On October 21, 2026, Apple’s US store lists the iPhone 18 Pro from $1,199 and the new iPhone Duo from $1,999 on pre-order. Even the iPhone 17, now a year old, starts at $899 with 256GB of storage. Those are list prices, and most buyers have at least one way to pay less.
Below are six options, roughly in the order most people should check them. Some stack together, such as a trade-in plus a carrier credit. All prices are in US dollars from each seller’s own page on that date, so check again before you buy.
1. Trade in your current iPhone with Apple
Apple’s trade-in page currently offers $35 to $885 for an iPhone. The top values it lists are up to $885 for an iPhone 17 Pro Max, up to $785 for an iPhone 17 Pro, and up to $585 each for an iPhone Air or iPhone 17. On its iPhone shop page, Apple quotes $175 to $885 in credit toward an iPhone Duo or iPhone 18 Pro when you trade in an iPhone 13 or newer.
Apple applies the credit after it receives and inspects your old phone, which it says can take 3 to 5 business days, and the device must arrive within 14 days of you receiving the new one. If the condition differs from what you described, you get a revised offer to accept or decline. Any value above the new phone’s price comes back as an Apple Gift Card.
2. Look at carrier deals, but read the terms
The biggest headline discounts come from carriers. Apple’s own carrier deals section lists credits of up to $1,200 with AT&T, $1,000 with T-Mobile and $840 with Verizon after trade-in. These are not instant discounts. They usually arrive as monthly bill credits tied to a specific plan and an installment agreement.
Take one current example from T-Mobile’s own deals page: up to $830 off an iPhone 17 when you trade in an eligible phone in good condition on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan. The credit arrives as up to 36 monthly bill credits, the plan must cost $85 or more a month with AutoPay, and a $35 device connection charge is due at sale. The fine print also says bill credits end if you pay off the device early.
That math works if you planned to stay on that plan for three years anyway. If a cheaper plan suits you better, the credit may cost more in monthly service than it saves on hardware.
3. Buy Apple Certified Refurbished
Apple sells refurbished iPhones on its own site and describes them as coming with a full one-year warranty, a brand new battery and outer shell, and free delivery and returns. That is the same one-year warranty a new iPhone gets.
On October 21, Apple listed a refurbished iPhone 16 with 128GB at $659, while a new iPhone 16 starts at $799. Stock changes daily and the newest models rarely appear, so check back.
4. Buy last year’s model
The current lineup on apple.com runs from the iPhone 17e at $699 and the iPhone 16 at $799, through the iPhone 17 at $899 and the iPhone Air at $1,099, up to the iPhone 18 Pro from $1,199 and the iPhone Duo from $1,999.
For most people, the iPhone 17 is the sensible middle. It costs $300 less than the iPhone 18 Pro and starts at 256GB. Apple bills the 18 Pro as having the best performance and camera of any iPhone; if those matter less to you, keep the difference.
Best Buy, Walmart and Amazon also sell older models, sometimes below Apple’s price, so compare before ordering.
5. Use education pricing where it applies
Apple’s education store is worth a look, but not for the phone itself. On October 21 it listed the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e at the same prices as the regular store, while Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models carried education savings. Students and educators can also save up to 10% on AppleCare+ for a new Mac or iPad.
If you are buying a laptop or tablet for school at the same time, get that through the education store and the iPhone through whichever route above is cheapest.
6. Compare independent resellers
Apple and the big chains are not the only places selling new iPhones. Independent resellers stock current and older models too, and it costs nothing to check one or two before you order. One example is AppleBitcoin, run by MUSHAA LTD, registered in England and Wales, which states it is independent and not affiliated with Apple Inc. The iPhone range at AppleBitcoin covers current and older models. Delivery is free, insured and tracked, typically in 2 to 4 days.
A reseller only saves you money if its price beats Apple’s and the phone is exactly what you would get from Apple. Before ordering from any independent seller, check three things:
- Sealed stock. AppleBitcoin says its phones arrive factory-sealed and carrier-free. Inspect the box on arrival and enter the serial number on Apple’s coverage check page.
- Warranty. The store states the full Apple warranty is intact. Apple’s coverage check will confirm when it started.
- Returns. It offers 30-day returns. Read the policy before you buy and keep the box and paperwork until you are sure you are keeping the phone.
Also compare its listed price with Apple’s, including delivery, and find out who pays any import duty if the order ships from abroad. Import rules vary by country.
The bottom line
Start with what you already own. Trade in your old phone, then choose between a carrier credit, which rewards staying on one plan for years, and a phone bought outright, refurbished or a generation old. Students should save the education store for a Mac or iPad, and an independent reseller such as AppleBitcoin is worth comparing if the stock is sealed, the warranty is Apple’s and returns are clear. Combine two of these and you can take hundreds of dollars off the list price.
