Being released around the same time as the Android juggernaut that was Samsung Galaxy S3, poor Sony Xperia Ion never stood a chance, did it? We don’t think it stopped die-hard Sony fans and early adopters from shelling out between $50 and $100 for the Ion, but thanks to Best Buy, you can now get Sony’s flagship phone for free.

After having sold it for $50 for a couple of months, Best Buy now lets you snag the Sony Xperia Ion 4G for $0. The price is good for new customers and upgraders, and there’s the obligatory two-year contract with AT&T, which starts at $20 per month.

The Xperia Ion has all the makings of a superb phone, but Sony made a blunder by releasing it with Android 2.3 Gingerbread on board. The same thing can be said about the decision to equip the Ion with a Snapdragon S3 processor. Look past these two features, and the rest of the specs are pretty solid, especially its 4.6-inch HD display with Mobile Bravia Engine and 12MP rear camera with Exmor R technology.

We’re not sure when the promotion ends at Best Buy, so better grab the Xperia Ion for free there while you can.