The iPhone XR, which launched in September 2018, spent a year as the most popular iPhone, with (at the time) premium features, but a more affordable price tag than its siblings. More than two years later and the iPhone XR is still on sale at a much reduced price, the question is, can you get it for even less - and if you can, should you buy it?
In this article we bring you the very best iPhone XR deals. Our experts are continuously scouring the web for the best prices, both SIM-free and on contract.
There are also various resellers that have refurbished iPhone XR models, including Apple themselves from time to time. In this article we will also look at the best refurbished iPhone XR deals, such as this one from eBay:
It's been a while since we've seen any discounts on a new iPhone XR. Apple reduced the price from £749 to £629 in September 2019, and then in October 2020 after introducing the iPhone 12 range the price dropped to £499.
We rarely see the price go lower than that now, but in March Amazon did offer some discounts on the iPhone XR in its Spring Sale. If you were quick you could have picked up an iPhone XR for £466.85. Unfortunately they sold out very quickly!
The good news is that Amazon's said it will hold its Prime Day sale on 21 June 2021. Amazon may match the iPhone XR prices of it's Spring Sale for Prime Day, so it may be worth waiting until then before buying on Amazon.
If you're looking for discounts on Apple's other iPhones, check out our round-up of the best iPhone 11 deals and our iPhone SE deals, and of course our best deals for the iPhone 12 series. We also have a round up of the best Apple deals we've seen.
Should I buy iPhone XR?
Right now the iPhone XR has competition from four new iPhones: the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple's also still selling the iPhone 11 and the iPhone SE. It's the most iPhones Apple has ever sold at one time in fact.
The iPhone XR's most natural competition comes from the iPhone 11 and the iPhone SE. So you may well be wondering which one of those will best suit you. In which case we recommend reading iPhone XR vs iPhone 11 or iPhone SE vs iPhone XR. We also have an iPhone buying guide.
How does the iPhone XR match up to these handsets - which all have a better processor than it does? Two years on it's still a good handset, with a great price and a full screen display - which means no Home button. Read our iPhone XR review to find out more. We also have a separate article where we discuss when the best time to buy an iPhone is.
iPhone XR price
When the iPhone XR first went on sale it cost £749/$749, then in September 2019 Apple reduced the price of the XR to £629/$599. Now, if you buy the iPhone XR from Apple, it will cost you £499/$499.
We suggest that you keep the price of the iPhone SE at the back of your mind as that newer iPhone SE now costs just £399/$399 (in the UK the SE was previously £419).
You may also be able to pick up an iPhone XR from Apple for even less if you buy one from Apple's Certified Refurbished Store. More details about buying refurbished below.
If you buy an iPhone XR directly from Apple you can choose between 64GB and 128GB of built-in storage, priced as follows:
- 64GB: Now £499/$499, was £629/$599 (at launch was £749/$749)
- 128GB: Now £549/$549, was £679/$649 (at launch was £799/$799)
- 256GB: Discontinued (at launch it was £899/$899)
With the 128GB iPhone XR just costing a few pounds (or dollars) more than the 64GB model we'd suggest that you choose the model with greater capacity.
Keep these prices in mind when looking at deals because third-party resellers often quote the price from before Apple's discount was applied to make their discount look better than it is!
Another thing to bear in mind is that Apple will sell you an iPhone XR for up to £170/$210 less than the price given above if you have another iPhone to trade in. If you have an old iPhone have a look on Apple's site to see how big a saving you might be able to get. Other resellers will also allow you to trade in old products. Read: How Apple trade in works and saves you money.
Best iPhone XR SIM-free deals
Apple sells the iPhone XR for £499/$499, but you don't have to buy your iPhone from Apple. You might be able to save some money if you buy your SIM-free iPhone XR elsewhere.
In the past we have seen some great deals, but right now the biggest discount we are seeing is just a few pence off.
As we said above, Amazon has money off on the iPhone XR right now - you can get it for £479 there. You can see these deals, and money off the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE on Amazon here.
From time to time we see deals Argos and John Lewis.
One thing to look out for is if anywhere is selling the 256GB version that Apple used to sell for £899, but is no longer selling. Amazon used to have a 256GB iPhone XR for £549, but no more.
Note that some stockists will make the discount look bigger than it is, like Very's deal: they are still quoting the original price of the iPhone XS (£729) and trying to make it look like their discount is much bigger than it is. Cheeky! The Very deal not only doesn't give you any real money off, you also have to pay £4 postage, so avoid it!
Check our widget below for some more great iPhone XR offers, but remember that the iPhone XR costs £499 from Apple.
Buying an iPhone SIM-free is a great way to save money if you already have a contract you are happy with, but what if you want to get a contract with your iPhone? We'll look at the best contracts next.
Best iPhone XR contract deals
While it can be cheaper in the long run to buy an iPhone XR SIM-free, you may prefer signing up for a contract, where you can spread the cost over a year or two. We've got the best contract deals to share with you right here (although we have to say the deals are not as good as they were before Christmas 2019, but hopefully they are about to get a lot better).
Look out for sweetener deals where mobile phone companies offer additional products to make the contract more appealing. For example, Mobile Phones Direct has an offer that includes a free set of AirPods with its iPhone XR contract deals at the moment.
You'll find some of the best deals available right now in our widget below. It's always up-to-date so you won't miss out on the great deals.
Apple had been selling refurbished iPhone XR handsets for £499 in its Certified Refurbished Store here. However there are currently no iPhone XR models available in the refurbished store.
Apple's refurbished prices
Apple hasn't offered the iPhone XR on the refurbished store for a while. Prior to the price drop in October 2020 Apple's refurbished iPhone XR prices were as follows:
- The 64GB iPhone XR is £499 refurbished (which is what that handset sells for new now)
- The 128GB iPhone XR is £539 refurbished (new now fosts £549)
- The 256GB iPhone XR is £629 refurbished (Apple no longer sells this model new but some places do still stock it)
The company also sells refurbished models of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, and XS Max. Read our advice about buying refurbished or second-hand iPhones here.
Other refurbished deals
You may also find refurbished deals on Mobiles.co.uk, Musicmagpie.co.uk, and GiffGaff.
Musicmagpie.co.uk has 'Good' iPhone XR models from £279.99 and 'Very Good' from £309.00 and 'Pristine' refurbished iPhone XR models from £359.99.
eBay has Certified Refurbished iPhone XR handsets that are "Fully tested and graded by our on-site technicians. We run 70 functional tests on each phone to ensure the best quality for your device." These iPhones also come with 12 month warranty & 30 day hassle free returns. The Refurbished iPhone XR costs at £289.95 for the 64GB model on eBay.
GiffGaff says that its refurbished phones are "often practically unused when returned". The company says it puts each handset through "rigorous testing for faults". Each refurbished phone will be unlocked - so you won’t be tied to a particular network - and each has a 12-month warranty. You can get money off refurbished iPhone X, XR, XS and XS Max models here. You will pay more for 'very good' or 'excellent' condition handsets. Click here to get one of GiffGaff's refurbished deals.
Don't forget to make sure you've got a SIM-only contract to go with your new iPhone if you are buying off contract.
Where to buy the iPhone XR
You may still be able to buy the iPhone XR from the following retailers and networks, but many no longer sell the handset.
In the US, you'll possibly be able to buy the iPhone XR from:
One you've got your iPhone XR, don't forget to get a case: check out the best cases for the iPhone XR. We also answer the question What are the cheapest iPhones.
