In today’s market, your smartphone might be the only thing in your pocket that’s gaining value. While we’re used to electronics getting cheaper as they age, a combination of RAM shortages, shifting tariffs and inflation is forcing months-old smartphones to get unprecedented midlife price hikes of up to $200.
Meanwhile, new phones that usually get major upgrades each year aren’t seeing meaningful quality-of-life improvements, yet we’re still paying a premium. The new 256GB Samsung Galaxy S26 starts at $900, raising the entry point for the company’s flagship phone line. The 256GB model of last year’s Galaxy S25 also got a price bump, as Samsung quietly increases the online cost of its foldables and other devices.
It’s not just Samsung. Motorola inflated the price of several of its Moto G models only a few months after launch, even though its devices are geared toward cost-conscious consumers.
The sticker shock in the mobile world is part of a wider
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