Black Friday 2025 Warning: 5 Android Phones You Shouldn’t Buy Today (And What to Get Instead)

Updated: November 28, 2025

Black Friday 2025 is packed with Android phone “bargains” – but some are traps. Here are five Android phones experts say you should avoid today, plus better deals to chase instead.

Black Friday 2025 is finally here, and every major retailer, carrier, and brand is fighting for your attention with aggressive Android phone deals. Amazon is slashing prices across the whole Pixel 10 lineup, with some models at their lowest prices ever. ^[1] Carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile are dangling “free” phones and bundles if you’re willing to trade in and lock yourself into multi‑year plans. ^[2]

In the middle of all this, not every Android phone deal is a good deal.

Today, Android Authority published a strongly worded feature flagging five specific Android phones that you’re very likely to see on sale today – but really shouldn’t buy, even with a discount. ^[3] TechRadar has separately warned about a wider group of older or soon‑to‑be‑unsupported devices that are also risky Black Friday purchases. ^[4]

If you’re scrolling deals right now and don’t want to end up with a sluggish, badly supported or overpriced phone, here’s what you need to know.

Why some Black Friday Android deals are secretly terrible

On paper, a “$100 off” badge looks irresistible. But a discount doesn’t magically fix a bad product.

Across today’s Black Friday coverage, reviewers and deal editors keep coming back to the same red flags:

Weak performance that struggles with basic tasks, even if the phone is brand‑new. ^[5]
Bad or short software support, meaning you might only get one or two Android version updates, versus the seven years now offered on some Samsung and Google phones. ^[6]
Missing modern essentials, like 5G, NFC for tap‑to‑pay, or a decent display. ^[7]
Discounts that still leave the price too high once you compare to better alternatives that are also on sale. ^[8]

The five phones below hit one or more of these problems hard. Let’s go through them one by one – and then look at what you should buy instead.

1. Samsung Galaxy A36 5G – tempting price, frustrating performance

The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G is exactly the kind of phone you’ll see stacked in Black Friday promos: big brand name, AMOLED display, 5G, and a chunky discount (typically around $100 off, dropping it from about $400 to $300). ^[9]

On paper that sounds fine. In reality:

Reviewers report sluggish day‑to‑day performance, with lag when opening the camera or simply scrolling home screens, despite using a modern Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip. ^[10]
The phone does get Samsung’s excellent long‑term update promise – around seven years of software support – but that only matters if the phone remains pleasant to use for more than a year or two. ^[11]

Why it’s a bad Black Friday buy:
At a typical Black Friday price of around $300, reviewers argue that you’re paying too much for performance that already feels compromised. ^[12] You’re locking yourself into a phone that could feel slow long before its software support ends.

Better alternatives around the same price:

Moto G Stylus (2025) – Frequently discounted from $399.99 down to around $285–$300 at Amazon and Motorola’s own Black Friday sale, with much smoother performance for everyday use. ^[13]
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G – Highlighted by Tech Advisor as one of the best budget Android phones of 2025, with strong software support and a better overall value proposition. ^[14]

If your budget is $250–$300, you’re genuinely better served by these than by the A36 5G – even if the A36 looks like a “bigger” discount.

2. Motorola Moto G (2025) – cheap on paper, slow in real life

Motorola’s Moto G (2025) sits in that ultra‑popular $150–$200 bracket – and Black Friday pushes it even lower, often down to around $150 from $200. ^[15]

That looks like a steal… until you start using it:

Reviewers say it benchmarks decently but feels painfully slow in day‑to‑day use, even with simple tasks like switching apps or scrolling. ^[16]
Unlike Samsung’s recent A‑series phones, Motorola only promises two major OS updates here, which means the phone likely tops out at Android 17 and then quickly falls behind on features. ^[17]
Add mediocre secondary cameras and only basic water resistance, and you’re buying into a phone with obvious compromises from day one. ^[18]

Why it’s a bad Black Friday buy:
Even at $150, this is a device that risks feeling old and slow within a year, with minimal long‑term software support to compensate.

Better alternatives:

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G – Cited by Android Authority as a much better ultra‑budget choice at around $200, thanks to stronger performance and Samsung’s multi‑year update promise. ^[19]
Moto G Stylus (2025) again – When it’s only $100–$150 more during Black Friday, the jump in smoothness and overall experience is huge. ^[20]

If you can stretch your budget even slightly, the Moto G (2025) stops making sense.

3. Motorola Moto G Play (2024) – the $95 special you’ll regret

One of the most dangerous Black Friday phones this year is the Moto G Play (2024).

On Amazon, it’s often one of the top‑selling unlocked phones, and Black Friday cuts its price from around $150 down to about $95. ^[21] For under $100, it’s understandable that people jump on it… but here’s the catch:

The phone launched on Android 13, got updated to Android 14, and that’s it – no Android 15. Multiple reports have called out Motorola’s policy of giving this model just one major OS upgrade, which is shockingly short in 2025. ^[22]
It doesn’t support 5G, lacks NFC for tap‑to‑pay, ships with a lot of pre‑installed bloatware, and uses a basic display and slow charging. ^[23]

Why it’s a bad Black Friday buy:
Even for under $100, this is a phone that sacrifices too much: connectivity, lifespan, and basic polish. You save money upfront but pay in frustration and early obsolescence.

Better alternatives under or near $200:

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G or A17 5G – Modern 5G connectivity, decent screens, and dramatically better update commitments. ^[24]
CMF Phone 2 Pro – Tech Advisor’s top budget pick for 2025, praised for its cameras, bright display, NFC and multi‑year software support, often around $279 with Black Friday discounts. ^[25]

Unless you absolutely cannot spend more than $100, it’s smarter to treat the Moto G Play (2024) as a trap, not a bargain.

4. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE – “budget” foldable that still costs too much

Foldables are finally showing up in real Black Friday sales – and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE looks like a dream: Samsung brand, flip‑phone cool factor, and a Black Friday price around $706 instead of $900. ^[26]

But Android Authority and several other reviewers are clear: you should pass on this one. ^[27]

The trade‑offs:

The cover screen feels dated, both in hardware and the clunky software that runs on it. ^[28]
Battery life and charging speeds are underwhelming, especially compared to newer foldables. ^[29]
Camera quality is just “okay” at a price point where you should expect more. ^[30]

Why it’s a bad Black Friday buy:
Even at just over $700, you’re still paying a premium for a foldable with obvious compromises – and there’s a much better folding phone that’s actually cheaper today.

Better alternative: Motorola Razr Plus (2025)

Multiple deal roundups highlight Motorola’s Razr Plus (2025) as the far smarter purchase:

Regular price around $999, but down to about $649–$650 at Amazon, Best Buy and Motorola’s own store for Black Friday. ^[31]
A big, genuinely useful cover screen, better battery life, faster charging, and stronger cameras than the Flip 7 FE. ^[32]

When the superior phone is also cheaper, the Z Flip 7 FE stops making any sense as a purchase.

5. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold – a tough sell at this year’s prices

Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is one of the most interesting phones of 2025: a foldable built around Google’s slick Android experience, magnets and Pixelsnap charging, and a large inner display. ^[33]

But as a Black Friday purchase, it’s controversial.

Android Authority’s take is blunt: once you look at today’s pricing, there’s very little reason to pick the Pixel 10 Pro Fold over Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7. ^[34] Here’s why:

The Pixel is normally a bit cheaper than the Fold 7 (roughly $1,800 vs $2,000), but Black Friday narrows that gap significantly:
- Pixel 10 Pro Fold: around $1,500 in many Amazon and Google Store deals. ^[35]
- Galaxy Z Fold 7: widely seen at around $1,600 for the 256GB model, or even less with carrier and trade‑in promos. ^[36]
Reviewers note that the Fold 7 is lighter, thinner, and more powerful, with more versatile cameras and very refined foldable software. ^[37]
While some reviewers personally like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s design and software, they concede it remains chunky and not technically best‑in‑class. ^[38]

Why it’s a bad Black Friday buy for most people:
With just about $100 between them at today’s prices, you’re effectively choosing between “Google’s very good first‑gen foldable” and “Samsung’s more polished, more powerful foldable” for near the same money. For most buyers, the Samsung option is simply the safer long‑term choice.

When the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might still make sense:

You absolutely love Google’s Pixel software and ecosystem.
You find a significantly lower price than $1,500 – for example, a stacked trade‑in or bundle that makes it meaningfully cheaper than the Fold 7. ^[39]

Otherwise, if you’re already spending this much, the advice from many reviewers is clear: spend a little extra for the Fold 7, or wait for a deeper Pixel discount later in the season.

How to spot a bad Black Friday Android phone deal in seconds

Even beyond these five models, Black Friday 2025 is full of phones that look like bargains but aren’t. TechRadar’s list of 13 phones to avoid focuses heavily on older devices that are approaching the end of their update window, including previous‑generation iPhones and Android flagships. ^[40]

Quick rules of thumb:

Check the release year
- If a phone is two or more generations old, make sure it still has several years of OS and security updates left.
Look up software support policy
- Samsung and Google now advertise up to seven years of updates on many new devices. ^[41]
- Some budget Motorolas and other low‑cost brands still offer just one or two OS updates. ^[42]
Don’t ignore missing basics
- No 5G, no NFC for mobile payments, a very low‑resolution display, or 32GB/64GB of storage in 2025 are warning signs. ^[43]
Be wary of “free” phones from carriers
- Many of today’s doorbusters from Verizon, T‑Mobile, and AT&T require new lines, trade‑ins, and long financing commitments. That can lock you into paying more over time than simply buying a better unlocked phone on sale. ^[44]
Compare the discount to alternatives, not just the MSRP
- If a “$900” phone is $700 today, but a clearly better model is $650, the louder discount isn’t automatically the smart buy.

Better Android phone deals to look at today instead

If you want safe, high‑value Black Friday Android phone deals on November 28, 2025, today’s coverage keeps highlighting a few consistent themes:

Pixel 10 and Pixel 9a series
- Amazon has dropped the entire Pixel 10 range to their lowest prices yet, including big cuts on the Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL. ^[45]
- The Pixel 9a is widely called one of the best sub‑$500 phones thanks to solid performance and seven years of support. ^[46]
Samsung Galaxy S25 and Z Fold 7
- Samsung’s own store and major retailers are offering record Black Friday discounts on the Galaxy S25 lineup and hundreds off the Galaxy Z Fold 7. ^[47]
- If you want a foldable, Fold 7 is a far safer bet than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold or Z Flip 7 FE for most buyers.
Solid budget picks
- Tech Advisor’s list of Best Budget Phones 2025 calls out devices like the CMF Phone 2 Pro and Samsung Galaxy A17 5G as excellent low‑cost buys that still offer good hardware and multi‑year updates. ^[48]
- Android‑focused sites are also repeatedly recommending the Moto G Stylus (2025) as the one Motorola G‑series phone that actually makes sense to buy this Black Friday. ^[49]

If you stick to modern phones with strong reviews and long support windows, you’ll almost always be better off than chasing the cheapest‑looking price tag.

Final thoughts: buy the phone, not the discount

On a day like Black Friday, it’s easy to get swept up in the “% OFF” headlines and forget to ask whether the phone underneath is actually good.

As of November 28, 2025, the safest strategy is:

Avoid the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G, Moto G (2025), Moto G Play (2024), Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold unless you have a very specific reason and have checked the trade‑offs. ^[50]
Cross‑check any deal with a recent review or “best phones” list, especially from today’s Black Friday live blogs and buyer’s guides. ^[51]
When in doubt, choose fewer compromises and better support over the biggest‑sounding discount.

The BEST Tech Deals for Black Friday 2025 | Smartphones, Audio, and More!

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