Technologies

Tariffs Are Raising Prices. Here’s How You Can Still Save On Tech

Higher prices don’t mean fewer options. Here’s how you can save on high-end electronics, despite the tariffs.

Over the past month, the global electronics market has experienced significant upheaval, and it’s probably only going to get worse. The Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs — up to 145% on Chinese imports — have disrupted supply chains and driven up prices on a wide array of consumer electronics.

Even with exemptions for smartphones and laptops, the threat of additional levies has led to price hikes across the board, from power banks and e-readers to toasters, microwaves and gaming consoles.

While the new Switch 2 won’t be affected by the tariffs (for now), several of the new Nintendo console’s accessories, like the Pro and Joy-Con controllers, have already increased in price because of the tariffs. Anker has raised prices for many of its power banks. The tariffs will likely also increase the price of iPhones.

Read more: Buy or Wait Guide: How Tariffs Will Change Tech Prices and What to Do Now

Amid this economic turbulence, consumers are increasingly turning to refurbished tech as a cost-effective alternative to buying brand new. This sector is not only growing rapidly, it’s also becoming a mainstream choice for savvy shoppers looking to save. The global refurbished electronics market is expected to grow from $47 billion in 2023 to over $123 billion by 2033, according to one report.

If you’re in the market for a new phone, new laptop or any other tech product, you’re better off buying used than new right now. For folks looking to navigate this burgeoning market, there are several reputable platforms that offer high-quality refurbished electronics.

Where you can shop for refurbished tech

Not everyone wants to buy used products, especially when there are risks. A used electronic item might look fine from the outside, but there’s always the chance of hidden hardware issues, like a degraded battery or water damage. Plus, there are rarely ever warranties or return policies on used items. Not to mention, the products could be stolen.

So that’s why you want to buy refurbished, not just used. The difference is that a refurbished item is usually sold by a manufacturer, retailer or certified refurbisher and is inspected, tested, repaired and restored to full working condition. This isn’t like buying a used computer from someone on Facebook Marketplace. Instead, you get a cleaned and repackaged product with a warranty, just like a new product. If you want the assurances of a refurbished item, there are many options.

Apple Certified Refurbished
Apple’s in-house refurbishment program is widely considered the gold standard. Every device — whether it’s a MacBook, an iPhone, an iPad or even an Apple Vision Pro — comes with a new battery and outer shell, so cosmetically it’s indistinguishable from new. All products are rigorously tested, cleaned and repackaged in an official Apple box, along with cables and other accessories. You’ll also get a one-year limited warranty and the option to add AppleCare Plus, making this one of the safest ways to buy refurbished Apple gear.

Amazon Renewed Store
Amazon’s refurbished technology storefront offers a pretty sizable catalog with everything from smartphones and laptops to home appliances, headphones and even electric toothbrushes. All these devices are inspected and tested by qualified suppliers to meet certain performance benchmarks. Most products come with a minimum 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee, which allows you to return or replace the product if it doesn’t work as promised.

Best Buy Outlet
Best Buy’s certified refurbished store includes TVs, tablets, laptops, smartphones, kitchen gadgets, gaming gear and more. Many items are Geek Squad Certified, meaning they’ve been restored and tested by its in-house technicians. And if you’re more about an in-person experience, Best Buy offers local pickup for many of these refurbished items, along with standard warranties that vary by product.

eBay Refurbished
eBay may seem like the Wild West at times, but the company partners with certified refurbishers and brands like Samsung, Lenovo and Dell to offer items with up to 50% off retail pricing. You can also check out product grading, which varies from good to excellent, and you’ll receive a one- or two-year warranty, as well as 30-day returns.

Swappa
Swappa is a peer-to-peer marketplace, but with guardrails. Sellers can only list fully functional devices, and every item is manually reviewed before it goes live on the website. All you need to do is find your product and then check out the price, condition and age, and you can buy directly from the seller. All transactions are protected via PayPal, which can help you in case a purchase never shows up or you’re unhappy with a product and need a refund.

As tariffs continue to influence the tech industry, the refurbished market stands out as a great alternative for you to get the tech products you want at an affordable price and without compromising on quality. If you use any of these trusted platforms, you can mitigate the financial impact of tariffs and rising electronics prices, and also participate in more-sustainable consumption practices.

You can try secondhand but there are risks

A refurbished tech product might still be expensive. Enter the raw, unfiltered secondhand market: Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist and Nextdoor, to name just a few. These platforms are less about guarantees and more about opportunity. You can be smart and patient and scoop up a MacBook from a college student upgrading midsemester, or grab a highly discounted PS5 from someone cleaning house before a cross-country move. But there are trade-offs. No warranty. No refurbishment. No assurance it wasn’t dropped in a pool or «borrowed» indefinitely. You can still get some unbeatable prices with the right negotiation tactics.

These platforms are seeing increased tech activity, with anecdotal spikes in metro-area listings for iPads, AirPods and OLED TVs since tariff announcements started to dominate headlines. Some sellers are flipping open-box returns or reselling their own gear to upgrade in anticipation of price surges, which effectively creates a grassroots resale economy shaped by the current trade policy. Before you venture into the secondhand market, there are a few tips you should follow.

Meet in a public place and always test the item before handing over payment. You may want to handle the transaction quickly, but it’s best to ensure the item is in good condition. And doing it in public protects you (a bit) from getting ripped off.
Check battery health on phones and laptops. You can do this in the settings of the devices.
Verify serial numbers when possible to check warranty or theft status. There are websites that quickly allow you to use the IMEI of a phone to check whether it’s stolen. (IMEI stands for international mobile equipment identity, a 15-digit unique ID number.)
Use payment apps like Venmo or PayPal Goods & Services for added protection. Cash is great, because you can typically get a better discount, but you have to ensure that the product you’re buying is in good condition.

We don’t have the full picture of how tariffs will affect all the tech products in our lives, but as new devices become less affordable amid general economic uncertainty, buying used can be a smart choice. It doesn’t matter if it’s a refurbished iPad from Amazon or a gently used Nintendo Switch from OfferUp, sometimes pricing matters so much more than packaging. With the trade war showing no signs of cooling, the secondhand and refurbished tech ecosystem isn’t just a reaction. It’s a quiet rebellion we can all have a hand in.

Technologies

Disney Exec Says ESPN Outage on YouTube TV May ‘Go for a Little While’

YouTube TV subscribers will miss college football on ESPN, ABC and conference networks for the third weekend straight.

More than two weeks after YouTube TV customers lost access to Disney’s streaming channels — including ABC, ESPN and the ACC and SEC networks — there is no sign of progress in the negotiations between the two entertainment giants.

At Disney’s fourth quarter earnings call on Thursday, Walt Disney CFO Hugh Johnston didn’t offer specifics on the ongoing negotiations, instead noting that «in terms of our (financial) guidance, we built a hedge into that (the YouTube TV outage), with the expectation that these discussions could go for a little while.»

Disney CEO Bob Iger ended the call on a more positive note, saying, «While we’ve been working tirelessly to close this deal and restore our channels to the platform, it’s also imperative that we make sure that we agree to a deal that reflects the value that we deliver.»

The disagreement causing the ABC and ESPN outage stems from the «carriage fee» that YouTube TV pays Disney to broadcast its channels. Disney has faced similar negotiating standoffs with other broadcasters in recent years, including an earlier 2021 outage on YouTube TV that was resolved in two days.

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Disney says YouTube TV isn’t paying enough to stream its channels. YouTube TV, owned by Google, has the most subscribers among all internet TV providers, with over 9 million. Hulu, owned by Disney, is second with 4.3 million subscribers through its Hulu + Live TV offering.

«The deal that we have proposed is equal to or better than what other large distributors have already agreed to,» Iger also said Thursday.

While the two sides wrangle over the fees, they risk further losses. Nearly a quarter of YouTube TV subscribers (24%) have canceled or intend to cancel their subscription because the service «no longer delivers the core content they signed up for,» according to a survey cited by Variety.

Disney, meanwhile, is losing an estimated $30 million in revenue per week while its channels are unavailable on YouTube TV, according to a Morgan Stanley research note cited by Variety. That’s a significant chunk of change because each week Disney’s networks are dark on YouTube TV, Disney’s adjusted earnings per share drop by 2 cents, analysts say.

When will ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels return to YouTube TV?

Disney is no stranger to carriage fees feuds, and as with previous disputes, negotiations are under wraps, and how long it will continue is anyone’s guess. Disney’s contract conflict with Sling TV in 2022 lasted just two days, while the one with Spectrum/Charter in 2023 wasn’t resolved for 10 days.

Disney’s contract conflicts from previous years were mostly resolved in a week or two, but Google has considerably more bargaining power than those other platforms.

Thursday marked 14 days that Disney’s channels had been blacked out on YouTube TV — a day longer than the Disney outage on DirectTV last year. How much longer this outage will continue is unknown, but the Morgan Stanley analysts who pegged Disney’s weekly losses at $30 million sounded an optimistic note in predicting that the outage will be resolved later this week.

When a deal is reached between Disney and YouTube, the missing channels will return «in a matter of hours,» according to Variety.

What are Disney and YouTube TV saying about the dispute?

On Oct. 30, YouTube TV posted on X, «Members, when we renew our contracts with network partners, we advocate for fair pricing to offer you the best TV experience.»

«Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny its subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC,» Disney said in a statement to CNBC.

In a memo to employees on Oct. 31 that was also reported by CNBC, Disney accused YouTube TV of deleting «previously recorded shows and events from their subscribers’ libraries.»

«YouTube TV and its owner, Google, are not interested in achieving a fair deal with us,» Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the memo. «Instead, they want to use their power and extraordinary resources to eliminate competition and devalue the very content that helped them build their service.»

Disney is also asking its viewers to ask YouTube TV to bring back its broadcasting via the keepmynetworks.com site.

Which Disney channels were removed from YouTube TV?

Sports fans aren’t the only viewers left sidelined by the loss of Disney channels from YouTube TV. Here are all the channels that have been removed from the streaming service:

ABC
ABC News Live
ACC Network
Baby TV Español (Spanish Plan)
Disney Channel
Disney Junior
Disney XD
ESPN
ESPN Deportes (Spanish Plan)
ESPNews
ESPNU
ESPN2
Freeform
FX
FXM
FXX
Localish
Nat Geo
Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish Plan)
Nat Geo Wild
SEC Network

How can YouTube TV subscribers watch football games during the Disney outage?

YouTube TV subscribers with an aerial TV antenna can still watch Monday Night Football and college football games on ABC if they live close enough to receive an over-the-air broadcast signal from a local ABC affiliate.

Other than that, the only real option for viewers who want to watch all of the college football and basketball games this weekend and Monday Night Football at home is to subscribe to another service that provides ABC and ESPN, including ESPN+, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo or DirecTV Stream.

Sling TV offers a $5 Day Pass that could be a good option for viewers who want to watch one specific game, as well as a $10 Weekend Pass that would give you college football and basketball games for both days.

For those looking to find football games at local establishments, this handy app can help you find places that are showing the games.

YouTube TV has given $20 bill credits to subscribers

YouTube TV had promised subscribers a $20 credit for the streaming service if the Disney channels outage continued for an extended period, and on Sunday, the streaming service announced the details of that credit.

Some YouTube subscribers receive the $20 credit automatically, and others need to claim it online. According to a YouTube spokesperson, subscribers who pay with Google Play billing or through their mobile service should receive the $20 credit automatically.

If you need to claim the $20 credit, you should have received an email from YouTube TV. To redeem your the credit, follow these steps:

Log in to YouTube.com with a web browser
Click or tap on your profile picture
Click or tap Settings.
You can also directly browse to the URL at https://tv.youtube.com/settings/service_updates.
At the bottom of the menu on the left, select Updates.
On the following screen, which explains the Disney channels outage, click or tap the blue button marked Claim Credit.

Emails from YouTube TV started going out Sunday night and several Reddit posters have already reported receiving the $20 credit. All of the credits for YouTube TV subscribers should be issued by Wednesday, Nov. 12, according to Variety.

The $20 credit will be applied to your next billing cycle.

We asked YouTube TV if additional billing credits would be offered to subscribers if the outage continues. A spokesperson replied, «This is a situation that is evolving, and we will let subscribers know of future additional credit offers. Our main priority is to reach an agreement that restores Disney’s content to YouTube TV.»

Correction, Nov. 5: An earlier version of this story failed to note that Sling TV day and weekend passes can be used to watch local ABC affiliates only in certain markets.

Technologies

Nintendo Says Newest Switch 2 Update Didn’t Deliberately Brick Third-Party Docks

Third-party dongle docks appear to be failing after the 21.0.0 update.

Nintendo released a new Switch 2 firmware update on Tuesday that came with a few albeit not significant changes to the portable console. It appears, however, this update might have bricked some third-party docks for the console in the process.

Switch 2 owners on social media say their third-party docks are no longer working with their systems after downloading firmware update 21.0.0, as first reported by Kotaku on Thursday. It’s unclear what in the firmware may have caused the issue, but it does appear that it primarily affects dock dongles, which plug directly into the Switch instead of the typical cradle-style docks that require the console to be placed in them.

Nintendo says it doesn’t have any intention to hinder or invalidate third-party docks.

«Nintendo Switch 2 outputs audio/visuals once it detects that it is docked into a Nintendo Switch 2 Dock. Nintendo Switch does the same, outputting audio/visuals once it detects that it is docked into a Nintendo Switch Dock,» the company said in an emailed statement to CNET.

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What third-party Switch 2 docks are affected?

As of now, the only docks that appear to have issues are the third-party dongle docks. Standard docks and the official dock from Nintendo are fine.

Can these Switch 2 dock dongles be fixed?

It’s unclear if another Switch firmware update can address the problem. It’s also unlikely that the manufacturers of these docks will be able to provide a firmware update to address any problems.

This is not the first time third-party docks have had compatibility issues with a Switch console. In 2018, Nintendo released the 5.0.0 update for the original Switch, which not only caused some docks to stop working, it also led to consoles using those docks having problems. A 2019 report from Wired found that some third-party docks tried to emulate the same quick connections to the USB-C port on the Switch like with the official Nintendo dock. If the hardware has a slight manufacturing defect where the connections weren’t firmly connected, it could cause the USB-C power port on the Switch to fail.

Nintendo does advise Switch owners to use official Nintendo products for the system.

What else changed in the Switch 2 firmware update 21.0.0?

The latest Switch 2 firmware update went live on Tuesday and made a series of quality-of-life changes to the Switch 2, such as changing certain text in the settings to provide a better description of their functions; adding an option to cancel multiple software downloads at once; and adding icons on software to indicate whether it’s a physical or a digital version. This last change refers to the Game-Key Card feature for certain Switch 2 games that do not have the entire game on the cartridge and require downloading the game files.

Technologies

Metroid Prime 4 for Switch 2 Delivers the Biggest Evolution the Franchise Has Seen

The next chapter in the Metroid saga lands in December with a major shift for the series. Here’s everything we know.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond seemed like it would never come out since it was first teased in 2017, but the newest adventure featuring Samus Aran is less than a month away. Nintendo released a trailer Friday that highlights the biggest changes coming to the series.

In Metroid Prime 4, Samus responds to a distress call from the Galactic Federation, which is under attack by a bounty hunter known as Sylux. A disaster happens, transporting her to the planet Viewros, and now she has to use her new psychic powers and some help from allies to survive the planet in order to find her way home.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Trailer

When does Metroid Prime 4 come out?

Metroid Prime 4 will be released on Dec. 4.

What consoles will Metroid Prime 4 be released on?

Metroid Prime 4 will be available for the original Switch for $60 and on the Switch 2 for $70. For those with the original Switch now, but who think they might get a Switch 2 for the holidays, the Switch version can be upgraded to the Switch 2 version for $10.

What’s new in Metroid Prime 4?

The biggest change in Metroid Prime 4 is the open world. Previous Metroid Prime games usually confined Samus to caverns, temples or a ship, but this time around, she’ll be able to explore the world of Viewros. To help her traverse across the world, Samus can ride her bike called Vi-O-La.

Samus is known for her arsenal of powerful weapons, but in Metroid Prime 4, she will have new psychic abilities. These abilities will let her manipulate energy and activate machinery with just her mind.

Scattered across Viewros are Galactic Federation troopers, whom Samus will rescue but also fight alongside. This marks one of the few times when Samus isn’t battling alien forces on her own.

Will the Switch 2 version have any unique features?

A new feature only available with the Switch 2 version of the game is mouse controls. Players can use a Joy-Con 2 as a mouse by placing it on a hard surface, which some gamers insist is the proper way to play FPS games. If that isn’t of interest, both Metroid Prime 4 versions will make use of the Joy-Cons motion controls or a compatible gamepad, such as the Switch 2 Pro Controller.