It’s only April but there have been many excellent smartphones released this year already, the most recent being the Google Pixel 9a. I’ve used and reviewed many great handsets in 2025 but the latest £499 Pixel might well be my favourite thanks to its excellent value - it’s difficult to recommend spending more.

That’s thanks to a superb 120Hz OLED screen, great battery life, top performance with the same processor on the £999 Pixel 9 Pro, excellent dual cameras and fun colours in the peony and iris options.

£499 is understandably still a little pricey for many in this cost of living crisis though, but Google itself is on hand to help you out with the cost. In an offer that’s running until May 6, 2025, the firm is offering up to £415 off the new Pixel 9a when you trade in an old smartphone. That could be your current one or even one sitting unused in a drawer somewhere.

How is Google able to offer so much off? The company says it is adding a promotional £150 extra off its usual trade in offer prices, so you’ll get more for your old phone than normal.

It means if you have a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or a 128GB iPhone 14, you can get £415 off the Pixel 9a and pick one up for just £84.

“Trade-in values vary based on condition, year, and configuration of your trade-in device,” Google says in its terms and conditions. “The traded device must be sent within 30 days of you receiving your new phone for the original estimate to be honoured.”

Even trading in a Samsung Galaxy S9, which came out in 2018, will net you £205 off the Pixel thanks to the promotion £150 extra off. This is a great deal if you want to pick up an excellent Android phone for less.

If you buy a 9a you’ll also get £25 in Google Store credit. You can read my full four-and-a-half star review of the phone here.

Meanwhile, Samsung is also offering a solid discount on its latest Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra if they are more your thing. You can currently save £150 on the RRP of any model using the code S25APR at checkout, though as this code implies, the offer is only on till the end of April, so you don’t have long.

View the Samsung Galaxy S25 deal here

You’ll also receive a free pair of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro worth £219 when you buy any S25 device - a great free gift. If that wasn’t enough to sway you, Samsung also says you can get up to £500 off when you trade in your old phone. Take a look at Samsung’s website before the end of April to see which deal works best for you.