Best Back to School Phone Deals 2026: Awarded Picks for Students
Back to school 2026 (August through September) brings the second-biggest phone-discounting window of the year — particularly for students who can stack manufacturer education discounts with carrier deals. Here are the awarded picks worth watching.
Updated · 4 picks · Rankings reflect MKBHD Smartphone Awards outcomes.
How we picked
Phones with Apple Education Pricing, Samsung Education Discount, or Google Store Edu pricing eligibility, plus MKBHD Smartphone Awards placement.
- #1
Won Phone of the Year at MKBHD's 2025 Smartphone Awards. Apple Education Pricing typically saves $50–$100 plus AirPods bundle for students. Combined with carrier back-to-school deals, effective price can hit $399–$499.
Pros
- MKBHD's 2025 Phone of the Year
- Apple Education + AirPods bundle
- Carrier deals stack
Cons
- Apple Education savings are modest direct
- AirPods bundle excludes Pro models
- #2
Runner-up Best Value at MKBHD's 2024 awards. Google Store typically discounts the Pixel 8a to $399–$429 during back-to-school. Best budget pick for college freshmen with 7 years of update support running through 2031.
Pros
- Runner-up Best Value 2024
- Often $399–$429 in BTS
- Seven years of OS updates
Cons
- Plastic frame
- Tensor G3 isn't fast
- #3
Won Best Small Phone at MKBHD's 2024 awards. Now $599–$699; back-to-school carrier deals (especially Verizon and T-Mobile) push effective price to $349–$449 with new line activation.
Pros
- MKBHD's 2024 Best Small Phone
- BTS carrier deals to $349–$449
- Apple Intelligence
Cons
- 60Hz display
- No telephoto
- #4
Best BTS Android value — 2024 Best Small Phone runner-up
Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung · 2024 · From $799
Runner-up Best Small Phone at MKBHD's 2024 awards. Samsung Education Discount stacks with BTS deals — typically pushing the S24 to $499–$599 plus accessory credit.
Pros
- Runner-up Best Small Phone 2024
- Samsung Education + BTS stacks
- Galaxy AI
Cons
- Smaller battery than S24+
- Camera trails Pixel pipeline
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the best back-to-school phone deals?
Late July through early September. Apple Education Pricing runs all year but bundles AirPods June through September. Carriers ramp up trade-in deals in August.
Apple Education Pricing — how much does it save?
Roughly $50–$100 off iPhone direct from Apple, plus a free or heavily discounted AirPods bundle (varies by year). Eligible for college students, teachers, and admin staff.
Best phone for a college freshman in 2026?
iPhone 16 with carrier BTS deal (often $349–$449) or Pixel 8a at $399–$429 are the strongest value picks. Both have 5–7 years of update support.
About this list
We index every phone that won or placed in MKBHD's annual Smartphone Awards (2014–2025) and surface the strongest matches for this category. Award badges link to the full award history. We earn a commission on purchases via our retailer links — at no extra cost to you.