Don’t buy any mobile devices for the next three weeks (if you can help it)
Bottom Line: Tuesday, September 10th, is a notable day for two reasons. First, September 10 this the single most active day of the Atlantic hurricane season historically. Getting passed that date without an issue dramatically improves our odds of being spared for the season. This year it also happens to be the date of Apple’s next event. The one that will bring the next round of phones and potentially other updates to related mobile devices. New iPhones and Apple watches are near certainties. That makes the next three weeks the single worst weeks of the year to purchase a mobile device. Even if you don’t want an Apple device. I’ll explain.
The average decrease in cost in a new, now legacy Apple device, is 20% at the time of a new product announcement. That means that you’ll generally save a minimum of $150 on the entry level iPhone XR by waiting three weeks. More if you go for the higher end iPhones for example. But it’s not just about Apple. Major new product announcements cause increases in inventory of all sorts of brands and devices as used models are traded in for the new models. If you want the best possible deal on a used mobile device, wait an additional two or so weeks after delivery of the new devices so the additional inventory has made its way into stores. Waiting another five weeks for used purchases should save you about 25%-30% on the same device.
It’s literally the worst time of the year to buy a new mobile device. Wait a few weeks and it’ll be about the best. Now, just be careful not to kill your devices in the meantime.