Black Friday deals get announced with a countdown clock and a crossed-out price, and both of those things are designed to make you decide fast. Neither tells you whether the price underneath is actually good.
Which? tracks hundreds of Black Friday deals every year and compares them against prices from the six months either side. Their most recent findings showed that the overwhelming majority of deals they checked were the same price, or cheaper, at some other point in the year. That's not an argument against shopping the sale. It's an argument for knowing what something costs before the countdown clock starts.
This list does exactly that. It's a snapshot of ten refurbished phones and tablets worth keeping an eye on right now, months ahead of 27 November, so you have a real number to compare against once the "deal" banners go up.
Why Watch Prices Before Black Friday Even Starts
Refurbished pricing works differently from new retail. A brand-new flagship phone often does get a genuine, meaningful cut on Black Friday, because retailers are competing on margin they built in specifically for the sale. Refurbished stock usually doesn't work that way.
The discount on a refurbished iPhone or Galaxy is already priced in against the new model, every single day of the year. That means a supplier who slaps a "40% off" banner on refurbished stock in November may just be reframing a price that was already sitting there in September. It's not dishonest exactly, but it's not the bargain it looks like either.
Tracking prices now solves this. Write down what a model costs today. If the November price is genuinely lower, you've found a real deal. If it's the same number with a red banner around it, you've saved yourself a rushed decision.
Ten Refurbished Phones and Tablets Worth Tracking
Prices below reflect current UK stock at the time of writing. Treat them as your baseline, not a live price, since refurbished stock shifts daily depending on grade and availability.
iPhone 13, 128GB, Grade A- currently around £238. One of the most requested models in refurbished stock, and a strong middle ground between price and current software support.
iPhone 14, 128GB, Grade A- currently around £518. Worth watching if you want a noticeably newer camera system without paying flagship prices.
iPhone 15, 128GB- currently around £583. Still recent enough to expect years of iOS updates ahead, which matters more for resale value than most buyers realise.
iPhone 11, 64GB, Grade A- currently around £188. The lowest realistic entry point into a genuinely reliable iPhone, and a common pick for a second or backup device.
Apple iPad 9th Gen, WiFi, 64GB- currently around £244. Handles browsing, streaming, and note-taking without trouble, and remains the most searched refurbished iPad on the market.
Samsung Galaxy A05s, 64GB- currently around £110. A sensible budget Android option for anyone who doesn't need flagship specs day to day.
Samsung Galaxy A13 5G- recently seen discounted to around £66 during a sale window. A useful example of what a genuine reduction actually looks like against its usual price, worth comparing against November's version of the same offer.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+, 128GB- currently around £191. A solid mid-size Android tablet for streaming and light work, priced well below equivalent new Samsung tablets.
iPhone 14 Pro, 128GB, Grade A- currently around £499. Worth watching closely, since Pro-tier refurbished stock tends to see the most competitive movement heading into November.
How to Tell a Real Discount From an Inflated One
A few checks take less than a minute and tell you almost everything you need to know before buying.
Check the "was" price against what you actually saw weeks earlier. If you didn't record it yourself, a price-tracking browser extension will show the history in seconds.
Read the grade, not just the headline discount. A Grade C phone marked down to look like a Grade A price isn't a deal, it's a different product entirely.
Confirm the warranty hasn't shrunk to make room for a lower number. A cheaper price attached to a shorter warranty term isn't automatically better value.
Watch for countdown timers that reset. Genuine sales end. A "24 hours left" banner that's still there a week later is a manipulation tactic the CMA has already started fining retailers over.
None of this takes the fun out of shopping the sale. It just means the number you act on in November is one you can actually trust.
Final Thoughts
The best Black Friday shopping happens before Black Friday. Note today's price on the models you're actually considering, check the grade and warranty attached to each one, and treat a countdown clock as marketing rather than a reason to rush.
When 27 November arrives, you'll already know whether the deal in front of you is real. That's a far stronger position than clicking "buy" because a banner told you to.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are refurbished phones cheaper on Black Friday in the UK?
Refurbished phones can become cheaper during Black Friday, but the biggest discount isn't always guaranteed. At BoxedTech, shoppers can compare refurbished smartphones such as iPhones and Samsung Galaxy models against their usual prices to identify genuine Black Friday deals.
2. What refurbished phones should I look for on Black Friday 2026?
Popular models worth tracking include the iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 16, along with Samsung Galaxy devices. Checking current refurbished phone prices on BoxedTech before Black Friday gives you a useful baseline for judging whether a November discount is genuine.