I’m the Which? phone expert: here are 9 tips for a great deal this Black Friday

Let's be honest: Black Friday can be a lot to get your head around. The whole month of November is just... a lot. It's a wall of flashing banners, 'limited time' offers, and deals that seem too good to be true. (And half the time, they are.)

As a tech expert, I've covered this sales madness for years. I've seen all the tricks retailers use to make you think you're getting a bargain. The secret isn't rushing to the checkout. It's having a clear game plan. Here are the nine simple tips I personally use to cut through the noise and find a real deal.

We've already rounded up the Best Black Friday mobile phone and Sim-only deals to help with your search.

1. Check price history to spot fake deals

The most common trap on Black Friday is the 'fake' discount. A retailer might jack up a phone's price in October, only to drop it back to its normal price in November and call it a '50% off' sale. A study from Which? famously found that 92% of Black Friday deals were available for the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.

Expert Tip: Don't trust the 'was' price. Use a price history tracker. For Amazon, browser extensions like Keepa or CamelCamelCamel will show you a graph of the phone's price. For other major retailers like Currys and John Lewis, PriceSpy does the same job. If the 'deal' price isn't a true historical low, it's not a real deal. Of course, we only recommend phone deals that we think represent a truly good discount.

Considering one of Apple's phones? Take a look at our Best Black Friday iPhone deals guide.

2. Know where to look: Brand vs. Retailer

It's worth knowing that different brands have different habits.

• Samsung is known for running aggressive deals on its own website, often offering big, direct cash discounts on its Galaxy S-series and foldable phones.
• Google also offers major discounts, especially on its previous-generation flagship.
• Apple rarely offers direct cash discounts on its own site. The best you'll get is a gift card thrown in. The real cash discounts on iPhones are found at third-party retailers like Amazon, Currys, and John Lewis, who are competing for your business.

3. Use your old phone for a trade-in discount

Retailers will push 'enhanced' trade-in offers, promising a great price for your old handset. But how do you know it's a good deal?

My expert tip is to always get an independent valuation before you accept a trade-in. Use a phone recycling comparison site like Compare and Recycle or get a direct quote from services like musicMagpie. Armed with this baseline price, you can accurately judge if the retailer's 'enhanced' offer is actually better, or if you'd be better off selling your old phone for cash.

Intrigued? Take a look at our full guide on How to recycle your mobile phone.

4. Check seller reviews (and beware the 'Grey Market')

Marketplaces like eBay and Amazon are full of bargains, but you need to be careful.

On eBay, don't just look at the seller's positive feedback. Click their name and check their 'Detailed seller ratings' for item description accuracy. On Amazon, if the item isn't 'Sold by Amazon,' click the seller's name to check their storefront and feedback.

The biggest risk is the 'grey market.' These are genuine phones, but they're imported from another country. That 'bargain' price often means you get no valid UK warranty, and the phone may not even be fully compatible with UK 4G and 5G bands.

5. Shop refurbished – with one non-negotiable rule

Some of the best deals are on refurbished phones, and these can just be devices returned within the 14-day cooling-off period. You can get a like-new phone for a fraction of the price.

The rule is simple, and it's a non-negotiable for me: only buy refurbished if it includes a minimum 12-month warranty. Sellers like Back Market or Reboxed provide this as standard. This warranty is your protection and the key difference between a smart refurbished purchase and a risky 'used' phone from a private seller.

If you want to know more, check out our guide on How to buy the best refurbished phone.

6. Budget for the 'empty box' and avoid risky chargers

Major brands, including Apple and Samsung, no longer include a charging plug in the box. You'll need to buy one separately, which can cost £20-£40 for an official fast charger.

Don't be tempted by a cheap, unbranded charger from a marketplace to save a few quid. We've found plenty of unsafe chargers in the past and you could end up with something that's a fire risk and can easily fry the battery in your brand-new phone. Factor the cost of a safe, certified charger and a case into your budget, and consider more reputable brands like Anker and UGreen, which offer cheaper alternatives to the branded models.

For more, take a look at our guide on whether you need a fast charger for your phone.

7. Calculate the total cost (and avoid contract traps)

I get it, a contract's low upfront cost is tempting. But let's be honest, it's often just a high-interest loan in disguise. Always calculate the total cost before you sign.

Use our phone contract calculator to work out whether you're better off buying outright, or on contract. You'll often find the total cost is hundreds of pounds more than buying the phone outright (known as Sim-free). Also, check the small print for nasty mid-contract price hikes (often inflation + 3.9%), but some providers are going further this year.

8. Consider a cheaper mid-range phone

Ask yourself this: do you really need that £1,200 flagship? Mid-range phones like the Google Pixel 'a'-series and Samsung Galaxy 'A'-series are now so good that, for most people's daily use (browsing, photos, social media), the experience is almost identical.

Paired with a cheap Sim-only deal (which you can find after buying your phone Sim-free), this is almost always the smartest way to buy.

Browse the best Sim-only deals to see how much you could save on your monthly bills.

9. Know the extended Christmas returns policy

Finally, think of this as your Black Friday get-out-of-jail-free card. If you panic-buy or find a better deal on Cyber Monday, you are protected. Many major retailers offer an extended Christmas returns policy. This means you can buy with extra confidence, knowing you have weeks to change your mind.

Here are some of the policies for 2025:

• Amazon: Items bought between Nov 1 and Dec 25 can be returned until Jan 31, 2026.
• John Lewis: Items bought between Oct 1 and Dec 24 can be returned until Jan 23, 2026.
• Currys: Purchases from Oct 29 to Dec 24 can be returned until Jan 23, 2026.
• Argos: Items bought between Sept 26 and Dec 25 can be returned until Jan 31, 2026.