Amazon vs Argos: which is better for tech in the UK?
Amazon or Argos for a phone, console or tablet: prices on eight products read on 11/10/2026, delivery and collection, returns, price matching, and who is really selling.
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Amazon or Argos? For phones, consoles and tablets the price is often the same, and when it is not, the difference usually comes down to who is selling on Amazon. We read both shops' prices for eight products on 11/10/2026, and their delivery, returns, guarantee and price-match pages the same day.
Which is better, Amazon or Argos?
On price, Amazon: on 11/10/2026 it was cheaper on five of eight products, all sold by Amazon itself, and the same on the other three. Argos is better if you want the item today (same-day delivery on selected products, or collection), want to collect it or return it in a shop, or are buying a present, because its Christmas returns run to 31/01/2027.
| On 11/10/2026 | |
|---|---|
| Price | Amazon cheaper on 5 of 8 products, the same on 3 |
| Price match | Neither price matches |
| Delivery | Amazon: free on all eight, due 14/10/2026 if ordered on 11/10 (13/10 at the fastest). Argos: standard from £4.95, free over £100 on its own products; next day from £6.95; same day from £7.95 if ordered by 1pm |
| Collection | Argos: free from a store or a Sainsbury's collection point, within 7 days. Amazon: not compared here |
| Change of mind | Amazon: 30 days from receipt, unused; return postage taken from the refund unless the listing says Free Returns. Argos: 30 days from delivery or collection, unused and in its packaging; bought 23/09 to 25/12/2026, back by 31/01/2027 |
| Faulty after 30 days | Amazon: repair, then replacement, then refund, if Amazon or Amazon Resale sold it. Argos: repair or replacement within 12 months, then a refund if that fails |
| Other sellers | Amazon: marketplace sellers, under the A-to-z Guarantee. Argos: Trusted Sellers, whose items cannot go back to a store |
Is Argos cheaper than Amazon?
Not on the eight products we compared. On 11/10/2026 the iPhone 15 was £699 at both, the iPhone 17 (256GB) £899 and the iPhone Air £799, Amazon selling each one itself. On the other five Amazon was cheaper, again as the seller:
| Product | Amazon against Argos |
|---|---|
| Pixel 10 Pro, 128GB | £579 against £899 |
| iPhone 17, 512GB | £1,044.05 against £1,099 |
| iPad (A16), 128GB | £404.97 against £429 |
| iPhone 16, 128GB | £789.31 against £799 |
| Xbox Series S, 1TB | £519 against £519.99 |
The Pixel 10 Pro gap, £320, is the one worth acting on. The others are small, and on the Xbox Series S it is 99p.
| Product | Amazon UK | Argos | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB | £579.00 | £899.00 | Amazon UK by £320.00 |
| Apple iPhone 17 512GB | £1,044.05 | £1,099.00 | Amazon UK by £54.95 |
| Apple iPad 11-inch A16 128GB Wi-Fi | £404.97 | £429.00 | Amazon UK by £24.03 |
| Apple iPhone 16 128GB | £789.31 | £799.00 | Amazon UK by £9.69 |
| Microsoft Xbox Series S - 1TB | £519.00 | £519.99 | Amazon UK by £0.99 |
| Apple iPhone 15 128GB | £699.00 | £699.00 | Same |
| Apple iPhone 17 256GB | £899.00 | £899.00 | Same |
| Apple iPhone Air 256GB | £799.00 | £799.00 | Same |
Of 8 products with a price at both shops today, Amazon UK is cheaper on 5, Argos on 0, and 3 are the same price.
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Argos was the cheaper shop when Amazon was not selling the item itself. On 11/10/2026 the only new PS5 Pro on Amazon's page came from a marketplace seller at £1,200; Argos had it at £789.99, Sony's own price. The same happens with Currys: Amazon vs Currys found Currys cheaper on the PS5 on 10/10/2026 for the same reason.
Does Argos price match Amazon?
No. Argos's help page, read on 11/10/2026, puts it plainly: "We don't price match at Argos for both online and in store items." Amazon does not price match anyone either; its help page says it compares its prices with other retailers instead (read 10/10/2026).
So with these two there is no claim to make: if Amazon is cheaper, buy from Amazon or take the price to a shop that does match. Currys matches Amazon when Amazon itself is the seller (its terms, read 10/10/2026), and John Lewis does too except on Apple products: who price matches whom. On 11/10/2026 that would have meant asking Currys to match Amazon's £579 Pixel 10 Pro. For how Argos sits against Currys, see Currys vs Argos.
Which is better for returns?
Argos, for most people buying this autumn. Both give 30 days to change your mind for an unused item, but Argos counts from delivery or collection and takes items back in its stores, and anything bought between 23/09/2026 and 25/12/2026 can go back until 31/01/2027. Amazon's returns page, read the same day, said nothing of a Christmas extension, and Amazon takes the return postage (from £1.99) out of your refund unless the listing said Free Returns.
For a fault, both follow the law. Argos refunds a faulty item within 30 days, then offers a repair or replacement up to 12 months and a refund if that fails. Amazon repairs a faulty item after 30 days, then replaces it, then refunds it, but only for items Amazon or Amazon Resale sold; for a marketplace seller's item you go to the seller, with Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee behind you. Whoever you buy from, you can cancel an online order within 14 days of receiving it.
Who is really selling on Amazon?
Read the line under the price: "Shipper / Seller: Amazon" means Amazon is selling it. A named business is a marketplace seller, and your rights are against that business. On 11/10/2026 all eight products in our comparison were sold by Amazon, but the only new PS5 Pro on Amazon's page (£1,200) and the Amazon offers for two of the Galaxy phones on our pages came from marketplace sellers.
If a marketplace seller does not sort out a problem, the A-to-z Guarantee lets you ask Amazon for a refund, as long as the order's last delivery date was 90 days ago or less (Amazon's help page, read 11/10/2026).
Argos has other sellers too. Its Trusted Sellers are brands and retailers that Argos checks and approves; your payment goes to them, and their items cannot be returned to an Argos store. Every product in our comparison was Argos's own.
Which should you buy from?
- Amazon, when Amazon itself is the seller and is cheaper, as on the Pixel 10 Pro, the iPhone 17 512GB and the iPad. Delivery was free on everything we checked.
- Argos, when the price is the same and you want it today (same-day delivery or collection), want to return it in a shop, or are buying a present before Christmas.
- Argos, when Amazon only has marketplace sellers, as with the PS5 Pro on 11/10/2026.
Here is every live price for the Pixel 10 Pro, the product with the biggest gap:
Show 2 more listings (out of stock or no price)
Retailer links may earn OwlyFinds a commission. It never changes the order. How we make money
The cheapest new one in the box on 11/10/2026, £450 on eBay, came from a private seller taking no returns, which gives you fewer rights than Amazon's £579.
What to do
- Check who is selling on Amazon before you compare: Amazon itself, a marketplace seller, or Amazon Resale.
- If Amazon itself is cheaper, buy there, or ask Currys to match it if you want a shop behind you.
- If the price is the same, choose Argos for collection today and in-store returns, Amazon for free delivery.
- For Christmas presents, Argos takes items bought from 23/09/2026 back until 31/01/2027.
- Set a price alert on the product page, so a cut at either shop reaches you.