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Best smartphone deals this week

This week, buyers can save $30 on the LG Volt. Shoppers can even get a case if they purchase a Nokia Lumia 521 Windows Phone.

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Ahn Young-joon/AP
Models pose with LG Electronics' new G3 smartphones during its unveiling ceremony in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, May 28, 2014. Shoppers can save $30 on the new LG Volt this week.
  • By Marcy Bonebright Guest blogger

The week's best smartphone deals are filled with ways to get the best tech for your money. Save $30 on the brand-new LG Volt, get an all-time price low on an 8-core Galaxy S4, and score a free case when you buy the Nokia Lumia 521.

  1. LG Volt 8GB 4G No-Contract Android Smartphone for Virgin Mobile
    Store: Best Buy
    Price:$148.98 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $30

    Is It Worth It?: Want to step up to the latest Android OS without breaking the bank? The LG Volt for Virgin "is an Android 4.4 KitKat smartphone with better-than-average hardware specifications," and it can be yours for just $149. That's a huge, $30 savings on this recently released smartphone.

    The LG Volt boasts a 4.7" 960x540 IPS touchscreen LCD, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front camera, 1080p video recording, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, and Android OS 4.4 (Kit Kat).

  2. Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB 4G Android Smartphone
    Store: Blutek via eBay
    Price:$349.99 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $79

    Is It Worth It?: If you're looking for a phone with a ton of raw processing power, look no further than this Editors' Choice offer for the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S4. At $350, this is the cheapest price we've ever seen for this phone with an 8-core chipset, and it's a current price low by $79.

    This quad-band GSM phone features a 5" 1080x1920 Super AMOLED touchscreen display, a Samsung Exynos 5 8-core chipset (international version), 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, 1080p video recording, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, and Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) OS.

  3. Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB 4G No-Contract Android Smartphone for Virgin Mobile
    Store: Shop Cell Deals via eBay
    Price:$199.99 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $26

    Is It Worth It?: As far as legacy phones go, few hold up as well as Samsung's Galaxy S III. "The power- and storage-hungry Android user simply cannot go wrong with this purchase, and neither can those looking for a great camera," Engadget said at the time of this phone's release. This Editors' Choice smartphone is a $26 savings at $200, and the cheapest we've ever seen for the Virgin Mobile version.

    The Galaxy S III sports a 4.8" 1280x720 Super AMOLED touchscreen display, a 1.5GHz Cortex-A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1.9-megapixel front camera, 1080p video capture, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS.

  4. Nokia Lumia 521 No-Contract Windows Phone for T-Mobile bundled with a Case
    Store: Microsoft Store
    Price:$69 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $25

    Is It Worth It?: Windows Phone aficionados enjoy access to some of the smartest smartphone bargains around, thanks to Nokia's former partnership with the brand. For example, you can score the no-contract Nokia Lumia 521 for T-Mobile for just $69 and you'll even bag a free case. That's a current price low by $25. Although CNET disliked its lack of LTE, the reviewer still said this phone "packs in a better camera and more software features than you might expect" for its price.

    The Lumia 521 boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1GHz dual-core processor, a 4" 800x480 IPS LCD, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, a 5-megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Windows Phone 8 OS.

  5. Refurbished Apple iPhone 4 16GB for Verizon Wireless
    Store: MobilePros1 via eBay
    Price:$114.99 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $74

    Is It Worth It?: Although the iPhone 4 didn't make the list of devices that are compatible with Apple's forthcoming iOS 8, it's worth noting that you can still upgrade this legacy iPhone to iOS 7.1 and see some real performance enhancements. With that in mind, why not check out this killer deal on a refurbished iPhone 4, which is $74 cheaper than the cost of a new unit.

    The iPhone 4's features include an Apple A4 processor, a 3.5" 960x640 Retina display, 16GB of internal storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera, 720p video capture, 802.11n wireless, and iOS 4. Note: No warranty information is provided.

Mary Bonebright is a features writer for DealNews.com, where this article first appeared: http://dealnews.com/features/best-phone-deals/

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