Best Buy is putting huge discounts on the Pixel 6, but caveats apply

Earlier this week, I spent some time posting about Google’s decision to leave the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro out of the Black Friday discount lineup this year. I applaud them for sticking to their guns and making a bit of a statement that these phones are priced well, selling well, and worth the MSRP that Google applied to them on day one. I still stand by that sentiment, and while I don’t see Google themselves offering any steep discounts on their new phones anytime soon, that doesn’t mean retailers are free to do so if they feel inclined.

Pixel 6 on a steep discount at Best Buy

Enter Best Buy. Sure, they are likely getting subsidies from Google or from cellular carriers, but none of that matters at the end of the day to you, the buyer. For you, all you need to know is the fact that Best Buy has the Pixel 6 – not the Pro – on a hefty discount right now and they look to have devices in stock, too.

While the normal $599 price tag for the Pixel 6 is more than fair, dropping $100 off that price only a month after its launch is crazy! Even wilder is the fact that you can get one for $150 off if you are attaching it to a new line of service. While that’s not a good enough deal to go opening a new line on your mobile plan, it is certainly worth looking into if you were in the market to add a new line already.

We’re wrapping up our thoughts on these two phones, but I don’t mind to share here that I ultimately went with the Pixel 6 as my personal phone. Again, we have an entire video on the way devoted to the explanation of that decision, so I’m not going to completely spill the beans on that right now. What I will say is the price, quality, and feature set on offer for $599 was just too hard to resist. And at $499, that temptation only gets stronger.

And now, a few caveats

There are a few things to note, here, and Best Buy – just like a mobile cellular carrier – is prone to hide little hooks in any deal on a phone to get you tied into a carrier service. For this particular deal, as you dig in a bit, the hook is the fact that the discount only fully applies when you activate your phone. You can save $50 on any carrier by choosing to activate it later, but getting the $100 or $150 off will require a bit more commitment.

For T-Mobile/Sprint, a new line of service gets you $150 off and the only other option is to activate later for $50 off. For AT&T, the only option is the full $150 off, but it is tied to a new line of service. For Verizon, you get the standard $100 off and you can apply that to a new line or an existing one, but there’s no $150 off option. Confusing? Yep. A great deal? Also, yep.

The Pixel 6 is an amazing deal at these prices

With Google fixing early issues right and left, I’ve been extremely happy with my move to the Pixel 6 since I made the choice to do so. This phone offers so much for so little money that it’s a no-brainer to tell you to go get one if you are even slightly in the market for a new phone. With Tensor, Google’s software, and those wonderful Pixel cameras, this is finally the Pixel phone that doesn’t really have any major drawbacks. And it’s cheaper than any that have come before – at the flagship level, that is.

As always, we don’t know how long Best Buy plans on keeping this phone at these prices, so you may want to make your move if this is of any interest. When great discounts like this one come along and you hesitate and miss it, it really feels like a punch to the gut. Good luck!