Thinking of getting an iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max this Black Friday? Just a Quick Public Service Announcement – It’s a Great Idea to Think About Picking One prior to the big day arrives.
If this advice sounds familiar to you, it’s because I wrote a similar article last year about why I wasn’t waiting until Black Friday to buy an iPhone 13. I think that advice still stands, especially if you’re on the hunt for a iPhone 14Pro either 14 ProMaxwhich are shaping up to be the most popular models in the range this year.
While I’ll delve into the argument behind this advice below, the general reasoning behind pre-purchasing revolves around potential delivery delays and the quality of Black Friday iPhone Deals (opens in a new tab) usually. Depending on the carrier or retailer you buy from and your deal eligibility, there may not be much to look forward to. There are a couple of caveats to this, which I’ll cover shortly, but right now, I’m heavily weighing just buying early.
feared delivery delays
At the time of writing, the current delivery window for the iPhone 14 Pro at Verizon has been pushed back to November 18. That date is unlikely to move as we approach the biggest retail event of the year. The Apple Store has the device out of stock for a delivery estimate of November 16 at the latest, which is perilously close to the official November 25 date for Black Friday.
These are obviously just two examples, but these retailers happen to be the most popular purveyors of iPhone deals overall, and we’ll likely see those delivery windows pushed further back if demand spikes on Black Friday. There’s a big question mark over how quickly you’ll be able to get your hands on a device if you opt for one of this year’s Black Friday iPhone deals.
lessons from last year
In some extreme cases last year, we saw delivery estimates go as far back as early January 2022
If there’s a silver lining to this year’s Black Friday, it’s that the prospects for fast delivery look better than last year. 2021 was plagued by industry-wide chip shortages, which is now less of a factor. While it could also be that demand is a bit lower on this generation of iPhones, current 14-series delivery estimates reflect a much healthier supply chain.
For example, around this time last year the iPhone 13 Pro Max (last year’s most popular model) was already facing an estimated delivery date of December 3 at Verizon and November 26 at the Apple Store. This year, that’s simply not the case, as the iPhone 14 Pro (which looks set to be the most popular device of 2022) faces a relatively moderate delivery estimate of November 16 at Verizon and November 18 at Apple. This is not a scientific study by any means, but this time Pro devices are definitely more available for Black Friday.
Still, that doesn’t change the general advice here: consider an early trade-in if you’re looking for a flagship device with a quick delivery time. In some extreme cases last year (Verizon), we saw those delivery estimates stretch into early January 2022. While carriers and Apple itself tend to fill backorders sooner than given estimates, it’s possible that still seeing a delay for a device.
The deals are already great, why wait?
Perhaps the biggest argument for buying early is that the upcoming Black Friday iPhone deals on the 14 and 14 Pro may not be worth the wait. In fact, they may be just an improvement on the usual day-to-day fare on the big airlines.
Let’s take Verizon as an example. Right now, you can get a respectable trade-in rebate of up to $1,000 on the 14 Pro models, depending on whether you’re a new or existing customer. These are essentially the same deals from the device’s initial launch and about as good as what you’ll get if you’re planning on a trade-in rebate as your main source of discount.
At Apple, Black Friday deals tend to be even more stingy. You’d think the official Apple Store would bring out the big guns for Black Friday, but no, it always forgoes direct discounts for gift cards of $50 to $200 in value. For context, Walmart offered a $300 gift card with AT&T and Verizon devices last year and prepaid carrier Visible Wireless offered a $200 gift card and a free pair of Beats Studio Buds with select devices. Apple’s own Black Friday deals are paltry by comparison, though they remain the only option for trade-in discounts on unlocked devices.
Where Black Friday iPhone deals can go above and beyond the usual deals is with some extra options or bonuses for new customers. Again, using Verizon as an example, last year it bumped up its usual welcome gift card up to $800 (it’s now $200) and offered a “buy one get one free” deal on some devices as an alternative to the usual bonus. by swap. This type of deal can be great if you’re a multi-line user in particular, though you’ll still need an expensive unlimited line for each device, so keep that in mind.
Weighing your options
If you’re someone willing to play the long game, then it’s never a bad idea to hold on to what you already have. The question here is how long can you wait? With iPhone Black Friday deals often tepid in quality and potential long delivery windows looming, there’s definitely a case for jumping the queue. Right now all eyes are on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, the most popular models in the range and it could go either way, IMO.
If you’re thinking of going for one of the standard devices, you don’t need to worry about supplies as both the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are well-stocked on carriers today. If you’re thinking of switching to another network, it might also be worth seeing what comes up during Black Friday. Otherwise, it’s not a bad idea to weigh your options for a trade-in refund this week and get a device before the big surge in demand in November.