For someone who wants to spend the absolute least on a phone and not have to think about buying another one for a good long while, Ill always recommend Googles A-series Pixel phone. Thats doubly true now with the Pixel 8A on a $100 discount for Black Friday-ish Cyber Shopping Holiday or whatever it is were currently experiencing. The 8A is a solid value at its full $499 price, and cut down to $399 its a ridiculously good deal.Heres the kicker: Google is promising to update the Pixel 8A with OS version upgrades and security releases through May 2031. That means you can expect it to run Android 21. If you bought the 8A now for $400 and owned it for six years, that works out to $66 per year. Youd have to use a $1000 flagship phone for 15 years to get the same ROI. See? Youre practically making money with the Pixel 8A.Google Pixel 8A (128GB)$399$49920% off$399$399$49920% offGoogles latest midranger touts a whopping seven years of software support and a number of small upgrades, including Googles speedy Tensor G3 processor, a 120Hz display, and plenty of new AI features. Read our review.More importantly, the 8A is the kind of phone I recommend to friends and family who dont care about fancy features and dont want to be bothered with buying a new one every few years. Seriously: my mom has a 7A and my dad has the 8A. RelatedA $400 phone is also much more feasible to buy out-of-pocket than a flagship phone, Pixel or otherwise. If you dont want to be beholden to the terms of a wireless carriers promotion in exchange for a free phone, the Pixel 8A is a good deal no strings attached.