Black Friday may be technically over, but you've still got plenty of ways to save on Apple's iPhone as Cyber Monday approaches — including deals that let you have the latest models for a song.
When it comes to looking for a new iPhone, one of the big questions is which you will be going for. This is especially pressing when it comes to the iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro debate. Thankfully, we happen to have some expertise on the subject and are happy to give our two cents on the matter right here so you don't have to keep swapping tabs.
As we look beyond the best Black Friday phone deals to see what deals remain in place during the weekend, we're finding discounts on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro that are available in many different forms. My favorite Black Friday iPhone deal right now lets you have the iPhone 16 for just $.01 on Amazon when you sign up for a Boost Mobile unlimited plan. If you don't mind an older model, there's also a deal where you can get four free iPhone 15 Plus models through Verizon.
Below, you'll find a lot of great options for saving money on your next iPhone. Plus, we'll break down some of the differences between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro as we steer you toward more iPhone deals.
Best Black Friday iPhone deals: Quick links
- Apple iPhone 16: was $829 now $0.01 at Amazon
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro: was $999 now free @ Verizon
- Apple iPhone 15 Plus: Get 4 iPhone 15 Plus devices for free @ Verizon
- iPhone 16: free with trade-in @ Verizon
- iPhone 16 Plus: was $922 now free @ Verizon
- iPhone 16 Pro: half off unlimited service for a year @ Mint Mobile
- iPhone 16 Pro: free $200 gift card @ Visible
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: free $250 gift card @ Visible
- Apple iPhone 15: was $729 now $679 @ BestBuy
- Apple iPhone 15: was $699 now $349 @ Boost Mobile
- iPhone 12: was $299 now $199 @ Walmart
- iPhone 12 w/ Apple Watch SE: $99 @ Metro by T-Mobile
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: What should you buy?
Quite frankly, if you consider yourself a power user, then the iPhone 16 Pro would be the more suitable model to pick. There are reasons why it has the "Pro" name — and it’s backed by features that prove it. Therefore, if you want the fastest performance, longest battery life, and the best cameras, the iPhone 16 Pro is the logical choice.
In contrast, the iPhone 16 is more of a mainstream model that’s still satisfying in its own right, even if it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles Apple adds to the Pro version. That makes sense given how the standard iPhone costs less than its sibling. I think it’ll suffice for the vast majority of people, especially if they’re just looking for the basics like using the iPhone for their social media, sending out emails, and watching the occasional videos.
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Key differences
Obviously, there are key differences between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, with most giving the Pro model a distinct advantage. I’m not saying that the iPhone 16 is a total wash, but you’ll get more out of the Pro.
Here’s what the iPhone 16 Pro has going for it:
- Premium design. The iPhone 16 Pro looks and feels like a more premium phone, due to how it features a titanium frame and an overall more solid construction.
- Larger screen, faster refresh rate. I’ll admit that the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch OLED display looks good, but it’s not as sharp or colorful as the 6.3-inch OLED panel in the iPhone 16 Pro. Not only is it larger, but I can see how the 120Hz refresh rate on the Pro display makes animations and games appear to run smoother than the iPhone 16’s dated 60Hz refresh rate.
- Versatile triple cameras. I’ve put the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera to the test against some of the best camera phones out there in a series of 200 photo face-offs, and Apple's phone tops them all. What makes the iPhone 16 Pro awesome is the utility of having three cameras here, rather than just two on the iPhone 16. Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro's dedicated 12MP telephoto camera features a 5x optical zoom that lets me get closer to subjects.
- More video recording features. New this year with the iPhone 16 Pro is the ability to shoot natively in 4K 120fps, compared to the iPhone 16’s maximum 4K 60fps video recording. If that’s not enough, the iPhone 16 Pro also packs studio-quality microphones that capture higher-fidelity audio while recording video.
- Faster overall performance. Even though the two phones leverage Apple’s next-generation chipset, the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro silicon is simply much more powerful than the A18 chip in the iPhone 16. While you won’t see a whole lot of difference with basic tasks, where I do see the biggest difference is in how the A18 Pro delivers smoother graphics processing — as well as handling more complex stuff like rendering 4K video.
- Longer battery life. Due to its larger size, Apple can cram a larger battery in the iPhone 16 Pro. In Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test, it reached a time of 14 hours and 7 minutes — which is longer than the iPhone 16’s mark of 13 hours and 19 minutes.
We've focused on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, but Apple has two larger models, too. Think of the iPhone 16 Plus as a bigger version of the iPhone 16 — the Plus has a 6.7-inch screen — while the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers a 6.9-inch panel compared to 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro.
The larger sizes mean the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max can offer larger batteries. They also last the longest on our battery test with both bigger iPhones landing on our best phone battery life list.
Other than those differences, the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 share the same feature set, as do the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Plus costs $100 more than the iPhone 16, while the Pro Max costs $1,199 — $200 more than the iPhone 16 Pro.
Best iPhone Black Friday deals
With that out of the way let's get into the deals to see if there's a new iPhone in your future. As I said at the beginning, there are various sales that practically give them to you for free — though with a catch of some kind. Alternatively, there are plenty of deals for older phones, just in case you're not that bothered about being on the cutting edge.
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Verdict
Given how there are Black Friday deals on both iPhones that make them practically free, I would recommend getting the iPhone 16 Pro. It’s a much more future proof device from the get-go and its faster processor makes Apple Intelligence run faster. That could be important as Apple adds more AI features in the future that could depend heavily on extra processing power. For example, we’ve seen how the iPhone 15 Pro got access to Apple Intelligence features — while the iPhone 15 was left in the dust.
iPhone deals at Apple
Don't count on Apple to cut iPhone 16 prices for Black Friday. Apple approaches the shopping event differently from other phone makers and retailers. Instead of cutting prices, it offers gift cards when you purchase Apple gear during a sales event that's running through Monday (December 2).
But there's a catch to the Apple Store Shopping Event — none of the iPhone 16 models are included in the devices that are eligible for gift cards. Instead, Apple is offering a $75 gift card if you buy an iPhone 15, iPhone 14 or iPhone SE. That's great if you want one of those phones, but if you're looking for an iPhone 16, you'll want to stick the deals we've mentioned above.
