one right away and pop your old SIM card into your new model. Plus, unlocked phones are more expensive… That may be a downside when you first buy one, but that’s an upside when selling it. Higher resale value.

Repair

Pay attention, butterfingers! While some service providers will pay for repairs in the event of damage, monthly SIM card sellers don’t really care if you dropped your phone on the rocky cliffs of Acid Lake. Unlocked phone users… you’re on your own.

International

If you spend a lot of time outside of the U.S., then having an unlocked phone is almost essential. American service providers’ “international” plans are pretty ridiculous, but because unlocked devices are so popular abroad, it’s easy to get a month-by-month card for a third of the American monthly fee. In general, most service providers outside the U.S. are way more sensible about their plans, contract or no. (Call me biased, but in my opinion if the major service providers in the U.S. could legally stipulate sacrificing your first-born child in their contracts, they would.)

Bottom line — Should You Unlock Your Smartphone?

While I’m a stark advocate of unlocking phones, even I have to admit… it all depends on what kind of person you are. If you change your mind frequently and don’t like waiting, it’s worth it to pay a little extra for an unlocked phone. If you prefer the comfort of stability and don’t mind waiting two-years for a contract to expire, simplify your life with a locked phone plan.

Isn’t that what makes the world beautiful: the colorful rainbow made of different types of people… and the smartphones they use.

Should You Unlock Your Smartphone (and Throw Away the Key Code)?

Remember imagination? Remember being able to create entire worlds inside your head, make a telescope out of a simple paper towel roll, or a fearsome sword out of that same paper towel roll? Remember the innocence and limitless potential of youth, and all the wonder and joy that came with it?

Man, children are stupid.

Put down that paper towel roll, you look ridiculous! Play a video game, for pete’s sake, you have hundreds of swords to choose from, and all of them look better than your imaginary one. (The graphics inside our head are… outdated.)

But what if… and stay with me, here… what if you could have all the fun of playing outside, but without the hassle of imagining things? What if you could add video game elements like health bars and power-ups to actual running around?

The AppTag Laser Blaster — available via the Apple App Store and Google Play — describes itself as a “real world first person shooter.” And while it may sound strange, it’s actually pretty accurate. Stick your iPhone, iPod, or Galaxy (1-4) in the back of the gun — it will be your display screen, projecting the camera’s feed (which should be pretty close to your own perspective) and augmenting it with your stats: health bar, weapon, ammo, timer, etc. And then… run!

Your instincts will kick in at this point, as you set your digital crosshair to the onscreen enemy who is also your best friend standing a few feet away. What do you do if your friends are lame? Make like a middle-schooler going through puberty and play with yourself! The game also features an array of solo options and various arcade-style shooters.

But that’s not all! There’s also SWARM, what AppTag calls an MMORG (Massive Multiplayer Online Reality Gaming)! When a swarm of aliens attack Earth, it’s on you to defend it — you know, if you’re up for it. Receive updates specific to your city or town, and work with other players to eliminate the alien threat.

The great thing about the AppTag Laser Blaster is that it appeals to fans of first-person shooters as well as traditional laser tag. It gets your lazy ass off the couch, and really puts your hand-eye coordination to the test. We love augmented reality because real reality is just kind of… meh… and it’s about time an innovative company like Hex-3 did something great with it!

Shut Up and Take My Money: AppTag Laser Blaster

The fine folk over at Chipotle may move a bit glacially when it comes to adding new items to their menu, but this week they launched something new and exciting for the company: a video game that may just serve as some of the best advertising I have ever seen (or eaten).

Meet Chipotle’s The Scarecrow.

On the surface, The Scarecrow is merely a new free game for iPhone & iPad, of which there are millions made every day. (Generally this occurs when a cat walks across a keyboard and accidentally sets an app to build and submit prematurely.) To win, players must “join the Scarecrow on his quest for better food.” As a game, this means fetch quests, high scores, time trials, and the occasional level obstacle.

Check out the trailer, complete with a variant on the theme from the classic Willy Wonka movie:

Looks promising, no?

But damn, if you play this game, you may want to get ready for a blast of food sadness. Not because the game is lousy — far from it. It’s just that the Scarecrow’s world is depressing.

In the accompanying short film by Moonbot Studios, giant metal crows (like BioShock Infinite‘s Songbird), stalk the land, take all of the good ingredients, and turn those ingredients into evil, un-fresh food. Dairy cows are haphazardly sealed inside of fast food mascots, while food factories are stacked triple high.

Fortunately, while other scarecrows are being displaced by more and more metal monsters, your scarecrow has caught on to a secret. Outside of the cities, there are swaths of land where things like little chipotle peppers grow. By cultivating such super freshness, the scarecrow finally manages to get people in the City of Plenty to buy and eat his chipotle food.

Holy Burrito! Chipotle Made a Game

While there are plenty of gadgets that are useful to high school and college students, there are a handful that simply aren’t great options anymore. We’ve broken down what you shouldn’t be spending your money on and options to replace that older tech. Check out our list of gadgets you shouldn’t buy for a student this year:

Desktop Computers

There’s a reason desktop sales are plummeting year after year. People don’t want to lug giant computers off to college. Flashback to 1997: I was more than happy to haul my sweet 133 MHz Pentium Packard Bell down to college. Having a computer in the dorm at that time was a luxury, especially for taking advantage of illegal downloads. However, these days students are taking their laptops and tablets to class to take notes, something that’s clearly impossible with a desktop computer.

While desktop computers still provide a superior gaming experience, it’s not going to be ideal for the majority of high school and college students. Look for some solid laptop deals on Ben’s prior to the start of the school year. Also, Microsoft is running a crowdsourcing project to allow students to hit up friends and family to help pay for a new laptop computer. Microsoft kicks in the first 10 percent, however it will be at full retail price.

Check Ben’s for Laptop Deals

USB Drives

Prior to cloud storage, having access to a USB drive was vital as a student. While this is an inexpensive gift idea, it’s going to collect dust due to nonuse. Beyond simply emailing documents to yourself, cloud storage like Dropbox, Microsoft SkyDrive and Google Drive allow you to access files from any Internet connected location. These services also provide significantly more storage space than the standard USB drive.

If you are interested in picking up a more useful type of physical storage, consider a portable hard drive over a USB drive. The latest batch of drives, like the Western Digital My Passport Ultra, are nearly as thin as a smartphone and hold a minimum of 500GB of data. It’s ideal for backing up a hard drive, especially a good idea when working on a semester-long project for a class.

Check Ben’s for Portable Hard Drive Deals

Printers

I loved having a printer in my room during college; however, it was also a giant pain. Beyond the insane costs of printer ink (third party options weren’t as readily available as they are today), the printer would constantly jam and spit out endless error codes. I would still end up having to go down to the computer lab from time to time in order to print off my most recent paper.

Fast forward to today, and computer labs are much more common on high school and college campuses. In addition, professors and teachers are shifting to digital copies over physical ones. If your student’s school uses a service like Blackboard, it may be a requirement that all assignments are submitted digitally. Even if they have to pay for printing somewhere, it’s still going to be considerably cheaper than keeping a printer stocked up with ink.

Point & Shoot Cameras

It’s not surprising that the smartphone has replaced standard point & shoot cameras. There’s no reason to carry around a second camera when a smartphone accomplishes the same thing. In addition, camera applications have surpassed user interfaces on point & shoot cameras, both in features and responsiveness. That being said, a DSLR is far superior to a smartphone camera in nearly every way.

Unless your student is studying photography and needs a DSLR, skip the traditional point & shoot camera and take a look at the most recent batch of smartphones. Nokia is doing some interesting things with picture quality in the Lumia line, but your best bets are probably going to be the Samsung Galaxy S4, Apple iPhone 5 or HTC One. Be aware that iPhone 5 prices will drop when Apple announces the new model later this year. If you can wait until October, you can purchase the latest model or the iPhone 5 at a discount.

Check Ben’s for Smartphone Deals

Alarm Clocks

I can’t remember the last time I used my alarm clock over my smartphone. I can pop into the alarm application and set a time for the morning in just a couple seconds. That’s a task that takes significantly longer on my alarm clock, especially when I blow past the time when setting it for the morning.

If you really want to purchase an alarm clock for your student, simply purchase an App Store or Google Play gift card for them. Paid alarm apps are usually between $1 to $4. My personal favorite is called Wake for the iPhone. Wave Alarm is also popular for Android users.

Purchase App Store Gift Card /  Purchase Google Play Gift Card

Voice Recorders

Once again, the smartphone has replaced another device. Popular over the last 20 years, digital voice recorders have been useful for recording lectures in class in order to review class content prior to a test. However, this can be accomplished by using the default voice recorder application on an iOS or Android smartphone.

Consider purchasing a Livescribe pen for your student. Transcribing notes into a digital form can be invaluable. You can also spring for some smartphone applications that have more robust features like cloud storage and quality settings. Be sure to check out Smart Voice Recorder for Android and Voice Recorder HD for the iPhone / iPad.

Purchase App Store Gift Card /  Purchase Google Play Gift Card

Six Back-to-School Gadgets That You Probably Shouldn’t Buy