Why buying your new phone before Black Friday beats waiting for disappointing sales

Published Nov 3, 2026, 11:00 AM EST Tom has been covering technology since 2019, having worked as part of the phones team at TechRadar and then as an editor at What to Watch. Since 2025 he’s been a freelance contributor for many more brands including Digital Trends. BGR, TechRadar Gaming, TechAdvisor and GamesRadar. He's written about myriad topics over his career including phones and tablets, headphones and earbuds, fitness and AV, and enjoys adding more beats to his repertoire. Outside of technology he’s also written reviews and features on games, movies and sports, having worked for many years as an editor at movie & TV website WhattoWatch. He's attended tech launches, product shows, movie premieres and game launches to do so. Tom is based in London, UK, and when not covering technology he does work in the film sector, enjoys to run, cycle, climb and play tennis, and plays several instruments. It's November, which for tech buyers means one thing: Black Friday is around the corner. The titular Friday falls on November 27 this year, but retailers usually start discounting weeks in advance. We're already seeing deals worth skipping Black Friday for, and there's another kind of tech that's not worth getting excited about: cell phones. The discounts are usually disappointing, and it's not worth waiting for them. I've covered Black Friday for most of a decade, and I've slowly grown used to how these discounts work. Black Friday phone deals are rarely worth it, but there's still a way to use them to your advantage. Phone deals won't be ones to get excited about Never an exciting percentage discount A friend who works in fundraising for a charity told me something I always remember: a discount of under 20% will never sway someone into buying a product. Many people won't be tempted unless the discount is around 50%. That's for purchases from which the proceeds go to charity — it's even more true for tech buyers. It's something I think about a lot during sales seasons: even if something is technically discounted, is it cheap enough to make it worthwhile? When it comes to cell phones and Black Friday, the answer is usually a resounding no. The discounts are never that good, compared to those for other gadgets like TVs, audio gadgets, or home tech. For example, last year, the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 10 Pro got discounts of $125 and $150 respectively. That sounds like a good saving, but when you remember they were still $675 and $750, the "buy" impulse wears off. Everyone's situations are different. But to me, a 15% savings won't encourage me to buy a phone. That's the spirit of Black Friday cell deals: they're never good enough to justify waiting. I'm not trying to be a downer, and some offers are worth paying attention to. First, carriers often run discounts that seem amazing. They require you to sign up, which will cost you more in the long run. Make sure you're not drawn into enlisting with a carrier you're not sold on, despite discounts. Then there are older gadgets. Previous-gen mobiles often see substantial price cuts, especially on flagship and folding handsets, so if you don't mind a slightly older model, these are always worth it. Why you should buy a mobile now instead of waiting Don't miss out, even intentionally If you've seen a mobile on offer now, and you're tempted to buy it, my official recommendation is: "do it." Or at least don't let the prospect of Black Friday put you off your purchase. Some phones become hard to buy over Black Friday. People wait to see if there will be a discount, so they jump on any reduction that appears. Many retailers also use it as an opportunity to clear stock of older devices. Plus, if you buy a mobile now for Black Friday, you can use the sales for another reason. There's still a great reason to pay attention to Black Friday And it's related to your brand-new tech I've been telling you to ignore Black Friday to buy your new cell. But that doesn't mean you should ignore the sales season completely, because you can still do a lot of work. While mobiles aren't often subject to amazing discounts, accessories are. I'm talking about extras, like cases, stands, holders, cardholders, wired and wireless chargers, location tags, and even styli. I've found that headphones and earbuds often see better discounts during Black Friday as well. If you've been meaning to buy a pair for your new mobile, I recommend making a wish list now so you know what to look for. Yes, that means using our round-ups of the best wireless headphones or best wireless earbuds to decide which to buy. For many people, Black Friday is a staple of the buying calendar. Its discounts are well advertised, and it comes at a perfect time for holiday gifts or purchases to reward yourself for a good year. Trying to unlearn everything about Black Friday Black Friday never brings the best discounts on anything, at least not by percentage. Every time I cover the sales, I notice that most gadgets don't hit their lowest-ever prices. The appeal of Black Friday is the sheer number of discounts across the board. Even if they're not the best deals, you know that there will be a range of discounts, saving you from monitoring price drops on a chosen gadget all year. That's historically been the benefit, but now you can use Google Universal Cart to monitor your shopping list for you, so perhaps Black Friday's unique selling point won't be as appealing going forward.