Technologies

Smartphone Prices Are Still Climbing. Here Are 3 Ways to Get Around That

Commentary: Tech prices won’t come down in the near future, but you can still come out ahead when shopping for a new phone.

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.

Technologies

Trump Maintains US‑Iran Negotiations Continue Amid Tehran’s Denials of Duplicity

President Trump insists that US‑Iran talks are ongoing despite Tehran’s denial of any negotiation plans, while warning that only a deal or total surrender will allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Conflicting statements from both sides have heightened uncertainty as the conflict enters its sixth month.

On Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that negotiations between the United States and Iran are still taking place, even after Tehran stated it has no intention of engaging in direct talks with Washington.

In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump labeled Iran’s leaders “unbelievably duplicitous,” claiming they are lying about ongoing peace talks “whether Iran wants to admit it or not.” He repeated his assertion that the United States completely controls the Strait of Hormuz, despite maritime traffic through the crucial route lingering at only a small fraction of pre‑conflict levels.

He wrote, “Nothing reaches Iran unless we allow it, and nothing will pass unless a deal—or total surrender—is achieved.”

Earlier that day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters there is no imminent plan for U.S.–Iran negotiations, contradicting Trump’s earlier comment that talks would resume Monday afternoon. Baghaei added that Iran’s only current discussions are with Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflicting statements have heightened uncertainty over the peace‑talk process and the broader conflict, now in its sixth month.

Trump’s assertion about new negotiations came a day after he said on Truth Social that he had agreed to cancel a massive strike against Iran “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.” He said in the same post that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to hold off on that attack because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

Trump has claimed dozens of times throughout the more‑than‑five‑month‑long war that a deal is at hand. No permanent deal has been signed, and a temporary ceasefire reached in June has fallen apart.

Trump has also repeatedly threatened to launch devastating strikes against Iran before backing off. After the latest example, oil prices on Monday fell and stocks surged.

BMI, a research unit of Fitch Solutions, said in a note Monday that a broader diplomatic understanding on reopening the Strait of Hormuz is still achievable this quarter, while raising the probability of its escalation scenario to 35% from 25%, citing mounting military, diplomatic and economic signs of rising U.S.-Iran tensions.

“Diplomatic progress is likely to be punctuated by periodic military flare-ups, while miscalculation by either side could trigger a renewed escalation,” BMI analysts wrote in a note. The firm said the key issue to watch is the future governance of the strait, as the Iran-Oman talks — potentially backed by Gulf states, China and the U.S. — point to efforts to build a post-conflict shipping framework.

Shipping risks persist even as diplomacy appears to be advancing. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles (23 miles) northeast of Khasab, Oman — at the mouth of the strait — with a tanker’s master reporting an explosion in close proximity to the vessel at about 20:37 UTC Sunday (4:37 pm ET). The vessel and crew were safe and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said, advising ships to transit with caution.

The proposal Trump announced over the weekend calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue ironing out some of the thorny issues that had derailed diplomatic efforts, according to The Associated Press, citing a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.

The official said the proposal also includes a reopening of the Hormuz Strait and halting attacks across the region, including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the Arab Gulf countries and Jordan.

The U.S., for its part, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to export its oil, the official said, adding that no deal has been reached, although the mediation efforts remained underway.

Trump’s weekend reversal has lowered the temperature after days of escalating attacks across the Gulf. Kuwait said Saturday that Iranian forces launched a wave of drones within its airspace, with its military destroying multiple aircraft after Iran targeted critical infrastructure in the country’s north.

A parallel track with Muscat is also advancing. Iranian diplomats said Tehran was close to reaching a new arrangement with Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a deal critical to preventing the war from escalating further, according to the Financial Times.

Iranian officials said negotiations over future management of the Hormuz Strait with Oman, which sits on the opposite shore of the waterway, are in their final stages. The agreed shipping route would be different from those used before, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Baghaei, adding that the new route was separate from the issue of the strait’s reopening or continued closure.

Technologies

Oil Prices Slide as Trump Halts Planned Iran Strike

Oil prices dropped after Trump cancelled a planned strike on Iran, with WTI down about 5% and Brent near 5% lower. He said the move followed requests from Tehran and regional allies for a pause while a deal shaping the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program is negotiated.

Oil prices fell on Monday after President Donald Trump announced he had cancelled a planned strike on Iran. WTI futures dropped roughly 5% to $80.34 a barrel, while Brent slipped about 4.7% to $83.77 a barrel.

Trump said early Sunday he called off the strike after Iran and several Middle Eastern nations asked him to hold off, noting that the outlines of a deal had been agreed upon. He added that the prospective accord would entail the immediate, full opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, according to his Truth Social post.

The president had been considering another round of strikes as diplomatic hopes waned since the conflict began on February 28. He said the U.S. and Iran would meet for talks on Monday, but Iran denied any scheduled negotiations with Washington, citing PressTV. Iran’s foreign‑ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that Tehran was only discussing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman. In a follow‑up Truth Social message, Trump insisted that, regardless of Iran’s acknowledgment, the United States is indeed discussing a solution to a long‑standing problem created by Iran.

Technologies

Oil Prices Drop as Trump Cancels Planned Attack on Iran

Oil prices fell sharply after President Trump announced the cancellation of a planned strike on Iran, citing a new deal that would open the Hormuz Strait and end Iran’s nuclear threat.

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that he had called off a planned strike on Iran.

West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, slipped roughly 5% to close at $80.34 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, declined 4.7% to settle at $83.77 a barrel.

Trump made the announcement early Sunday, saying he had canceled the strike following requests from Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

The president indicated that the proposed agreement would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Hormuz Strait, as well as an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.

Trump had been weighing additional strikes amid diminishing prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict that began on Feb. 28. He stated that the U.S. and Iran would hold negotiations on Monday.

Tehran denied that talks were planned with Washington, according to state news outlet PressTV.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was only holding talks with Oman regarding the routes ships can use through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump added that whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused for decades.”