Just because something is discontinued, that doesn’t mean it’s no longer desirable. Take the Leica M3, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980, or the McDonald’s McRib – we all want one, even though they’re a product of the past.
That sentiment occasionally applies to phones, too, and I’m here to tell you that Apple’s two newly discontinued iPhones – the iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 Pro – are absolutely still worth considering in 2024, despite their removal from Apple’s shop window.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say that if you’re on the hunt for a Black Friday iPhone deal this November, discounts on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 Pro are two deals to keep a special eye out for. Allow me to explain why.
For starters, discontinuation usually means increased affordability. Unlike, say, a discontinued Rolex that increases in value due to its exclusivity, discontinued phones tend to drop in price as third-party retailers scramble to purge any remaining device stock. This happens because all phones have a shelf life – the older a phone gets, the shorter its window of software support becomes, making it less appealing to potential customers.
The good news is that Apple offers some of the best post-discontinuation software support in the industry; it tends to provide major iOS updates to iPhones for between five and six years after their release year. So, in the case of the iPhone 13, it’ll continue to be supported with updates until at least 2026 (likely longer), while the iPhone 15 Pro will remain supported until at least 2028. Of course, both devices are capable of running iOS 18.
Granted, 2026 isn’t that far away, but I’m recommending these two very different phones for two very different types of customer. The iPhone 13 is for anyone who wants a cheap, no-frills upgrade that’ll see them through the next couple of years. The iPhone 15 Pro, meanwhile, is a more expensive commitment that’ll continue to feel like a flagship for a long time.
Why buy the iPhone 13 this Black Friday?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the iPhone 13 is basically the same phone as the iPhone 14, but cheaper. As I noted in my piece advising shoppers against buying the iPhone 14 last Black Friday, the designs of these two phones are identical, their cameras are (almost) identical and their chipsets are separated by just one generation – which, in Apple terms, means next to nothing.
Admittedly, the iPhone 14 is now a more appealing option following its post-iPhone 16 price drop, but the iPhone 13 is cheaper than ever, too – the only real challenge is finding one in your desired color and storage configuration.
So, if you see an iPhone 13 deal that’s $100 / £100 less than an equivalent iPhone 14 deal this Black Friday, it’s worth adding to your basket – especially if you’re someone who’s still valiantly sporting an iPhone X or iPhone 11, but doesn’t care for the latest smartphone bells and whistles.
Why buy the iPhone 15 Pro this Black Friday?
Despite its still-high price tag, the iPhone 15 Pro (and, potentially, the iPhone 15 Pro Max) will be the real bargain buy of Black Friday 2024. Described as an “uncompromising flagship” in our iPhone 15 Pro review, the iPhone 15 Pro remains a supremely powerful and feature-packed smartphone that looks nigh-on identical to the iPhone 16 Pro (save for the latter’s Camera Control button).
Crucially, though, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the only discontinued Apple phones that are compatible with Apple Intelligence. They can access Writing Tools, Genmoji, the new-and-improved Siri, and all but one of the other exciting Apple Intelligence features you’ve likely seen advertised (the exception is Visual Intelligence, Apple’s Google Lens competition, which is activated by the new Camera Control side button on the iPhone 16).
Given that the iPhone 15 Pro will likely be available for significantly less than the $999 / £999 iPhone 16 Pro this Black Friday, I think it can be considered one of the best-value iPhones you can buy. Sure, the also-Apple-Intelligence-compatible iPhone 16 is cheaper still, but you lose out on the Pro’s 120Hz refresh rate and 12MP telephoto camera – two features that are, in my opinion, absolutely worth the extra expenditure (I strongly believe that 120Hz refresh rates make Apple’s Pro iPhones worth the money, an opinion I doubled down on when switching from the iPhone 15 Pro to the standard iPhone 15 earlier this year).
If you prefer a bigger screen, the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely be discounted this sales season, too, though I don’t expect its price to dip below the $1,000 / £1,000 mark. Still, I’d rather pay $1,000 / £1,000 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max than $1,199 / £1,199 for the almost-exactly-the-same iPhone 16 Pro Max, so the value-for-money argument still stands.
Below, I’ve rounded up any early Black Friday iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 Pro deals that are live at the time of writing. As a reminder, Black Friday proper takes place on November 29 this year.