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 mid-life 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 contagion affecting the entire electronics market, including the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. But while pricey is the new industry standard, you don’t have to accept it. By getting a little creative and broadening your criteria, you can still secure a great phone without cramping your budget.

1. Avoid buying the newest phone

Most of us buy a new device to extend our phone’s battery life, get more storage or upgrade our camera. But over the past two years, many phones have only seen small improvements in these areas. Phones from one or two years ago have comparable cameras and batteries, and offer increased storage options, all while getting new features through software updates.

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 seems particularly stagnant this year. In his Galaxy S26 review, CNET Managing Editor David Lumb didn’t find any particular upgrades that would justify the phone’s higher starting price, aside from a storage bump and marginally improved battery capacity. While the phone’s cameras likely benefit from its newer, faster processor, Samsung’s still using the same camera suite dating back to the Galaxy S23: a 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide, and 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom. 

If you’re coming from a much older phone like Samsung’s Galaxy S21 (or earlier), you might benefit from upgrading to a less recent model, like the Samsung Galaxy S24 or S25. You can also save money by shopping with retailers rather than buying directly from Samsung. 

You could also try to simply extend the life of your current phone. It might be more cost-effective to replace your phone’s battery, backup older photos and videos to free up storage and try out new ways of taking photos rather than relying on buying a whole new device. 

2. Make sure a cheaper phone gets software updates

I review a lot of lower-cost phones, and a major way many of them skimp is by offering only two or three years of software and security updates. 

As prices rise, especially for devices costing $500 or less, you might end up purchasing a moderately priced phone that shouldn’t be used past its third year, which doesn’t give you much longevity. When a manufacturer isn’t actively providing security updates, that phone becomes more vulnerable to data exploits.

For instance, while I quite like the new $500 Moto G Stylus, I knocked it for only having a three-year commitment for security updates when other companies are providing at least double that. I have similar issues with RedMagic, which makes gaming-focused phones at a value price, but the company’s software and security support is also limited to three years. Likewise, TCL’s phones have rock-bottom prices, but the company only pledges two years of support.

If hardware prices are ticking up, I’d like to see phone-makers focus on improving device lifespan, especially since they know customers are less likely to spend $500 on a new phone every two to three years.

Samsung and Google’s under-$500 phones often offer superior software and security support. Samsung, for one, guarantees its Galaxy A phones six years of software updates, and the $499 Pixel 10A gets seven years. While I had issues with the Pixel 10A’s strong similarity to the Pixel 9A (it retained the same processor, camera and battery), when the Pixel 9A is discounted to $399, you’ll get a quality, more affordable phone with six years of software updates.

3. Hit the refurbished market

Apart from eyeing sales for older devices, you can check out refurbished phones offered directly by Apple, Google and Samsung. While these phones are technically used, they’re fixed up by their manufacturer and sold like new. When I browse these stores, I don’t usually see dramatic discounts, but the devices are always marked below their original price.

If you’re particularly cost-conscious, the used phone market is worth considering. When I tried out a used iPhone 13 Mini, I discovered that it’s critical to have a generous return policy so the phone’s battery life and condition work for you. These phones will show visible wear, and their batteries may be degraded from use by their prior owner. 

However, used devices are often much cheaper than a comparably priced new phone and could even be worth the extra expense of replacing the battery and getting a case.

Popular gaming platform Roblox agreed to pay more than $12 million and implement new safety features as part of a settlement with the state of Nevada. This settlement comes amid several lawsuits accusing the company of an alleged lack of protection of children on the platform. 

The agreement resolves potential litigation over allegations that Roblox failed to adequately safeguard children while they played the online game, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said in a press release on Wednesday. 

As part of the deal, Roblox will spend $10 million over three years to encourage children to engage in non-digital activities, as well as institute age verification for all users. This will include «facial age estimation technology and government-issued ID for age assurance, and will use behavioral monitoring to identify users who may have been aged incorrectly,» according to the press release. 

«The injunctive relief that Roblox has agreed to will give parents the tools they need to protect their children on the platform; institute default protections to block predators from engaging with children; and ensure that messages involving minors are not encrypted,» Ford said in the press release.

Roblox also committed to spending $1 million over two years on a campaign to educate minors and adults about online safety and another $1.5 million to develop a law enforcement liaison position to work with state law enforcement agencies over concerns about the platform. 

Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said it’s part of the company’s «work to establish a new standard for digital safety.»

«This resolution creates a blueprint for how industry and regulators can work together to protect the next generation of digital citizens,» Kaufman said Thursday. «We have no finish line when it comes to safety.»

Roblox is under significant legal pressure amid more than 140 lawsuits, according to Reuters. The suits, filed in 2025, allege the company knowingly created a gaming platform that allowed child predators to target minors. 

The company also faces lawsuits from state attorneys general in Texas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and Florida over similar accusations.

Age-based accounts coming soon

Two days before the settlement announcement, Roblox CEO and founder David Baszucki revealed new accounts for younger Roblox users.

Roblox Kids will be available for children between the ages of 5 and 8, and Roblox Select is for those ages 9 to 15. Roblox is reportedly used by nearly half of US children under 16. Children who are older than 16 will be in their own age group, simply called «Roblox.»

Kids and Select accounts would be available in those age groups as determined by Roblox’s age-check technology or by a verified parent.

Unmonitored chat in the game has been a point of criticism for the platform, as it allows predators to chat with children. Kids’ accounts will have chat turned off by default, with limited access to Minimal or Mild games as determined by the platform. Select accounts will have chat with safeguards and access to games with Moderate content, which is described by the platforms as having «moderate violence, light realistic blood, moderate crude humor, unplayable gambling content, and/or moderate fear.»

These new age-based accounts will roll out sometime in early June. 

Opera announced Thursday the launch of a new tool that allows users of its browsers to include more AI chatbots in their browsing experience.

Browser Connector is a free feature for Opera One and Opera GX browsers that allows users to integrate AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude into their live browsing sessions via Model Context Protocol. MCP is an open standard developed by Anthropic that allows for a secure two-way connection between AI models, external data sources and tools such as search engines.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)  

Last month, Opera introduced MCP compatibility to Opera Neon, its subscription-based agentic AI browser. Opera says the new feature willallow a user’s AI of choice to provide real-time context of open tabs and active content.

«With Browser Connector, Opera ensures users aren’t bound to a single company’s ecosystem, but are instead free to combine the best tools for their specific needs,» Mohamed Salah, senior director of product at Opera, said in a statement.

To enable the feature, which is now available in Early Bird mode, users need to go to Settings in the browser, search for «AI Services» and install the Browser Connector feature. They then have to connect ChatGPT or Claude to the feature.