When to buy an iPhone for less: the best time in 2026

The best time to buy an iPhone for less is usually in the weeks after Apple's September keynote, when retailers clear out the previous generation, and around Black Friday (Friday 27 November 2026). This year, on 9 September 2026, Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. That's your cue to watch iPhone 17 prices at retailers, not to rush.

This guide explains why September matters, what Apple sells right now, which months to target, and how to compare new, refurbished and carrier deals. It's written for shoppers in France and Europe, with prices in euros.

Why do iPhone prices change in September?

Apple refreshes its iPhone range every autumn at a September keynote. On its own store, Apple rarely runs discounts: a model's price usually stays put until it's replaced. What the keynote changes is the line-up:

• some models are dropped from apple.com but stay on sale at retailers while stock lasts;
• others are kept, historically often at a revised, lower price;
• retailers (big chains, online shops, marketplaces, carriers) set their own prices and want to clear stock before the new models take over.

In other words, the real drop rarely happens at Apple. It happens at retailers, and it's neither automatic nor the same from one shop to the next. That's why tracking a specific model beats relying on a date.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo: what changed in September 2026

Here is the line-up at the time of this update, based on Apple's French store and Apple's press releases:

Model	Status	Key dates
iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max	New	Pre-orders from 12 September, available from 18 September 2026
iPhone Duo (foldable)	New	Pre-orders from 16 October, available from 23 October 2026 (France included)
iPhone Air	Still sold	—
iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e	Still sold	—
iPhone 16	Still sold	—

Two practical takeaways. First, the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max no longer appear in the line-up on apple.com/fr: remaining units are sold by retailers, and end-of-line stock like this is often where price gaps show up. Second, the standard iPhone 17 wasn't replaced in September, so don't expect a "successor effect" on its price yet.

Best month to buy an iPhone: the calendar

This table sums up usual patterns, not promises: a retailer can cut a price at any time, and a model in short supply can go up.

Period	Rating	Why
January – February	Average	French winter sales (6 January to 2 February 2027, except a few départements): occasional retailer deals, rarely on the latest models.
March – June	Average	Quiet period; last autumn's models have settled into their retailer prices.
July – August	Avoid	Buying weeks before a keynote means paying full price just before a refresh.
September	Good (be patient)	Keynote: end-of-line stock at retailers. New models are rarely discounted at launch.
October	Good	Older stock sells through; a good month to note reference prices before Black Friday.
November	Good	Black Friday (27 November 2026) and Cyber Monday (30 November): lots of retailer deals, to check one by one.
December	Average	Strong pre-Christmas demand; some offers, but less room to wait.

For every product category, see our best time to buy calendar.

New iPhone or last year's model?

The question isn't only "when" but "which one". The right call depends on what you need:

You want the latest model

A brand-new iPhone is rarely discounted in its first weeks. If you've set your heart on the iPhone 18 Pro or the iPhone Duo, note their prices at a few retailers now and wait for a genuine drop, for example on Black Friday or in the following months, rather than buying on launch day.

You want the best value

The previous generation is often very close to the new one for everyday use. Compare the specs that matter to you (camera, battery life, storage, expected years of software updates). If the differences don't affect you, an end-of-line model can be the smartest buy.

You're on a tight budget

Look at older models still sold new, or at refurbished. Just make sure the storage is enough: that's often where a "great price" hides a poor purchase.

Apple Certified Refurbished iPhone: a good alternative?

Apple sells certified refurbished products, including iPhones, on its online store in France. According to Apple, every refurbished product comes with Apple's standard one-year limited warranty, ships in a brand-new white box, can be covered by AppleCare, and includes free delivery and returns. At the time of this update, the refurbished iPhones on offer were from the iPhone 16 generation.

A few checks before going this route:

• compare the refurbished price with the new price of the same model at retailers: during end-of-line clearances, the gap can shrink;
• stock varies by capacity and colour, and a model can sell out fast;
• with a third-party refurbisher, read the warranty length, the stated condition and the battery information, which vary between sellers.

Buying an iPhone through a carrier: really cheaper?

"Cheap iPhone with a plan" offers look great in the window, but the only number that matters is the total cost over the contract:

1. what you pay for the phone (upfront and in any instalments);
2. plus the difference between the required plan and the plan you actually need, times the number of months;
3. minus any trade-in value for your old phone.

A purely hypothetical example: if an iPhone costs €100 with a €40/month plan on a 24-month contract, while a no-contract plan that suits you costs €15/month, the €25 monthly gap adds up to €600 over two years. The phone really costs you €700, to compare with the SIM-free price at a retailer. Sometimes the carrier wins, sometimes it doesn't: run the numbers every time.

Black Friday: spotting fake iPhone deals

Black Friday is one of the times retailers push iPhones hardest, especially last year's models. But a "20% off" badge doesn't tell the whole story: the crossed-out price may be a recommended retail price, or a price nudged up a few weeks before the event.

Under EU rules applied in France since 28 May 2022, the reference price in a discount announcement must be the lowest price the seller charged in the previous 30 days (article L112-1-1 of the French Consumer Code). It curbs abuse, but doesn't guarantee a bargain: the most reliable check is the price you noted yourself in October, or the history UniverTrack has built for that model. Our tips to spot a fake discount and our Black Friday 2026 guide explain the method. Considering Android instead? See when to buy a smartphone.

Put it into practice: get your iPhone at the right price

Checking an iPhone's price every day at three or four retailers takes time, and a drop that lasts a few hours is easy to miss. UniverTrack does that work for you:

1. Paste the link of the model you want (Amazon, Cdiscount or another retailer's product page, on a best-effort basis). The price is then checked automatically and a dated history builds up; on Amazon, past price history can also be shown.
2. Set a target price, such as the price below which you'd buy without hesitation.
3. Get an email alert when the price hits it, then buy. See our guide to setting a price drop alert.

For a single iPhone, the Découverte plan is plenty. If you're aiming for Black Friday and want to weed out fake discounts, Malin adds fake-discount detection. And if you add the same iPhone from several retailers, Pro groups them on one product page with the best offer. Compare plans on the pricing page: every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, no commitment.