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When Do iPhone Prices Drop? The Best And Worst Times To Buy A New iPhone

  • Writer: Lydia Kah-Pavlou
    Lydia Kah-Pavlou
  • Apr 15
  • 4 min read

iPhones. best time to buy an iphone

When do iPhone prices drop? Here's what you need to know about the best time to buy an iPhone.


If your phone could do with an upgrade, buying a new iPhone can be a bit overwhelming nowadays, as there are so many different models out there. You're probably wondering if now is the best time to buy an iPhone.


iPhones aren't cheap, but there are certain times of the year when buying a new iPhone will be significantly cheaper, helping you to save some serious cash on your new phone. So we'll answer all your questions on getting the best deal and price on a new phone.


But if you want to step away from the iPhone race and pick up a different pace, we've also got some of the best dumb phones you can get.


Last updated: 15th April 2026


When is the best time to buy an iPhone?


Apple Store front.

Let's make no mistake, iPhones don't come cheap. With the latest iPhone 17 Pro available from £1,099 (with the iPhone Pro Max starting at a whopping £1,199!), it's no wonder people are always trying to find the best deals and cheapest times to buy.


September is typically when they announce and drop the latest model so you'll often find prices dip on older models during this time.


There are lots of ways you can get a good deal, but generally speaking, the best time to get a discount on the latest model is during (Amazon) Prime Day, and spring/summer sales a few months after the newest version has been released.


Not to mention Black Friday typically is also a fantastic opportunity to score a bargain.


Some deals we've found on older models, both upfront and contract costs include:

If you're someone who has to have the latest model, then September until early summer will be your best bet. You probably won't be able to find the latest models discounted so soon after their launch, but you'll be able to catch discounts on older generations.


If you do want to purchase a new iPhone at any other time of the year, it's best to check out what deals and discounts you can get from retailers such as EE, Apple and Amazon to help you save on both your phone plan and your new phone.


Should I buy a refurbished iPhone?


Places like Back Market are becoming more popular, with options of buying professionally refurbished phones at a much lower price. This is a great option if you want a newer handset but can't afford the high upfront cost. Not to mention a brilliant student discounts at Back Market, too.


Apple do their own certified refurbished products too, so if you prefer to buy direct from them, then it's an option. As a student, you'll be able to get up to 15% off refurbished Apple products too.


Some of the best refurbished prices we've found, at time of writing, are:

When is the worst time to buy an iPhone?


iPhone in hand

Apple releases their new iPhone models for the year every September. So you can expect all the new phones in stores by October.


So naturally, this makes July, August and early September the worst months to buy a new iPhone. Once the new models have been announced and released, the price of previous-generation iPhones will drop. So if you buy one in August you'll most likely be paying its original retail price. But if you waited until October you could see a big reduction in price.


Apple has been known to drop the price of older models by up to £100 in the months after a new launch is released. So if you can hold on until the latest model is launched in September, then you could find yourself £100 richer than if you buy an iPhone in July or August.


For the last few years, there haven't been huge differences between different iPhone generations, however the iPhone 17 series comes with notable upgrades over the iPhone 16 such as


Still, all recent iPhones (16, 15, 14) can run the latest OS and benefit from the same system updates; so many people have opted to buy these older generation iPhones rather than diving straight into the latest 17 lineup.


Luckily, here at Student Beans, we have plenty of great phone and tech deals to help you save some cash. If you download the app, you'll be able to save your follow brands like Apple and Back Market, so you'll always be notified when they drop a new deal.


Unlock even more with Student Beans


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