iPhone Black Friday deals: What to expect in Apple’s 2021 sale
You don’t need us to tell you just how popular the iPhone is. Apple shifted more than 200 million of them globally in 2020, with the handset contributing over £46bn to the company’s £80bn of revenue in the fourth quarter alone.
Given its success, you could argue that Apple doesn’t need to offer any discounts for Black Friday and, to tell the truth, it rarely gets involved in the annual sales event the way other companies do. But don’t worry, because retailers and phone networks are often happy to partake, cutting the prices of iPhones throughout the Black Friday shopping event, over the weekend and into Cyber Monday too.
As a quick reminder, Black Friday falls on 26 November this year, with Cyber Monday landing three days later on 29 November. Read on for everything you need to know about iPhone deals during the mammoth shopping event.
Will there be iPhone deals on Black Friday 2021?
Yes, it is highly likely that some models of iPhone will be discounted for Black Friday. But being more precise than that is tricky at this stage. What we can predict is that the new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 pro, which have only just been announced, are unlikely to be involved in many Black Friday deals or discounts. That just isn’t how Apple works, as it knows the newest iPhone will still be very popular at its full retail price.
But don’t lose all hope, because the iPhone 12 family – including the iPhone 12 mini, 12 pro and 12 pro max – could all see some form of discount, given they are now a year old. The same goes for the iPhone 11 (£489, Apple.co.uk) and iPhone SE (£389, Amazon.co.uk), both of which are still sold by Apple, retailers like Currys and Amazon, and mobile networks like EE and O2.
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The older iPhone XR (£498.99, Amazon.co.uk) has just been taken off sale by Apple, so that means we might see some retailers shifting the last of their stock with some discounts on Black Friday. It isn’t the newest iPhone, but could still be worth picking up if the price is right.
When will Black Friday iPhone deals start?
Black Friday itself lands on 26 November, but some retailers tend to jump the gun by a day or two, or even kick things off at the start of the week. We wouldn’t be surprised if giants like Amazon started their Black Friday sales even earlier, as the online retailer ramped up its sale by starting a whole month ahead last year.
Black Friday 2021 is still a little while off yet, but we should soon have a clearer picture of when the deals and discounts are likely to start.
What time do iPhones go on sale?
This is also a bit of a guessing game for now, but Black Friday deals tend to go live at midnight on the Thursday, or first thing on the Friday morning. They then run for a set amount of time determined by the retailer, or until stock runs out. Amazon often employs a time-limited system, with deals coming and going on the site on a set schedule throughout each day of the sale.
For more insight, we recommend keeping an eye on IndyBest. Our team of writers will be on hand throughout the Black Friday period to bring you the latest and greatest deals as soon as they are available.
How much will the iPhone 12 cost on Black Friday?
This will likely be the biggest iPhone story of Black Friday this year. With the iPhone 13 only just being announced by Apple, we don’t expect there to be any discounts on that model. Instead, all eyes will be on the year-old iPhone 12.
Apple has already cut the price of the iPhone 12 family with the introduction of the iPhone 13, with the former now starting at £579 – comfortably below the latest model at £679. We expect to see the iPhone 12 price fall further for Black Friday, potentially dipping below the £500 mark for the entry-level iPhone 12 mini (£579, Amazon.co.uk). Meanwhile, the regular iPhone 12 could fall from its current price of £679 (Apple.co.uk) to just below £600 during the sale.
Who has the best Black Friday iPhone deals?
We’ve spoken a lot about the outright price of iPhones, but the clever money this Black Friday could well be on contract deals from mobile networks and smaller retailers. These aren’t as simple to compare as they factor in up-front cost, data allowance and a whole host of extras, but can save you a chunk of cash over a 12- or 24-month contract.
As well as checking out the major high street networks like EE, Vodafone and O2, you should also shop around retailers like Carphone Warehouse and smaller outlets like Mobiles.co.uk and Affordable Mobiles. These sometimes sell handsets that are no longer offered directly from the manufacturer, and you could land yourself a bargain.
What were the best Black Friday iPhone deals last year?
When it came to slightly older models of iPhone, Black Friday 2020 produced some absolute bargains. Fonehouse had the iPhone SE on a contract for just £20 a month, while Mobiles.co.uk had the iPhone 11, then just a year old, for £30 a month with a Vodafone contract that included a massive 60GB of data.
There was even a deal to be had on the then-new iPhone 12, which Affordable Mobiles had for £44 a month and just £19 upfront, down from the original upfront fee of £49.
You should look out for Black Friday bundles too. In 2020 we saw an iPhone SE from O2 for £50 upfront then £39.84 a month, which included six months of Deliveroo plus, 12 months of Apple TV+, and either a year of Disney Plus or six months of Audible.
Where can I find the best Black Friday 2021 deals?
Here, of course. We recommend you bookmark this page and be sure to come back when Black Friday is approaching. That way, the IndyBest team can be on hand to bring you the very best iPhone deals and discounts for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
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Find more tech and smartphone offers at the links below:
Read more on Black Friday 2021
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Best Black Friday gaming deals – Xbox or Playstation? Here’s our expert guide to discounts on consoles, controllers and games
Best Black Friday beauty deals – stock up on your favourites across make-up, skincare, haircare and fragrance
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Best Black Friday kids’ toys deals – get your Christmas shopping done and dusted with offers from Disney, Lego, Playmobil and more
Best Black Friday sports deals – kit out your home gym or build your winter workout wardrobe
Best alcohol Black Friday deals – whether you’re a fan of gin, vodka, tequila, beer or wine, you’ll be able to bag a bargain
Best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals – whether it’s the OLED, lite or original you’re after, level up with these discounts
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Best Black Friday Aldi deals – the budget supermarket is expected to slash prices on big-ticket items like the Nintendo Switch
Best Amazon Black Friday deals – our pick of the best bargains from the millions out there
Best Apple Black Friday deals – discover rare offers on the brand’s bestsellers, from AirPods to iPhones
Best Argos Black Friday deals – find discounts on everything from kids to homeware, fitness and DIY
Best Boots Black Friday deals – there’s no better time to save on beauty, skincare, electric toothbrushes and more
Best Currys PC World Black Friday deals – for everything from TVs and laptops to kettles and coffee machines
Best Black Friday Dyson deals – bag a bargain on the brand’s corded, cordless and handheld vacuum cleaners
Best John Lewis & Partners Black Friday deals – the high street stalwart will have great prices on fashion, beauty, tech, kids and homeware
