Apple iPhone 16 Black Friday sale: Why retailers are offering rare deep discounts in 2025

Retailers are offering some of the biggest iPhone discounts of the year, raising questions about why Apple devices — usually stable in price — are suddenly available at such reduced rates. Several market factors are driving these cuts.

These discounts highlight retailers’ attempts to manage inventory effectively ahead of end-of-year stock rollover. This period generally sees intensified competition among platforms, and Black Friday — originally a Western retail event — has increasingly become a major sales driver in India’s e-commerce calendar.

What is Black Friday?

• One of the largest global shopping events, offering major discounts across electronics, fashion, appliances and more.
• Originated in the United States as the start of the holiday shopping season.
• Now widely adopted in India by Flipkart, Amazon, Croma, Vijay Sales and other retailers.
• Retailers' accounts traditionally moved “into the black”, meaning profitable, due to high sales.
• Another explanation links it to the heavy traffic and congestion in US cities after Thanksgiving, described by police as “Black Friday”.

When is Black Friday?

• Black Friday 2025 is on 28 November 2025.
• It always falls on the fourth Friday of November, the day after US Thanksgiving.

Supply strain on the newer iPhone 17

• The iPhone 17 series is facing limited availability and delivery delays across platforms.
• To maintain sales momentum, retailers are promoting the iPhone 16 as the alternative, pushing its prices down to boost demand.

Heavy push to clear older inventory

After the launch of the iPhone 17, retailers accumulated stock of older models.

• Black Friday is being used to clear:
• iPhone 16 Plus (now starting at Rs 69,999)
• iPhone 15 (around Rs 49,999)
• iPhone 14 (around Rs 44,499)

Vijay Sales is offering reductions across older generations too, such as:

• iPhone 13: Rs 44,990 dropping to Rs 39,900 with bank offers
• iPhone 15: Rs 55,690 with further card discounts
• iPhone 16: Rs 66,490, effectively Rs 62,490 with bank offers

Flipkart’s Black Friday push

Flipkart has priced the iPhone 16 (128GB) at Rs 56,999, a cumulative Rs 13,000 drop from its Rs 69,900 price.

The offer combines:

• Bank-based discounts (10 per cent cashback up to Rs 5,000 for HDFC/SBI)
• Exchange benefits (up to Rs 25,000 depending on device)
• Sale-period reductions

Competitive pressure between retailers

Multiple platforms are participating in Black Friday at scale for the first time.

Deep discounts have become a tool to:

• Increase transaction volumes
• Attract price-sensitive buyers
• Match competitors’ aggressive promotions
• Even Apple devices, known for stable pricing, are included when retailers hold excess inventory.

Demand stimulation during peak sales period

Black Friday in India has evolved into a major e-commerce event.

• Retailers use the period to:
• Drive year-end sales
• Balance inventory before December
• Offer genuine, non-festive reductions

For consumers evaluating the iPhone 16 specifically, the device continues to offer the A18 chip, a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, a 48MP camera system and compatibility with Apple Intelligence features. While it lacks the 120Hz display and A19 chip present in the iPhone 17, the performance-to-price ratio under current discounts has made it a popular choice for late-2025 buyers.

(Disclaimer: Prices, discounts and bank offers mentioned in this article are based on listings available at the time of publication and may vary depending on retailer terms, stock availability and user eligibility. Black Friday sale offers are subject to change without prior notice. Readers are advised to verify final prices and conditions on the respective platforms before making a purchase.)