Are iPhone 11 Black Friday deals worth it in 2024?

Typical iPhone 11 Black Friday deals in recent years

Black Friday has always been a very good time to get discounts on all iPhone models, and recent years have seen plenty of iPhone 11 Black Friday deals. The best discounts from telcos in the UK, like Vodafone, O2 and EE, have been in the form of lower rates on contract plans. Other promotions have included monthly bill reductions when you bundle the phone with data plans.

Retailers such as Currys and Argos have historically slashed prices on iPhone 11 models at this time of year, offering significant savings of around £100-£150. They've also offered bundle deals that add accessories like cases and wireless charges. Comparing this year's lowest iPhone 11 Black Friday deals, here you have some highlights:

*Prices as at 28th November 2024

Is Black Friday the best time to buy an iPhone 11?

You can usually expect some sort of iPhone 11 Black Friday deals, but this isn't the only time you can get good discounts. While Black Friday is touted as the greatest sale of the year, prices aren't necessarily always the lowest during these promotions.  

In fact, research from idealo shows that last year, prices dropped even lower than Black Friday rates in the following week, reaching their lowest point between 27 November 2023 and 8 December 2023. This could indicate that outlets add additional discounts to items they didn't manage to clear on Black Friday itself, and suggests that waiting for the week after Black Friday is a shrewd idea.

Late January was also a good time to buy last year, although this can be partly attributed to the additional impact of post-Christmas discounts. This continued into early February. As for the rest of the year, prices tended to be higher and more volatile between February and May. For instance, the average price on 3 April 2024 was roughly £329, but plummeted to about £245 on 6 April. Prices then stabilised around the £270 to £300 from June to November, until that year's Black Friday arrived.

These averages can be a good guide if you're looking for just the right time to buy, but don't forget that Back Market typically has prices on iPhone 11s that are lower than average throughout the year. Our standard deals are as low – and sometimes even lower – than Black Friday prices.

So, should I buy an iPhone 11 on Black Friday?

That depends. If you really need a new phone, Black Friday sales certainly offer good discounts. But don't forget that this is an over-hyped retail campaign, camouflaging the fact that you can also get similar deals throughout the year – as we explained above. So, if you're not too desperate, you don't need to get stressed out, hoping you'll find something affordable.

The anxiety-inducing shopping frenzy around Black Friday can put enormous pressure on you to frantically find the best deals from dozens of outlets before they're sold out. You're constantly comparing discounts, and, at the end of it all, you're not quite sure if you got the best discount anyway. Knowing that you can get nearly-equivalent deals whenever you want for the rest of the year frees you from all of this.

Furthermore, as attractive as these iPhone 11 Black Friday deals may be, do you really need a new smartphone? In a world where climate change is now indisputably affecting life on earth, we really should only be getting new ones when we absolutely need a replacement.

Include the environment in your decision-making

If you do need to replace your device, consider buying a refurbished iPhone 11, rather than going for a new one or upgrading to a more expensive later model. The fact that it may not have all the latest bells and whistles is neither here nor there. You can still use it for everything you need – from banking apps to grocery delivery apps, Uber, all your favourite mobile games, and so on. Sure, it might only have a 12MP camera lens rather than a 14MP one, but if we're honest with ourselves, can the average person really tell the difference?

We're deeply committed to challenging marketing practices designed to give you FOMO if you don't constantly get the latest and greatest tech. Quite frankly, when you ignore the marketing noise, we can all clearly see that a 5-year-old smartphone still has the full capacity we need to live a seamless lifestyle in our hyper-connected world. That's why we offer so many refurbished iPhones at money-saving prices.

These specs are a few generations behind those of the iPhone 16 – it would be silly to think otherwise. The 16 has a more advanced A18 chip, custom-built to complement the roll-out of the Apple Intelligence AI software. It also has a more advanced 48MP dual camera system. Compared to the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, it has the same Super Retina XDR display, and a similar 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution at 460 pixels per inch.

That said, the iPhone 11 is still a very high-quality mobile, with its speedy A13 Bionic chip still a very capable processor. Buying one today will give you a very powerful phone at an incredibly low price for what you're getting. It will benefit anyone who doesn’t need all the latest phone hardware, or doesn’t play the latest mobile games that require higher frame render rates. This has long been one of Apple’s most popular iPhones for everyday users, and it still is today.

In summary

iPhone 11 Black Friday deals are undoubtedly a good opportunity to replace your dodgy old mobile that you've been nursing along, don't be too quick to rush in and get carried along with the frenzy. If you do a bit of research, you have every chance of finding a great discount at any time of the year – especially on refurbished models that work like new anyway.

Also, don't assume that Black Friday deals are as attractive as they appear. Retailers will often increase prices before November, so that they can give the impression of offering bigger discounts on Black Friday.

The smart way to do it is to shop with us. At Back Market you can save up to 50% compared to buying new, at any time of the year. Your beautifully refurbished iPhone 11 comes with a 1-year warranty, and you can return it within 30 days for a full refund if you're not satisfied with the quality.

Importantly, given that this model is no longer being manufactured, you'll be helping to save the environment by not contributing to the demand for new devices. Your purchase will reduce e-waste while saving you money.