Samsung unveils new Galaxy S20 range – how to find the cheapest deals

The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra can all be ordered ahead of the official on-sale date of Friday 13 March – and you may get yours earlier if you do so. We couldn't find the Galaxy Z Flip on sale anywhere, though Samsung says it'll be available in limited quantities from Friday 14 February. 

The Galaxy S20 Ultra – the premium model of the S20 range – features the largest screen of the series, reflected by a £1,199 starting price, which rises to £1,399 for the 512GB storage version.

'Budget' version the S20 starts at £799, but costs £899 for the 5G-ready version. It features many of the same specifications as the more expensive S20 models, with some drawbacks, such as a smaller screen and dual rear camera, whereas the S20+ and S20 Ultra have a rear camera with four lenses.

Buying a new flagship handset is never MoneySaving – but if you're determined to get one anyway, at least do it cheapest. See below for top tips to make sure you don't overpay.

For full help on cutting the cost of a Samsung and deals on older models, see our Cheap Samsungs guide.

Currently, a traditional contract is cheapest – but don't go direct 

Buying a new handset on a traditional 24-month contract directly from the major mobile networks can be expensive – these typically cost £100s more compared with grabbing a cheap Sim and buying the device outright. 

Yet resellers such as Mobiles.co.uk* (owned by Carphone Warehouse) and MobilePhonesDirect are almost always cheaper than going direct to the network, and can even undercut buying it upfront.

And right now we've found 4GB pre-order deals on O2, EE and Vodafone that can save you nearly £200 over the two-year contract for the same, or a very similar, deal if bought direct, and up to £57 cheaper than a comparable handset and Sim combo.

Our top-pick Galaxy S20 deal works out £420 less over the 24-month contract than the exact same deal bought direct from the network. Via MobilePhonesDirect, if you're an O2 newbie, you can get 4GB of data with unlimited minutes and texts for £20/month, though you'll have to stump up a hefty £454 upfront – so £934 over the two years.

Want to buy outright? It's cheaper than a contract bought direct, but can be beaten by resellers

Usually the cheapest way to buy phones is upfront – if you can stomach the substantial price tag – and then find a separate cheap Sim to use it with. Yet for these phones, we've found that resellers' contract deals can beat this – and require a lower upfront fee.

But if you'd prefer to own it outright, here are the standard prices when bought direct from Samsung:

• Galaxy S20 – £799 with 128GB storage

• Galaxy S20 5G – £899 with 128GB storage

• Galaxy S20+ 5G – £999 with 128GB storage

• Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G – £1,199 for the 128GB model, £1,399 for 512GB

If this is too steep and you're happy with an older model, see our Cheap Samsung Deals guide for the best offers around.

How different ways of buying a Galaxy S20 compare

To show the savings you can make buying in the right way, we've compared prices of a 128GB Galaxy S20 taken out on a traditional contract, bought from a mobile reseller and bought outright and paired with a cheap Sim.

To compare the cost of handset plus allowance, we've used iD Mobile's £8/mth Sim* with 500 minutes, unlimited texts and 4.5GB of data as a benchmark, and used networks' closest deals where there's no direct equivalent.

Bear in mind that prices can fluctuate, so if you're going to buy, make sure you do your own price comparison first:

As always, it's worth checking if cashback is available on these types of deals. See our Top Cashback Sites guide for more information. Remember, you can also trade in your old handset for cash – check our Sell Old Mobiles guide for tips.