Best Black Friday Samsung Galaxy deals 2021: Big trade-in deals and more

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Vs S21 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Vs S21 Plus (Image credit: Android Central)

It has been a banner year for Samsung, between the camera prowess of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the more polished foldable experience on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Fold 3, and the launch of the first smartwatch with Wear OS 3, the Galaxy Watch 4. So whether you're looking for new earbuds or a great deal on one of the best Android phones, Black Friday always brings tremendous deals to every segment, and we're here to help you find the best one for you and your family members.

While supply issues might make some smartphone deals more elusive than in previous years, there are a few perennial deals and plenty of bundles hoping to sweeten the pot this Black Friday. Tablets are another area we expect Samsung to offer bountiful discounts in, and Galaxy earbuds will drop from good prices down to "what the heck are you waiting for" territory before the turkey leftovers are demolished.

Black Friday Samsung Galaxy deals: Smartphones

Ah, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The eye-catching foldable phones have been out for four months now and could see some discounts, but I wouldn't expect to see the Galaxy Z Flip 3 break the $800 barrier or the Z Fold 3 to descend past $1,300. Samsung currently has $100 off the Flip and $250 off the Fold, and it likely won't go much lower than that outside carrier deals, but the trade-in program Samsung offers can bring those prices much, much further down.

Every Black Friday for the last half-decade has seen buy-one-get-one-free deals for that year's Galaxy S model on every major carrier, and for those looking to buy a single phone, discounts of $200-$300 are common. Despite the Galaxy S21 being impossible to keep in stock for other retailers — and even some carriers — Samsung has it $100 off right now, and AT&T will let you get it for free when you trade in a qualifying phone (even a Galaxy S8+ gets the full $800 credit).

Black Friday Samsung Galaxy deals: Wearables

The only Samsung smartwatches you should buy this Black Friday are the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. While deals might surface for the Galaxy Watch 3, the 4 Classic will still be a better value, has wider app support, and has a longer support life ahead of it.

You can already find the Galaxy Watch 4 for $200 and the Watch 4 Classic for $300 — $50 off — but I'm expecting another $30-$60 to get lopped off. When checking deals, you might want to start at Samsung's website, as they've been matching or beating Amazon's deals thus far and they offer trade-in value if you give them an old wearable. Most of the trade-in values are low, but something is better than nothing for a watch you won't be wearing anymore.

Oh, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is less than 9 months from the end of its updates and support window. So unless you are just obsessed with its small size, I'd skip it for the Watch 4, which is only a little bit bigger and will last a lot longer.

Black Friday Samsung Galaxy deals: Tablets

The Galaxy Tab S7 series is a year old and while last Black Friday only brought it down to the $550 range, this premium, powerhouse tablet is already down to $500 and will likely go lower the closer we get to Black Friday. While you have to pay extra for a kickstand, cover, or keyboard, the Tab S7 is a good tablet right now that might get amazing next year once Android 12L launches for foldables and tablets.

Samsung's more budget-minded Tab A-series like the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and S6 have also started to get some good Black Friday discounts. Just keep in mind the minimal RAM these tablets tend to have and be mindful of that if you intend to try any sort of gaming or video-calling. But they'll match (or beat) what you'd get with an Amazon Fire tablet, plus give you better apps and software.

Black Friday Samsung Galaxy deals: Chromebooks

The two generations of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook are primed for deals this Black Friday, and in fact, the original Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is $400 off at Amazon. Featuring a gorgeous 4K AMOLED touchscreen, the Galaxy Chromebook works hard and plays harder, and while the Galaxy Chromebook 2 will likely drop to the $400-$500 range per model, $600 for the original and that oh-so-lovely screen is the better deal to be had. Just be mindful that the bottom of this fanless laptop can warm up a bit during long sessions.

Black Friday Samsung Galaxy deals: Earbuds

Samsung's many wireless earbuds are among the best on the market, and they're all primed for deep discounts. The best Samsung earbuds, the Galaxy Buds Pro, launched alongside the Galaxy S21 in January, and just as you could get them free with an S21 at launch, I expect to see them bundled with some Galaxy smartphone deals. If you're happy with your current phone, though, we're already seeing the Buds Pro for $50 off or more at some retailers. Samsung's website will even trade in an old pair of earbuds for up to $50 off, giving you the Buds Pro for 50% off. The Buds Pro are a steal if you can get them for $120 or less: they're comfy enough to wear for hours, ANC adequately blocks out the world in most environments, and the microphones inside sound better than earbuds twice the price.

The newer but not-quite-as-durable Galaxy Buds 2 has already been seeing sales and instant rebates bringing it down from $150 to $130 — Samsung has them for $120, plus up to another $40 off for your old earbuds — and I wouldn't be surprised to see sales that bring the Buds 2 to $75 around Black Friday weekend.

While the Galaxy Buds Live — yes, the ones shaped like beans — are super-duper comfortable, the Galaxy Buds Pro stay in better, sound much better, and ANC on the Live is lackluster due to the minimal design. Unless you just adore the Mystic Red colorway or it drops under $85, the deals on the Buds Pro make them a better value and better overall product.

The battery champ of the bunch are the Galaxy Buds+, but they're almost two years old and they were going for around $50 last Black Friday. There's better bargains, but if you dig the Buds+ colors or that 11-hour continuous use battery life, I'd wait till they hit $60 or less to pull the trigger.

Where to find the best Black Friday Samsung Galaxy deals

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Samsung Galaxy deals will pop up in every retailer and carrier store this Black Friday — mostly for its phones, but deals for the LTE-enabled watches and tablets are common as well — while earbud and Bluetooth watches/tablets are more common at the big four retailers. However, if you want to see deals on all Samsung products, your first stop should be Samsung's own website. This is because Samsung offers trade-in for everything from tablets to phones to earbuds, letting you save on top of the instant rebates and bundles Samsung has on tap.

When do the Black Friday Samsung Galaxy deals begin?

While everything starts really heating up around November 21st — the Sunday before Black Friday — for everything but smartphones, deals are already flowing. I expect the discounts on tablets and earbuds to stay about where they are between now and Thanksgiving, though the Galaxy Watch 4 might get some more deals.

Smartphone deals will start ramping up around November 25 and stick around through Cyber Monday, if they don't sell out first. I expect deals on the S21 series to go fast, so if that's what you're looking to buy, be ready to pounce when deals arrive.

Ara Wagoner

Ara Wagoner was a staff writer at Android Central. She themes phones and pokes YouTube Music with a stick. When she's not writing about cases, Chromebooks, or customization, she's wandering around Walt Disney World. If you see her without headphones, RUN. You can follow her on Twitter at @arawagco.