The Black Friday smartphone rush falls on Friday 27 November this year. A discount on the label does not tell you whether the phone suits you, or whether its price has really dropped. The safest approach is to start a week early: choose the model that fits your profile, note its price today, then check on the day that the deal is actually better. Here is how to do it with Picksly’s scores, the traps to know about and a short list of well-rated models, with their recorded price.

The figures below come from the Picksly catalogue as read on 11 November 2026, for France. Every price quoted carries the date it was recorded: it is a starting point, not a promise. Compare it again on the day you buy.

1. Choose the model before looking at discounts

A smartphone at 30% off that does not last the day is still a bad buy for you. So start with the right model. Picksly tracks 424 smartphones and scores them out of 100 from public measurements (performance, camera, battery life, memory, promised updates…), according to three profiles:

  • Budget: the best Budget score at €350 or less, new or refurbished, at the lower of the two prices. Price counts for 35%.
  • Smart: a new model with a Smart score of at least 50, where value for money counts for 20%.
  • Premium: a new model, released no more than 24 months ago, with a Premium score of at least 60. Price is not part of the score.

Pick your profile, shortlist two or three models, and you will know what to watch on 27 November instead of chasing percentages.

2. Note the reference price before the sale

A discount only means something compared with the price before it. On each model’s page, Picksly shows the best verified new and refurbished price at a shop, with the date it was recorded. For some offers (77 of the 180 new offers today), the page also says how many days the price had not moved at the last check: for example “stable for 15 days” for the Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro Max at €509 (Amazon, recorded on 10 November).

Write that price and its date down now. If you have a Picksly account (free), the “Track price” button on an offer sends you an email if that price drops. Picksly does not predict drops: it tells you the recorded price, and lets you know if it goes down.

Watch the dates: our prices were recorded between 20 October and 11 November, and 104 of the 360 prices we track date from before 1 November. A price that is several weeks old may have moved, either way.

On the day, our page Black Friday: real tech price drops does this check for you: it only lists models whose price today is at least 10% below their usual price, recorded by Picksly over 90 days, never below a crossed-out price.

3. Black Friday smartphone traps

The inflated was-price

In France, when a seller announces a price reduction, the crossed-out price must be the lowest price that seller itself charged during the 30 days before the reduction (French Consumer Code, article L112-1-1, in force since 28 May 2022). For successive reductions, it is the price before the first one. This French rule does not cover comparisons with other sellers’ prices: check what the crossed-out price refers to. Other countries have their own rules. And a genuine discount at one seller can still be dearer than another seller’s normal price. Our tips to spot fake Black Friday deals apply to phones too.

Older models on sale

Big discounts often land on models that are a few years old. They are not necessarily bad, but their update promise has already started running. In our catalogue, 26 of the 180 smartphones sold new with a known release date came out in 2022 or 2023. Example: the Xiaomi 14, released in February 2024, still sells new for €549 (Amazon, recorded on 5 November). That is why the Premium profile excludes models released more than 24 months ago. Before buying an older model, check on the maker’s website how long it will keep receiving updates.

Refurbished or new

Refurbished is not always much cheaper. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cost €421.99 refurbished (Certideal.com, recorded on 5 November), barely less than its €431 new (eBay, recorded on 11 November). Conversely, the Xiaomi 14 was €357.75 refurbished (eBay, recorded on 23 October), against €549 new. Always compare both prices for the same model. Our guide to the refurbished smartphone covers battery, updates and warranty.

Same name, different version

The same model often comes in several storage sizes or as a “Pro”, “Plus” or “FE” variant. Check that the offer on sale is the version you chose.

4. Well-rated models, by price band

Scores out of 100, prices retained by Picksly and the date they were recorded. These prices will be your benchmark on the day; they say nothing about what will be offered during Black Friday.

Up to €350 (Budget profile)

  • Honor 200 Pro: Budget score 81, €314 refurbished (eBay, recorded on 11 November); no verified new price.
  • Honor Magic5 Pro: Budget score 74, €347 refurbished (eBay, recorded on 10 November); released in February 2023, check its updates.
  • Xiaomi 14T: Budget score 67, €300 refurbished (eBay, recorded on 25 October).
  • Honor Magic8 Lite: Budget score 63, €319 new (Amazon, recorded on 27 October), if you want new.

To go further in this range: what really matters under €350.

€350 to €600 (Smart profile)

€600 to €900 (Smart profile)

High end (Premium profile)

The full ranking, with up-to-date prices, is on the rated smartphones page; for the high end, see the Premium ranking.

5. On the day: four checks

1. The model and version (storage, variant) are the ones you chose.

2. The price is lower than the one you noted, not just lower than the crossed-out price.

3. New or refurbished: the condition is stated in the listing, and you have compared both.

4. The seller is identified, with its return and warranty terms.

To see at a glance whether the price shown on Amazon is good for your profile, install the Picksly extension: it compares the page you are looking at with the offers we track. And for the best-rated models, see our Top 10 smartphones.

FAQ

Should I wait for Black Friday to buy a smartphone?

Not necessarily. A drop is never guaranteed, and some models do not move. Choose the right model first, note its current price, and only buy on 27 November if the offer is really lower than that price.

How can I tell whether a crossed-out price is honest?

In France, the crossed-out price of a reduction must be the lowest price that seller charged during the previous 30 days (French Consumer Code, article L112-1-1); rules differ elsewhere. The simplest check is still to compare with the price you noted yourself before the sale.

Does Picksly announce Black Friday price drops?

Picksly does not predict sales. It shows the price recorded at the shop with its date and, if you track a price with a free account, it emails you when that price drops.

Is an older model on sale a good deal?

Sometimes. Check its score for your profile and the end-of-updates date announced by the maker: a model released several years ago will get fewer updates than a recent one.

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