Why now is the best time to buy an Apple iPhone in the UK

Typically, a few days after the latest Apple iPhone launch is the best time to purchase an older model as Apple usually reduces the prices of its predecessors to make way for its new flagship. For example, in September 2024, Apple reduced the price of the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus by £100 when it launched the Apple iPhone 16 series.

Plus, if you've had your eyes on the Apple iPhone 16e — and we've actually recommended the smartphone as the best value iPhone — there's no better time than right now.

Buy Apple iPhone 16e for £549 at Very

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Jump to:

• What is the best time to buy an iPhone in the UK?
• Which iPhone is best value for money in the UK?
• Best Apple iPhone 16e deals available today
• What is the cheapest iPhone to buy outright in the UK?
• Should I wait for the new Apple iPhone 17?

What is the best time to buy an iPhone in the UK?

Typically, sales events are the best time to buy a new smartphone; we're talking about the likes of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon's Prime Days (Amazon tends to holds a Spring Sale in March, a Prime Sale in July and an October Prime Day sale). However, with big sales events, you have to battle plenty of competition for the hottest deals, while a lesser known time to secure a great smartphone deal is just after a smartphone launch.

Take the new Apple iPhone 17, for example, when Apple introduces a new smartphone, like it has with this new Apple iPhone 17 line-up, it usually drops the prices of its predecessors and even discontinues some of the older models.

Our general rule of thumb is to wait until the latest Apple iPhone launch before buying an older model, and if you'd like to get your hands on the Apple iPhone 16e — the Apple smartphone we believe is the best value for money — then there's some brilliant offers available right now.

As always, we recommend taking a look at the Apple iPhone you have your eyes on, and if there's a deal or saving that suits you, purchase it.

Which iPhone is best value for money in the UK?

The Apple iPhone 16e is the best value for money.

The Apple iPhone 16e is an affordable smartphone part of the SE line-up which operates like a flagship smartphone — the pricier Apple smartphones — for less money.

Coming in with an RRP of £599, the Apple iPhone 16e is £100 cheaper than the Apple iPhone 16, which starts at £699, and £200 cheaper than the Apple iPhone 17 which starts at £799.

You might remember the Apple iPhone 16e's launch in mid-February this year; part of the SE line-up but instead named '16e', the Apple iPhone 16e came with a two-in-one camera system, most notably, the 48MP Fusion camera which can be found on the Apple iPhone 16, and it's powered by the A18 chip (which was the latest generation chip until Apple brought out the A19 chip for the Apple iPhone 17), and it's compatible with Apple's AI system, Apple Intelligence.

We saw the Apple iPhone 16e upon its release become the first SE smartphone to feature an all-screen front, which meant it also swapped from a fingerprint sensor built into the 'Home' button to a Face ID, like we see on the newer Apple iPhone models.

In our Apple iPhone 16e pre-order page, we actually compared the Apple iPhone 16e with the flagship Apple iPhone 16, and we were impressed with how many brilliant features the Apple iPhone 16e boasted, such as ChatGPT getting integrated into the smartphone's Writing Tools and Siri, and the same fantastic camera as the flagship Apple iPhone 16. At the time, we recommended saving your pennies and opting for the Apple iPhone 16e instead of the Apple iPhone 16.

As we believe the Apple iPhone 16e is the best value for money, we've scouted out some great deals for you to check out.

Buy Apple iPhone 16e for £549 at Very

Best Apple iPhone 16e deals available today

Save up to £702 on the Apple iPhone 16e at Vodafone

What's the deal: Customers buying the Apple iPhone 16e at Vodafone can save up to £702 on the smartphone, this includes a £288 saving on airtime, £90 on device, and up to £324 when you trade-in an eligible smartphone, which includes a £100 bonus.

Why we chose it: At Vodafone, we like that all customers (both new and existing) can get an instant, guaranteed saving when they use the Trade-in Tool on the My Vodafone app.

Save up to £702 on the Apple iPhone 16e at Vodafone

Save £50 when you buy the Apple iPhone 16e outright at Currys

What's the deal: The Apple iPhone 16e has an RRP of £599, however, Currys has slashed the price by £50, taking it to £549.

Why we chose it: We like that at Currys, purchasing smartphones comes with additional perks, such as three months free Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade, a free Voxi SIM and 60GB data with all SIM-free purchases, and three-for-two on selected mobile accessories.

Save £50 when you buy the Apple iPhone 16e at Currys

Get 12 months half price on your airtime plan at Three UK

What's the deal: At Three UK, when you choose a 30GB airtime plan with your new Apple iPhone 16e, you'll get 12 months half price across a 24-month plan.

Why we chose it: All eligible Three UK customers can make the most of Three+ rewards, which include things like barista-crafted drinks for just £1 at 100s of local cafés, £5 off when you spend £20 at 100s of restaurants and takeaways such as Papa John's, and £3 adult tickets at Cineworld.

Get 12 months half price on your airtime plan at Three UK

What is the cheapest iPhone to buy outright in the UK?

You can buy pretty much any Apple iPhone model second-hand, however, at most UK retailers, the oldest Apple iPhone model sold brand-new is the Apple iPhone 13.

The Apple iPhone 13 will set you back from £425 at UK retailers.

The Apple iPhone 13 comes with a 12MP dual camera system, with an ultra-wide lens and 4K video, a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, wireless MagSafe charging, and Face ID.

• Buy Apple iPhone 13 for £425 at Amazon
• Buy Apple iPhone 13 for £425 at Currys
• Buy Apple iPhone 13 for £425 at Very
• Buy Apple iPhone 13 for £429 at JD Williams

Should I wait for the new Apple iPhone 17?

The Apple iPhone 17 pre-orders are imminent, but does that mean you should wait for the new smartphone?

Each year, we see Apple become more dedicated to seamless user experience — anticipating what we need before we even know ourselves! The new Apple iPhone 17 boasts a new internal cooling system and a faster refresh rate; while the Apple iPhone 16 has a standard 60Hz refresh rate (besides the Apple iPhone 16 Pro), the Apple iPhone 17 will feature an adaptive 120Hz ProMotion display for smoother scrolling and animations.

The chipset has increased in the Apple iPhone 17 from A18 to A19 Pro — A19 Pro has a better GPU (graphics processing) and 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB. The new Apple iPhone 17 also has a 24MP camera, an increase from the Apple iPhone 16's 12MP.

Essentially, if you're going to use your smartphone to do everything from work to gaming and video editing to capturing content, and if you're conscious about sporting the latest Apple iPhone, then we'd recommend waiting for the Apple iPhone 17.

However, if you're in the market for a new iPhone, the Apple iPhone 16e is a fantastic choice for all of the reasons we've mentioned above: two-in-one camera system, integrated AI features, and smooth A18 chip.

Buy Apple iPhone 16e for £549 at Very

Curious about the new Apple releases? Check out our Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max UK release date, Apple AirPods Pro 3 UK release date, Apple Watch Ultra 3 UK release date and Apple Watch Series 11 vs Apple Watch SE 3 guides.

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