Thinking about switching service providers this winter? Buying your kid his or her first smartphone ever (hint, hint, Mom and Dad)? Amazon.com is having a big sale on smartphones, one that makes most current models available for just a penny.
Amazon has launched a Penny Pincher sale, which offers up several top Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone smartphones for one U.S. cent with a new two-year contract on Sprint, Verizon or AT&T.
The sale does have its limitations, though. Amazon isn't offering top-of-the-line Android-powered Galaxy Nexus, or the Apple iPhone, and the deep discount only applies to activations of new lines, not contract renewals. If you're sticking with your current provider, this sale is not for you; for customers signing up with one of the big three carriers for the first time, however, the one-week sale on smartphones is a great opportunity to get an excellent deal on a new handset.
(If you really want an iPhone for cheap, 2009's iPhone 3GS is available for 99 cents at AT&T and for free on Verizon and Sprint with a two-year contract.)
Among the devices offered for one cent are Android smartphones like the Motorola DROID Razr and Samsung Galaxy S II; BlackBerry smartphones like the Torch 4G and the Bold 9930; and Windows Phones like the Samsung Focus S and the HTC Arrive.
The sale is featured at Amazon Wireless, where visitors can find an array of 97 smartphones.
Amazon has these cell phone blowouts fairly regularly. Its most recent smartphone penny sale was in mid-October. If now is not the right time to buy a new smartphone, you can reasonably wait for the next one (or for Black Friday, when many smartphones traditionally get steep price cuts). If you are planning on activating a new line anyway, this Amazon sale is as good as a deal can get, with free shipping included.
The Amazon Penny Pincher event ends at midnight Pacific time on November 28 (Cyber Monday). Head over to the Amazon Wireless page for a look at all of the smartphones on offer.