Apple’s pricing controls make it unlikely to find significant sales on the newest iPhones immediately after their release, usually in September for the flagship and March for the iPhone SE. While there may be carrier promotions offering increased trade-in value or conditional bill credits, these won’t benefit those looking to buy the phone outright at a discount. So, when can you find significant iPhone discounts?

If you’re interested in the previous model year’s phone, its price usually drops after the announcement of the newest model. This also increases the chances of finding additional discounts during major holiday sale events like Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Amazon’s Prime Day.

Therefore, the best time to buy the current iPhone is typically during the winter through spring months, with Memorial Day being the most favorable holiday relative to Apple’s release cycle. While you may come across other sales for Prime Day and Labor Day, it is generally advisable to wait until the new model is released unless the discount is exceptionally high compared to Apple’s usual price drops year over year.