2026 is the year to buy old phones

The tech world is in turmoil.

Whatever is happening with the AI revolution, it’s causing hardware shortages across the board, prices are spiking, and delivery times are delayed.

We already have the frankly comedic tripling of RAM prices. And you, the regular consumer, are not the only one suffering.

Even big manufacturers can’t supply their parts. Get this — Samsung Semiconductor has reportedly refused a specific RAM order from Samsung Electronics for its next batch of smartphones. Yes, even Samsung can’t give itself enough RAM as it’s trying to maximize profits and sells it elsewhere.

In 2026, we will be paying more for less

It’s no surprise that we’ve started hearing that smartphones will be getting the odd RAM cut here and there. Just a bit off the top, just enough to actually manage to produce the devices. Midrangers will supposedly suffer the most, but flagships aren’t immune to the RAMpocalypse. They can’t be.

There are two possible ways this will go. Either the next Galaxy S models will have a bit less RAM, or they will have to cost more for delivering the same 12/16 GB configurations.

Right now, rumors are saying Samsung will sell the Galaxy S26 series at an uptick, and keep the Galaxy S25 (at least the Ultra) at current price, as it will look like a “reduced price” in this new 2026 reality.

This has happened before with both the Galaxy S Ultra and Tab S Ultra lines, so I am not shocked at these reports.

And not just Samsung, of course. Apple, Google, Oppo, Xiaomi, Sony, everyone will be affected.

Which is why I now come back to this old adage:

Buy last year’s flagship has never rung as true as it does now

I’ve been saying it for years — every time a new model comes out, run to the store and buy the one from last year.

In fact, I was so lazy to switch my SIM card and all of my apps and login credentials to another device, that I spent most of 2025 using a Galaxy S24 Ultra. Yeah, look at the fancy phone critic here, rocking a piece of ancient 2024 tech.

On the flip side, hardware improvements have slowed down to a crawl. Your 12-month old camera may be 5% “worse”, or that year-old processor may score 7% less on Geekbench. Who cares? These phones were made to be top-notch, cream-of-the-crop, absolute monsters. This doesn’t change just because 365 days have passed since they hit the store shelves.

And, with the current hardware limitations, you may not be making just a budget-conscious decision. You may actually get better hardware for your money, too.

Some reports say that manufacturers are desperately trying to keep price inflation in check — and by “in check” they mean a maximum of 10% price increase. However, with component costs and supply chains being what they are, keeping inflation that “low” may mean that they’d be forced to use lower quality hardware.

Of course, it pays to follow the news and reviews as you are gearing up for that next buy. But I am foreseeing a very… tumultuous 2026.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra - all the rumors so far

Diminishing AI returns

The next move for AI on smartphones is supposedly the new “Agentic AI features”. Agents meaning that you’d be telling your phone what you want it to do, and it will automatically figure out and execute a complex chain of tasks.

For example “See when I need to fly to New York and book me a ticket”.

The marketing will make it sound like a futuristic miracle. For anyone who has experience with AI tools — it will sound like an AI hallucination fever dream waiting to happen.

But the main thing I’d like to touch upon is that a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or an Apple A18 should be able to run these processes. After all, they are super-pumped, AI-ready, neural monster phone chips, right?

And if an AI feature is so new and fresh that it needs to be locked down and made exclusive for the newest phone models, I think it’d be a better idea to not use it until its bugs have been stomped and edges filed down anyway.

The 7-year software upgrade promise is a reality

A Galaxy or Pixel from 2024 is going to be getting updates until 2031. That’s wild — if you buy one today, you are still good for 5 years. Not just security patches, but full Android builds.

The FOMO of yesteryear doesn’t hit as strong in today’s world. Hardware has plateaued and is powerful enough to last you years. And if you ask me, camera tech has gotten really good and allows you to capture that perfect memorabilia.

Shop safely: the concerns and issues with old phones

Now, when I say “Buy an old flagship”, I generally mean new old stock. Not refurbished or second-hand.

Not that I have anything against buying a used device. I think it’s a smart financial choice, but there’s a can of worms there I avoid touching.

You should generally either be a master Internet sleuth or buy your refurbished devices from a reputable place.

You mainly need to care about three things:

• Is it counterfeit? (fake iPhones are still a thing)
• Is it stolen? (locked devices or the original owner tracking you down may be an issue)
• Is its battery in good health?

The clever shopper researches those thoroughly, yet is always aware that there’s a certain percentage of risk with any of these purchases. So, if you don’t feel comfortable with doing all the legwork around a simple phone purchase, just buy a new old stock model.