How To Buy Iphone Xr Sim Free

We find the best iPhone XR deals and lowest prices - and answer the question: should you buy an iPhone XR, how much should it cost and are there deals this Black Friday?

The iPhone XR launched in September 2018 and spent a year as the most popular iPhone, with (at the time) premium features. Now, three years later, the iPhone XR is no longer sold by Apple, but you may be able to find it on sale elsewhere. The big question is whether you should buy an iPhone XR and what would make a good deal?

While looking for deals keep in mind that prior to September 2021 the iPhone XR was on sale for £499/$499. That was a big reduction from its original price of £749 (which had been reduced to £629 in September 2019). Now that the XR has been discontinued Apple is selling the iPhone 11 for £489/$499, so it goes without saying: don't buy an iPhone XR for more than that!

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.

Unfortunately it's been a while since we've seen any good discounts on a new iPhone XR. In March 2021 Amazon did offer money off 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!

As for Black Friday 2021, we aren't seeing many decent deals on the iPhone XR.

However, you might want to check the following to see if they have deals:

Vodafone UK
O2 UK
3
EE
Carphone Warehouse

We also look our for Apple's refurbished iPhone XR deals, which pop up on their website from time to time.

Best iPhone XR deals

Apple no longer sells the XR but you might still be able to buy your SIM-free iPhone XR elsewhere. Look out for deals at Amazon, for example.

Right we're not seeing any good deals, but if you see a deal on an iPhone XR bear in mind that you can get a refurbished iPhone XR from Apple and that will come with a warranty.

Apple sells a refurbished iPhone XR for £369 and a refurbished 128GB iPhone XR for £419 in its Refurbished Store. Definitely don't spend more than that!

Check our widget below for the best iPhone XR offers if there are any:

Retailer	Price	Delivery
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide

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?

As we said above, Apple's no longer selling the iPhone XR, which instantly reduces its value considerably. On removing the iPhone XR from the line up, Apple dropped the price of the iPhone 11 to £489/$499, which is actually £10 less than the iPhone XR was being sold for.

Then there is the iPhone SE, which costs even less at £399/$399. We recommend that you consider one of these handsets instead of the iPhone XR. For more information read: iPhone XR vs iPhone 11 or iPhone SE vs iPhone XR. We also have an iPhone buying guide.

You can even get the 2020 iPhone 12 mini for £579/$599, or an iPhone 12 for £679/$699. With so much choice you might as well opt for a newer iPhone if you can afford to.

Check our our Best iPhone Deals round up.

Another thing to bear in mind is that Apple will sell you an iPhone for less than the RRP 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.

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.

How much should iPhone XR cost?

When Apple will still selling the iPhone XR it cost £499/$499. Now than Apple has discontinued the handset we estimate that you shouldn't be paying more than £399/$399 for an 64GB iPhone XR. £450/$450 for the 128GB iPhone XR might be considered reasonable.

It's worth keeping in mind that Apple is selling the iPhone XR for £369 (64GB) or £419 (128GB) in the Refurbished Store.

You should also keep the price of the iPhone SE at the back of your mind - the iPhone SE is newer than the iPhone XR and costs just £399/$399. So if you see an iPhone XR for £399 consider whether the iPhone SE might be a better purchase.

iPhone XR

Best iPhone XR contract deals

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? You may prefer signing up for a contract, where you can spread the cost over a year or two.

We do see contract deals from time to time, they are generally around £22-£25 a month with a small upfront cost, but we are inclined to suggest that it would be preferable to spend a little more to get the iPhone 11 instead - or save and get the iPhone SE.

iPhone XR refurbished/second-hand deals

Apple is selling refurbished iPhone XR handsets on its Certified Refurbished Store.

You can get a 64GB iPhone iPhone XR for £369 and a 128GB iPhone XR for £419 from Apple in its Refurbished Store.

Read our advice about buying refurbished or second-hand iPhones here. Apple also sells refurbished models of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, and XS Max.

You may also find refurbished deals on Mobiles.co.uk, Musicmagpie.co.uk, and GiffGaff.

Musicmagpie.co.uk has 'Good' iPhone XR models from £284.99 and 'Very Good' from £339.99 and 'Pristine' refurbished iPhone XR models from £379.99.
eBay sometimes has Certified Refurbished iPhone XR handsets that are "Fully tested and graded by our on-site technicians [who] 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 from £319.95 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. They have an iPhone XR for £239. 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.

Apple
Argos
BT Mobile
Carphone Warehouse
EE
Giffgaff
John Lewis
Mobiles.co.uk
Mobile Phones Direct
O2
Three
Virgin Mobile
Vodafone

In the US, you'll possibly be able to buy the iPhone XR from:

AT&T
Best Buy
Sprint
T-Mobile
Verizon
Walmart

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.

Author: Karen Haslam, Editor

Karen Haslam

An ex-Apple PR, Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs' legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.