Black Friday 2024 falls on November 29, but we expect plenty of iPhone deals to be available before then. Black Friday used to be a one-day sale, but these days it’s more of a broader seasonal sale that typically spans most of November. Therefore, I always recommend our readers to be on the lookout for bargains starting in early November, regardless of what type of products they are looking to get at a discount.

A notable example of early Black Friday deals last year was Verizon’s first flash sale, which took place about a week before the big day itself. While it’s too early to tell if major carriers will offer similar iPhone 16 preview deals this year, I recommend bookmarking this page and tuning in for more updates.

In my opinion, the best time to buy an iPhone in general is usually during the initial pre-order period, right after the device is revealed. Carrier offers and Apple promotions tend to be strongest during this initial period as retailers look to encourage potential upgrades and retain customers for another plan/product cycle.

With that, Black Friday will be a close second in terms of the best overall time to buy an iPhone 16. November is another common month for upgrades, so you’ll definitely find some great Black Friday deals on the iPhone 16 if you missed this initial pre-order period. . Plus, who knows, we might even see a few surprise promotions aside from the usual trade-in discounts and free devices during Black Friday.

First of all, the biggest iPhone 16 discounts compared to Black Friday will almost certainly revolve around some form of trade-in criteria. If you’re looking for an outright discount, expect to trade in an old device either to Apple itself or to one of the major carriers in the US and UK. Unfortunately, that’s the case with year-round iPhone deals, but the savings can be significant if your old device gets enough value. For example, the usual maximum discounts of up to $1,000/£650 can significantly reduce the asking price for an iPhone 16.

While trade-ins are likely to be the mainstay of Black Friday iPhone 16 deals, it’s likely that there will be other promotions available from retailers. For example, Verizon has been experimenting with direct discounts for the iPhone 16 line as well as new unlimited data lines as well as the ability to bundle a free iPad and Apple Watch. These are great deals, but the catch is obviously that you’ll need a line on the carrier’s pricey Ultimate Unlimited plan to qualify.

In the UK we expect a mix of exchanges and contract discounts. Apple’s Black Friday iPhone 16 deals probably won’t be that good – expect gift cards at most – but there should be some good options from third-party retailers like Carphone Warehouse and Mobiles.co.uk. Big networks like Three, Vodafone and O2 could potentially offer good discounts on prices during Black Friday as well as better data allowances. Duplicate data, for example, is a common freebie that networks love to give to entice people to switch providers.