Black Friday Apple predictions: Will the iPhone 8 and iPhone X be on offer?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are on their way. First popularised by shopkeepers in the 1950s in the US, the sales are now a distinctly 21st century affair, with major discounts applied to the latest tech and the lion's share of transactions taking place online.
Many people will be hoping Apple take part in the sale this year but it's not guaranteed. The tech giant stayed well away from the Black Friday sales in 2015, apparently owing to an internal move to be "good to" their own employees by not making them work the long hours associated with the sales bonanza.
Apple did take part in 2016 but only for a 24-hour time frame, a great deal shorter than the string of weeks many retailers now offer discounted products for.
Gift cards of up to £120 were available with the purchase of select Apple products, but some consumers were left underwhelmed after the offer didn't apply to the brand's then-newest gadgets, such as the iPhone 7.
While not a great deal of exciting offers came directly from Apple Stores, there were some juicy bargains to be found at retailers that stock Apple products. It's just as well, as many of us can only afford a shiny new upgrade when the prices are slashed.
Will the iPhone X be available?
The iPhone X comes with Face ID and an all-screen design, plus it features a lightning fast processor. But it is also Apple's most expensive smartphone, starting at £999.
Given Apple's new state of the art iPhone X only comes out on November 3, it's unlikely that it will be discounted as part of the sale. The premium pricing means shoppers aiming to buy at a lower price point will have to wait longer than three or four weeks to get their hands on one.
Networks are only just starting to reveal their pricing details for the iPhone X, although it will be available on the following providers for pre-orders. Vodafone was the first to release their price plans, starting at £200 upfront for £62 per month with 4GB of data.
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The best of the rest: The Telegraph recommends...
There are likely to be healthy discounts on other Apple products though. By looking at last year's best deals, we can get a sense of the type of offers that might be made available this year. If you're considering buying an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, read the Telegraph's review first.
iPhone 8
Apple's latest mobile phone release has only just come out so it would be a stretch to expect major discounts on these products by Black Friday. But it is still worth checking the kind of deals and rates you can get on the major providers. Check out our iPhone X and 8 deals breakdown for the going rates and best deals around at the moment.
The iPhone 8 is rather an upgrade to its current iPhone 7, starting at £699, and comes with wireless charging and upgraded processing power and battery life.
Macbook Pro
Last year there were some decent deals on the Macbook Pro, but this time around it would be great to see some more bargains. Any discounts of greater than 20 per cent will definitely attract our attention. This powerful laptop comes with a 13 or 15-inch screen, the latest Intel processors and its signature Touch Bar, which lets you fast track to functions and apps.
Apple Watch Series 3
In 2016 there was around £30 off the Apple Watch Series 2 from some retailers; this year it would be great to see this bettered and get a great discount on the best smartwatch around.
This year we have seen the release of the new Apple Watch Series 3, which now comes with 4G capabilities and the ability to make calls on the go. Look out for deals on this from its main provider EE.
iPhone 7
Online phone retailers such as Mobiles.co.uk and networks from Three to Vodafone, GiffGaff and Carphone Warehouse have all offered discounts on Black Friday, and it may be a great time to look for a bargain network rate on Apple's powerful iPhone 7, which came out last year.
iPad Pro
Apple's iPad Pro range is one of the best devices the California giant makes outside its iPhone range and it comes from a lot of resellers - so Black Friday deals are a possibility. With a release of a new 10.5-inch version of the iPad Pro this year, older models from 2016 and 2015 may be in for discounts on the major resellers.
Look to Amazon to see if they make any price cuts on the iPad range, as well as sites from John Lewis to Currys PC World for Apple deals. Plus, check out our review of the new iPad Pro if you are planning to make a purchase.
What iPhone deals were there last year?
The mobile phone retailer slashed prices across a number of offers. There were savings of £172 on the iPhone SE 16 GB with Three, which was available for £21 a month with £19 upfront cost and the first three months free.
The iPhone 6S had £200 knocked off the upfront cost when bought with Carphone Warehouse's £28 per month plan. Likewise, there was £149.99 slashed from the price of the phone when bought with EE's £33.49 per month plan.
There was 11 per cent shaved off the price of a sim-free Apple iPhone 6s 16GB mobile phone at Argos, which went from £539 to £479.
What deals were available on Apple Watches?
The Apple Watch measures your workouts, tracks your activity and helps encourage healthy living; you can also instantly receive and respond to notifications using it. There were some respectable savings to be made last year.
Argos offered 11 per cent off Apple Watch 42mm Stainless Steel Case & White Leather Loop, plus there was 14 per cent off Apple Watch 38mm Stainless Steel Case and Red Band, which went from £479 to £399.
At KCRS, the Apple Watch Series 1 was down from £269 to £252.86 and the Apple Watch Series 2 was down from £369 to £346.
Do your homework
To catch the best iPhone deals, follow retailers like Carphone Warehouse, Currys PC World, Giff Gaff, Amazon and Argos over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Plus, make sure you’ve subscribed to their Facebook and Twitter pages to get up-to-the minute information on all the latest deals.
And just in case Apple do decide to surprise us this year and join in on the event, get subscribed to the Apple Twitter and Facebook pages to be the first to know.
Plus, find out more about all the deals out there by heading to our other Black Friday pages - where we've laid out all the best offers for you - and our Telegraph Promotions Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Verdict
Don't get too excited about seeing the biggest deals on the iPhone X just yet, but check out deals sites like Carphone Warehouse, Mobiles.co.uk and all the major networks to see if older iPhone models will get big Black Friday discounts.
