iPhone 6 hits its lowest no-contract price: the week's best phone deals

iPhone 6 deals are finally starting to trickle in, with Walmart offering the lowest price so far without a contract. The iPhone 6 deal from Walmart, plus the rest of the best smartphone deals this week. 

Handset prices always fall in the wake of the Mobile World Congress (as we mentioned in our March buying guide!), and this year is no different. Deals on the iPhone 6 headline this week's best phone deals, along with a return to Black Friday pricing for Samsung's Galaxy S5.

Refurbished No-Contract Apple iPhone 6 for AT&T
Store: Walmart
Price: $498 with free shipping
Lowest By: $151

Is It Worth It?: If you're an AT&T customer, there's no need to sign a new contract to get a sweet deal on a Apple iPhone 6. Walmart offers this current-gen iPhone refurbished for just $498, which is the best price we've ever seen for this handset off-contract and an easy Editors' Choice pick. (You can also grab a refurbished iPhone 6 Plus for $100 more, another current price low.)

The iPhone 6 features features an Apple A8 processor, a 4.7" 1334x750 Retina display, an 8-megapixel iSight camera, 1080p video capture, a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, 802.11ac wireless, and Bluetooth 4.0. Note that no warranty information is provided.

No-Contract Nokia Lumia 635 Windows Phone for T-Mobile, AT&T, Boost Mobile, orVirgin Mobile
Store: Best Buy
Price: $49.99 with free shipping
Lowest By: $5
Expires: March 7

Is It Worth It?: Windows Phone fans have their own excellent option when it comes to no-contract deals this week. Although CNET's reviewer found the Nokia Lumia 635 a little lackluster compared to top-tier models, he concluded that "its cheap price and fun, colourful design makes it a decent choice if you're after 4G on a budget." Best Buy offers this smartphone for several carriers for $50, which is tied as the best price we've seen. (Amazon charges the same for the AT&T model.)

Features include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.2GHz quad-core processor, a 4.5" 854x480 IPS LCD, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, a 5-megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Windows Phone 8.1.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Android Smartphone for Verizon
Store: Amazon
Price: $1 with free shipping EXPIRED
Lowest By: $199

Is It Worth It?: The newly announced Galaxy S6 is missing some of its predecessors' best features, like expandable storage (via microSD slot) and a removable battery. Luckily, you can score the previous-gen Galaxy S5 for just $1 from Amazon, with the activation of a new 2-year Verizon contract. This Editors' Choice offer is tied with our Black Friday mention and $199 under Verizon's current on-contract price.

The S5 boasts a 5.1" 1920x1080 (1080p) AMOLED touchscreen display, a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 16-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, and Android 4.4 (KitKat).

Unlocked Motorola RAZR V Android Smartphone
Store: Groupon
Price: $99.99 with free shipping
Lowest By: $20

Is It Worth It?: While its specs are only so-so, the Motorola Razr V stands out for its unique Kevlar-coated back — a handy feature if you're regularly dodging bullets like James Bond, but lack his funding. This unlocked Android has dropped $30 from our previous mention to the Editors' Choice price of $100.

This GSM phone sports a 4.3" 540x960 scratch-resistant LCD, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB of internal memory, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n wireless, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

Vonage Unlimited Phone Service Plan with a $55 Costco Gift Card
Store: Vonage
Price: $9.99 per month
Lowest By: $120

Is It Worth It?: Looking to replace your landline? With the activation of a new 1-year agreement, you can score the Vonage US, Canada, and Puerto Rico Unlimited Phone Service Plan for just $10 per month. Plus, you'll bag a $55 Costco gift card for free. Even better, this Editors' Choice offer includes activation and a phone adapter for free. Assuming you'll use the gift card, you're essentially paying $5.41 per month for your first year, and saving $120 on the adapter and activation fees alone. The plan includes unlimited local and long distance calling in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. A high-speed Internet connection is required and some exclusions apply.

After your first 12 months, the monthly fee is $25.99. You must subscribe to Vonage for at least 61 consecutive days to receive the prepaid card. Allow up to eight weeks (after the 61-day requirement is met) to receive the prepaid card.

Marcy Bonebright is a feature writer for DealNews, where this article first appeared.