Overview
- A price analysis published Thursday by Stiftung Warentest and reported across outlets finds shoppers who delay a new-phone purchase can save as much as 40 percent, with the deepest discounts typically appearing in July and August.
- Brand-specific patterns are predictable: iPhones usually hold launch price for about 90 days then fall roughly 10 percent by April, Samsung models drop faster to about 75 percent of launch price by July, Pixels average about 70 percent of MSRP after a year, and Xiaomi T-series can fall more than 40 percent after a year.
- The financial case for waiting is strengthened because generational performance gains are small, so prior models often meet user needs nearly as well as new flagships.
- Practical caveats include the risk that popular colors or storage configurations sell out during discount windows and that elevated component costs for memory are keeping some new-device prices higher than usual.
- For most buyers the best approach is to delay unless a device is failing or a new model offers a clear, meaningful improvement, and to hunt for summer or manufacturer-specific price dips while staying flexible on color and storage options.