QVC's Samsung Galaxy A21 for $85 might be the best budget-phone deal of 2021
Yahoo Life has received compensation to create this article, and receives commission from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
Not everyone needs a flagship phone. And certainly not everyone has the budget for fancy models from Apple, Google and Samsung and pricey service plans from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Good news: There's a fairly incredible budget-phone deal available from QVC right now. In fact, I don't recall seeing a better one this year. It's the Samsung Galaxy A21 6.5-inch smartphone with one year of Tracfone service for just $85. And that bundle also includes a phone case, car mount and more. The phone all by itself currently sells for $150 at Amazon.
The Galaxy A21 is definitely one of Samsung's entry-level models, though it sold for $250 when it debuted last year and offers such advanced features as a fingerprint sensor, four rear cameras and a big battery behind that big screen.
The latter is on the lower-resolution side compared to some, but I suspect most users won't notice or care much. The A21 is probably best suited to older users, kids getting their first phone, folks who want a backup or business line — anyone who just "needs a phone" and won't fret about the frills.
As for the service (which is 4G LTE, not 5G — something else that probably doesn't matter for most), it comes from Tracfone and includes 1,500 minutes, 1,500 text messages and 1.5GB of data. Alas, that's not per month; it's for the entire year. In these days when most plans include unlimited everything, can anyone get by on such a comparatively small allotment? It depends. A teen, for example, would probably barely touch those minutes but could realistically burn through the texts in about a week.
Of course, you can buy more minutes, texts and data as needed, and Tracfone won't rope you into a contract. I really look upon this as a great phone deal that happens to include some free service; how long it lasts you depends on your usage.
In addition to the A21, QVC supplies a case, a car mount, a car charging cable, AirPods-style wireless earbuds and an iRing grip. There's also a voucher good for, among other things, three free months of the music-streaming service Pandora Premium and movie-streaming service Lifetime Movie Club.
Good stuff all around, but keep your expectations low for those earbuds; they may look like AirPods, but in my experience these super-cheapie clones are mediocre at best. (There are, however, some legitimately great AirPods alternatives available for $100 or less.)
This deal is available through Nov. 27, but keep in mind it could sell out well before then. If you think this might be the budget-phone bundle you've been looking for, act fast.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Life's newsletter.
