Forget Pixel 7a — you can get the Pixel 8 for free with no trade-in required

It wasn’t that long ago when the Pixel 8 was down to its all-time lowest cost courtesy of Mint Mobile. That deal didn’t require a trade-in, which made it so much more satisfying. Well, Google’s AI-powered smartphone is now much lower thanks to Xfinity Mobile and T-Mobile — where the wireless carriers are giving it away for free for a limited time.

Usually customers would have to shell out $699 to pick it up, but the Pixel 8 is free at Xfinity Mobile when you port over a number and commit to service for 24 months. In the case for Xfinity Mobile, this offer is only valid for existing customers who add a line, while T-Mobile has it open to everyone. The best part about these Pixel 8 deals is that they don’t require any trade-ins to get the discount. In fact, you’ll pay nothing at checkout.

Google’s Pixel 7a has proven to offer excellent value thanks to its affordable $499 starting cost, which is why it’s on our best cheap phones list. While that price is tempting for those on a tighter budget, these free Pixel 8 deals prove that you can get a premium phone at a lower price than some of these mid-rangers. Other wireless carriers, like Verizon for example, require you to commit to 36 months of service to get it for free — while AT&T has a deal that makes it $10.99/month for 36 months.

One of the best things I love about the Pixel 8 is how it presents meaningful AI-assisted features that help save me time. For example, I frequently rely on Magic Editor to lean on generative AI to resize and tweak my photos. Alternatively, the updated Screen Call with the Pixel 8 is without question the most useful AI-feature I use to date by taking phone calls when I cannot. These AI-powered experiences on the Pixel 8 wouldn’t be possible without the power of the Tensor G3 chip.

Beyond artificial intelligence, the Pixel 8 is an excellent camera phone that excels in all sorts of situations. Its 50MP main camera is perfect at capturing sharp looking portrait photos, while its 12MP ultrawide camera offers excellent dynamic range when the lighting conditions are perfect. The Pixel 8 cameras are so good that I’ve often leaned into using them as backup cameras when I record acting reels.