I found the 15+ best Black Friday phone deals (which carrier offers are actually worth it)

As a tech journalist, I've always found Black Friday to be a momentous occasion. It's when I look back at the year's top phones, many of which are suddenly on sale, sometimes at steep discounts. This year's holiday shopping week is officially underway ahead of the main Nov. 28 event, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that retailers never actually wait to start the deals.

Ahead of Black Friday, stores like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, as well as carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, have marked down a handful of phones at prices that you can expect to stick around as the weeks go by.

Also: Our favorite Black Friday deals live now

I should mention that we only recommend phones that have gone through our rigorous testing methodologies, so all the picks mentioned on this list have been thoroughly ...