AT&T has decided to cut down the prices on some popular smartphones by 50%, which means big savings. On the list are the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S4, BlackBerry Z10, Samsung S4 Active, HTC One, and iPhone 4S. In fact, any phone that is currently priced between $99 and $199 as part of AT&T's catalog is now 50% off. Those are some huge savings if you are in the market for a new smartphone, and you want something that's popular.

The Dirty Details

The new AT&T deals come with a two-year contract (what? you didn't think that you would be able to get these phones without a contract, did you?), which still means that you'll be locked into a contract, but a two-year contract is definitely better than a three-year or longer contract. You will also have to trade in your old phone, which can't be more than three years old.

If you're still hanging onto an iPhone 4, now's your change to upgrade for half the price with a shorter contract. Not a huge fan of AT&T? You might not have to settle for this carrier. In fact, a lot of different stores are now offering deep discounts on the iPhone 5 and other phones too.

Other Excellent Smartphone Discounts

Right now, you can get some deep discounts from Best Buy and Walmart in addition to AT&T. Best Buy is currently offering the iPhone 5 with a $50 discount, and the store also has numerous deals on Android phones - just in case the iPhone isn't your thing.

Want to go to Walmart instead? At this popular store, you can get an iPhone 5 for just $129 or an iPhone 4S for $39. Both of these deals require that you sign a two-year carrier contract with a major Walmart approved carrier, so keep this in mind. Also keep in mind that these deals apply to people living in the United States. If you want deals in Canada, Best Buy is your, well, best bet.

Why Are iPhone 5 Deals Everywhere?

I'm always a bit wary when retailers and carriers start discounting the latest iPhones. That means that a new iPhone is on the horizon, and it will be one that consumers want to get their hands on. Sure enough, Apple has announced that a new iPhone 5S is already in the works. Business Insider, and other magazines, turned up leaked photos of this new iPhone yesterday - is it worth the wait?

Thus far, the leaked photos show an iPhone that looks just like the current iPhone 5, but the iPhone 5S has a much smaller screen. So, if you want a phone with a smaller screen, wait for the iPhone 5S. Don't care about a smaller screen? Maybe it's time to snag one of those amazing new deals.

If you do decide to switch to AT&T, make sure you read reviews of this carrier. It will also pay to compare AT&T to your current carrier. Sometimes, it's not worth it to switch - and sometimes it is.