The iPhone 12 is about to launch, but Google is attempting to get the focus back on Android smartphones with a very generous (read: cheap) way to grab yourself a Pixel 4a.
Google Fi, Google's alternative to the major US telecomms providers, is introducing a new two-year phone subscription. For $15 a month you get an iPhone 4a, device protection, and the guarantee of a phone upgrade at the end of the two years (plus the 4a is yours to keep). The total cost of the subscription is $360, which is only $11 more than than buying a Pixel 4a separately. However, you can make the offer even cheaper.
The device protection offered as part of the subscription is optional and costs $6, which means you can grab this deal for just $9 a month by removing it. Total cost: $216 over the two years. The device protection covers two accidental damage incidents in a 12-month period, mechanical breakdown, and one loss or theft per 12 months. Whether it's worth it depends on what your Pixel 4a will be subjected to and how accident prone you are.
It's also possible to bypass the need to sign up with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc. for service by opting to use Google Fi instead. Two plans are available: Flexible costs $20 with unlimited calls and texts, but data is $10 per gigabyte used. Unlimited is $70 a month and gets you unlimited calls, texts, and data, as well as Google One membership.