The best time to buy an iPhone – and when not to buy one

There are certain times of the year when buying a new iPhone is a bad idea, and there are certain times of the year when you can get a bargain on a new handset. The trick is knowing when you should buy a new iPhone. Luckily we are here to help.

In this article, we answer all of your questions about when you should and shouldn’t buy a new iPhone – including advice on when Apple is likely to discount the price of older iPhone handsets.

Looking for to buy a new iPhone right now? The next update is expected in September 2025, so we recommend that you hold on until after the new iPhone 17 launches (that is unless you want to buy an iPhone that is about to be discontinued), more on that below).

When does the iPhone go on sale?

If you are hoping to take advantage of some good discounts, you should wait for an Amazon Prime Day sale or Black Friday in late November. Amazon tends to holds a Spring Sale in March, a Prime Sale in July and an October Prime Day sale. These are all good opportunities to save some money. You can save all year round though, take a look at our round up of the best iPhone deals.

Should I buy a new iPhone right now?

• If you want to buy an iPhone 16 handset we recommend waiting.
• If you want to buy the iPhone 16 Plus the situation is a little different as Apple is thought to be preparing to launch an iPhone 17 Air instead of an iPhone 17 Plus. However, if you really like the Plus form factor, you will probably be able to buy the iPhone 16 Plus at a reduced price following the launch of the new iPhone, so we would wait.
• If you want to buy the iPhone 16e, our advice is to buy now because Apple is unlikely to update it before spring 2026. The only reason to wait is that there is a chance of a price drop once Apple updates the rest of the iPhones.
• If you want to buy the iPhone 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max these handsets are likely to be discontinued with the arrival of the 17 Pro and Pro Max. The new iPhones are likely to offer more features for the same price, so our recommendation is to wait.
• The iPhone 15 will probably be discontinued following the launch of the iPhone 17, but that is no reason to buy one. Our recommendation is not to buy the iPhone 15 as it doesn’t support the Apple Intelligence-powered features, of which there are many.

Those in the market for a new handset are probably wondering whether now is a good time to buy a new iPhone. Is there any danger that a new model will be released in the near future? Will prices drop or increase?

Before you buy, it’s a good idea to check that there isn’t an iPhone update due soon. New iPhones tends to launch in September and sometimes in the spring.

It isn’t just because of the enticement of a new iPhone that we encourage you to check that there is not an imminent update. It is also because when Apple introduces a new iPhone it usually reduces prices of the predecessors, and even discontinues some models. So it can be best to wait until after a new iPhone launches to get the best price for the previous generation.

It’s not always that simple though, waiting may mean spending more to buy your iPhone if following a product update Apple raises prices, as it has done in the past. It’s also lowered prices in the past though, so you may just have to cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Waiting may also mean you have less choice if Apple discontinues the iPhone you wanted to buy. Although just because Apple doesn’t sell an iPhone doesn’t mean you can’t buy it. Check out our round up of the Best iPhone deals that includes all recent iPhones.

Should I buy an iPhone 16e?

The iPhone 16e launched in February 2025 and brought the Apple Intelligence features and a faster processor to the budget end of the iPhone lineup. It’s the cheapest way to get a future proof iPhone so we recommend it. You could spend $100 more to get the iPhone 15, but we wouldn’t unless you really need a wide-angle camera.

Should I buy an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus?

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus were Apple’s new standard iPhones for 2024. They went on sale on September 20, 2024. We have reviewed both handsets and recommend them. However, with the iPhone 17 launching in September 2025 we recommend waiting as the price of the iPhone 16 will drop once the new model arrives.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are capable of supporting Apple Intelligence, unlike the iPhone 15. If you want to save money you could buy the iPhone 16e, but there are compromises. See: iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: Are the compromises worth $200?

If you want to get the best price or find the best contract deal, we track the Best iPhone 16 deals in the U.S. and the best iPhone 16 deals in the U.K. these include both carrier deals and discounts on unlocked iPhones.

Should I buy an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max?

The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max were Apple’s new pro iPhones for 2024. They also went on sale on September 20, 2024. They are good, but so are the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, so this year you don’t have to opt for Pro to get a great iPhone.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will probably be discontinued by Apple in September 2025 at which point you may be able to pick one up at a reduced price from a third party.

Should I buy a iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus?

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus do not support Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI features. You may find that in time this is a real disadvantage. Now that the iPhone 16e is here, at a lower price than the iPhone 15, and with Apple Intelligence support, the iPhone 15 looks even less attractive.

Apple will probably discontinue the iPhone 15 in September 2025.

Should I buy a iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max?

When Apple introduced the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max it discontinued these models. You may still be able to find the 2023 Pro models on sale though, and if you find them at a good price then they will still be a good purchase, especially because they do support Apple Intelligence.

When is the best time to buy an iPhone?

It is always worth waiting for the big sales if you can, we often find some good deals on older iPhone handsets, though not usually the newest models. There are two Amazon Prime Day sales (sometimes three if there is a spring sale) one in July and one in October every year – at which we may see some savings on iPhones, and at the end of November even more stores cutting the prices of iPhones for Black Friday. Apple doesn’t drop the price of iPhones, but over Black Friday it offers vouchers alongside qualifying purchases in an Black Friday offer. Sometimes Amazon does a spring sale as well.

We do see good deals all year round though, so take a look at our round-up of the best iPhone deals this month. We have also collected the Best iPhone 16 deals in the U.S. and the best iPhone 16 deals in the U.K., as well as the best deals for the iPhone 15-series in the U.S. in separate articles.

It’s easier to say when the worst time to buy a new iPhone is. That is without a doubt in the months leading up to September. So don’t buy a new iPhone in August, unless you want to be kicking yourself a month later when the price of that model drops and a new model arrives.

The only reason to buy an iPhone in the run-up to an Apple Event is if it is likely to be discontinued. Apple tends to discontinue the Pro and Pro Max models of the previous generation when it introduces the next generation, so if you want to buy one of those models you may want to buy one while you still can. However, we’d suggest that it would be wise to wait for the next-gen version which is likely to present you with more for your money. Or take advantage of discounts as vendors sell off old stock after the new models arrive.

The best time to buy an iPhone isn’t necessarily when a new model launches either – unless you’re desperate to have the very latest hardware. You might be happy to wait a month or two after the launch and wait for supply to catch up with demand, and for any problems with the new phones to be identified and (hopefully) fixed. The other advantage of buying around the October/November time frame is that is when shopping events, like Black Friday, take place, but as we said above, we don’t tend to see the newest iPhone models discounted much, or at all, at these events.

We’d say that it’s fine to buy a new iPhone at any time within nine months of it launching, but if you are hoping to save some money on your purchase we’d recommend waiting a few months after the launch.

When does Apple update the iPhone?

Knowing when the latest iPhones came out should help when making a judgment on whether there will be an update soon.

See when is the next Apple event to find out if an Apple event is imminent.

Apple usually updates the iPhone range at an Apple Event in September although sometimes it will hold an Spring Apple Event – although sometimes it just announces the news via press release, as it did the launch of the iPhone 16e in February 2025.

Read our iPhone buying guide and comparison of every iPhone available to buy today to decide which iPhone to buy.

When do iPhone prices drop?

We know based on past experience that Apple is very unlikely to drop the price of an iPhone in the first year of sales.

However, Apple does tend to reduce the price of the previous year’s iPhone when it introduces the new model – so expect Apple to discount its handsets in September.

How much do prices drop when a new iPhone comes out?

When Apple introduces new iPhones it usually keeps the prices the same as the previous generation, at least in the U.S. (elsewhere there can be currency fluctuations to take account of).

In 2025 we may see prices rise due to higher component prices, global economic headwinds and tariffs.

To get an idea of how much Apple will reduce prices of the previous generation when it introduces a new iPhone, here’s how much pricing changed in 2024:

• Apple reduced the price of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus by $100/£100 in September 2024 when the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus were introduced.

Apple’s not the only place you can buy an iPhone and it certainly isn’t the only one to discount the handsets. From time to time you will see deals from other resellers. We track these in our Best iPhone Deals round-up, so check that page regularly.

Will there be Black Friday iPhone discounts?

The earliest you could expect to get a discount on the newest iPhones is around Black Friday at the end of November, so you might be planning to hold out until then. However, the deals we tend to see, if any, are usually for older handsets so if you are hoping for a discounted iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro following their launch you will probably be disappointed.

Nor should you expect to get a discount in an Apple Black Friday sale. Apple’s Black Friday sale usually only takes the form of vouchers with select product purchases, rather than a discount, and it is unlikely that the newest iPhone would qualify as in previous year’s new iPhones haven’t been included. See our round-up of Best Black Friday iPhone deals to see what could be in store.

Note that while shopping events like Black Friday gets all the attention, that’s not the only time you can get discounts on Apple products: we see discounts all the time. Another event where we see good iPhone deals is Prime Day, which happens in July and October every year. So take a look at the iPhone deals for Amazon Prime Day sale to see what you might be able to save.

In our experience, we don’t tend to see discounts on the newest handset until the spring–and these are always from third-party resellers, never from Apple. In fact, we don’t tend to see the iPhone discounted in the U.S. very often, most of the discounts we see are in the U.K. where unlocked iPhones are often sold off-contract at a good discount.

Conclusion: Is now a good time to buy a new iPhone?

The worst time to buy is usually between July or August, mainly because with new iPhones on the horizon the price of the older handsets are likely to drop very soon.

If you want the newest iPhones then the best deals don’t tend to come before the spring and summer months. If you are happy to buy an older iPhone then you will probably see decent deals around Prime Day and Black Friday – but deals happen all year round. 

We hope this article has proved helpful in reaching an informed buying decision. Remember that good prices can be found all year round, if a retailer is feeling generous and you know where to look: read our guide to the best iPhone deals for more on that.

Wondering how long Apple supports iPhones for? Read How long do iPhones last.