No, you shouldn't buy an iPhone from Amazon this Prime Day for two big reasons: Amazon's iPhones are carrier-locked to Cricket Wireless, and there's a brand new iPhone that'll be announced this very day.
If you must: iPhone SE (2020) (From $399 at Amazon)
It's that (much belated) time of year once again: Prime Day! Amazon's massive annual sale on all types of products, from basic home products to top-tier electronics. That includes Apple products such as the iPhone SE. But if you're considering taking advantage of Prime Day iPhone deals this year, you might want to reconsider. You'll have good reason to wait today, too, as Apple will be announcing a brand new set of iPhones (the iPhone 12 line) at its "Hi, Speed" event very soon.
So here's what you should be aware of when looking at Prime Day deals on iPhones.
The only new iPhones that Amazon sells are carrier-locked to one company
Generally speaking, you shouldn't buy a new iPhone from Amazon. All of the new iPhones that Amazon sells are locked to Cricket Wireless, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) owned by AT&T, and you can't unlock a Cricket Wireless phone until after you've paid for six months of service. So if you're a Cricket customer, then there's no problem, and there's no reason you shouldn't pick up a new iPhone on Prime Day.
The rest of us, however, should steer clear.
New iPhones are literally being announced on Prime Day
All things considered, Prime Day 2020 is a terrible time to buy an iPhone all around. Apple will be announcing the brand new iPhone 12 lineup today, so if you want the absolute latest and greatest, you'll need to wait until Friday to order them.
Thanks to the unpredictability of this year, both Apple's and Amazon's big days are overlapping this time around.
If you don't mind buying a refurbished iPhone, Amazon is a good place to do it
If you don't mind a pre-owned, refurbished iPhone, and thus don't care about having the most recent phone, either, then Amazon's a great place to look. Unlike the iPhones sold as new on Amazon, the "renewed" phones are available unlocked.
And though Amazon has multiple renewed iPhones available for purchase, you'll probably find the best deals on the iPhone SE released earlier this year. It has most of the power of an iPhone 11 in an older design secured by a Touch ID Home button. It shaves some features here and there, but it's a solid package for most people, even if the design is a bit dated.
Plus, picking it up refurbished should be scoring a decent Prime Day iPhone deal this year. And if you do get an iPhone SE, then don't forget to put it in a case!
iPhone SE (2020)
While the 2020 iPhone SE is a great phone for most people, you probably shouldn't buy a new one from Amazon on Prime Day, unless you don't mind that it will be locked to Cricket Wireless.
iPhone SE (2020, renewed)
If you're okay buying a pre-owned iPhone, than you can get a fairly substantial discount on the new iPhone SE through Amazon. Bonus: unlike getting a brand new device, this one comes carrier-unlocked.
Don't wait for Black Friday
If you are thinking about buying an iPhone from Amazon this Prime Day, but wondering whether you should wait for Black Friday, I encourage you to jump on it if you are planning on making a purchase. Black Friday probably won't be better than what you can get today, as Amazon tends to match pricing between Prime Day and that other shopping holiday.
And if you're going to hold off buying an iPhone this Prime Day, be sure to check out the rest of the Prime Day deals that Amazon has in store for you.
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