Black Friday: Warning Over Five Android Phones

Black Friday is a siren song for irresistible phone deals, but some of the discounts tend to be old traps — alluring in price, expensive over time. This season, there are all sorts of Android models with gaudy markdowns that do not solve their fundamental weaknesses. If you care about day-to-day speed, long-term updates, cameras you can depend on, and current connectivity, here are the five phones you should skip — even if their sticker price seems enticing.

Software updates and performance being an actual-related lead in adoption have finally replaced purchase drivers at the head of the Android buyer satisfaction curve, say analysts with Counterpoint Research. And that’s where some of these devices fall flat: slow aging hardware, poor update policies, or something about the “deal.” Let’s get specific.

Why you should skip Samsung’s Galaxy A36 5G Black Friday deal

Even the $100 Black Friday chop that frequently brings it to $300 isn’t enough to make more than a halfhearted recommendation for the A36 5G. The phone’s shiny AMOLED panel and Samsung’s bold seven-year update promise look bulletproof on paper, but the day-to-day experience can’t match those aspirations. Several independent reviews have mentioned frequent stutters opening the camera, choppy scrolling on the home screen, and noticeable pauses between switching apps — that’s the kind of lag that renders long-term software support serviceable at best.

If you’re looking for a budget phone that actually feels like it’s zippy, the Moto G Stylus (2025) has seen wide discounts down to about $285 and does offer better performance and fewer crashes under load. Don’t consider it a deal if you’re paying less for a device which you will end up being resentful of.

Moto G (2025) value is undermined by slow software and updates

The Moto G (2025) appears to be the value twin of the stylus model, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. The point is that it all feels a bit slow in the real world — even though on-paper benchmarks are okay, businesses will come to you (or your IT admin) if every day about mid-afternoon you claim your machine has started grinding to a halt (opening apps takes ages, constant UI hiccups, random pauses). The software commitment is skimping, also, with only two Android OS upgrades pledged, a pace that will leave you in the dust if you keep your phone for the average three-year period IDC monitors for mainstream buyers.

Yes, that Black Friday price of about $150 sounds appealing, but weak secondary cameras, not-so-great water resistance, and swift obsolescence make this a poor wager.

If you have about $200 to spend, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is a much better long-term value even at its regular price.

Why the Moto G Play (2024) is a poor bargain even on sale

Another popular sale this week is for the Moto G Play (2024), often down to $95 on major marketplaces. Resist the impulse. This model comes with a heavy dose of bloat, no 5G or NFC (so no tap-to-pay), and combines a low-end display with slow charging. Even worse, it debuted on Android 13, received a single update to Android 14, and that’s all — the same kind of practice that Consumer Reports and other advocacy groups say leaves users vulnerable and stuck with aging software.

Even if your aspirations are humble, this is botched at the very basics. If you can stretch this budget, aim for the Moto G Stylus (2025) or Samsung’s A16 5G; a little bit more money will get modern connectivity and far less frustration.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE cuts miss the mark for buyers

Samsung’s budget flip phone is an attention-getter — and heavily advertised — with Black Friday reductions to about $706 from a $900 list price. The problem is that the corners cut are precisely where flip phones need to be great. The cover screen hardware feels a bit last-gen, and the outer-screen software is clunky — which restricts how and what you can do without folding the phone open. Battery life is nothing special, and charging can be slow for a device in this price range, and you won’t get results from the camera that will match those of similarly priced slab phones.

A stronger flip buy this week is the Motorola Razr Plus (2025), often on sale for $650. It’s lauded by reviewers for its larger, more functional cover display, faster charging, steadier battery life, and more dependable cameras. When, with the core flip experience, another, cheaper competitor trounces you, the FE discount doesn’t hit.

Where Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold falls short this season

Google nailed a lot of the fit and finish and durability aspects on its newest foldable — the hinge and magnets are genuinely thoughtful. But when you hold it up against its primary rival, there’s just too much here that feels dated: a chunkier frame, an underwhelming approach to camera versatility relative to class leaders, and a Tensor G5 that can’t hang with the fastest chips in sustained processing power. On Black Friday, those compromises are more difficult to accept.

Regular holiday pricing puts the Pixel 10 Pro Fold on your doorstep at around $1,500, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 regularly hits approximately $1,600. For a $100 price difference, Samsung’s fold is noticeably lighter and thinner; it features a faster chipset and more flexible cameras; and software that caters to those power users who like the idea of folding their mobile screens in half. If you’re in four-figure territory already, the small extra outlay buys you a clearly superior experience.

How to turn a risky Black Friday deal into a success

Quick gut check before you click buy:

• Get at least three years of Android OS updates and frequent security patches after that.
• Make sure 5G and NFC are onboard for modern connectivity and tap-to-pay.
• Look for reliable lab tests of real-world performance, not just peak benchmarks.
• Watch out for slow storage and underpowered chipsets that cause everyday lag.

Black Friday rewards research. The five phones above are all heavily marketed this week, but those savings you expected will be easily overshadowed if the experience causes you constant headaches come January. Spend where it matters — and avoid the decoys.