2026 could bring the end of affordable mid-range Android phones

All the more reason to buy last year's phones at a discount.

2026 could bring the end of affordable mid-range Android phones

[The Samsung Galaxy A56 5G on a gray background.]

Credit: Samsung | Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek

Ismar Hrnjicevic

Mar 1, 2026, 1:45 PM EST

Ismar is a Senior Author at How-To Geek. He previously worked as a writer, editor, and general manager at a content agency before joining the How-To Geek team in 2023.

Ismar has been around Windows PCs since the age of three, so his friends and family chose him as the resident tech support. His projects often involve tinkering, such as disassembling mechanical keyboards and gaming mice to mod his beloved gear. He also enjoys pushing his hardware to the max through overclocking while staying on a reasonable budget.

An avid gamer, Ismar has logged thousands of hours across various genres, including first-person shooters, RPGs, car racing games, and roguelites.

When he is not at his desk, he is probably exploring other people’s phones to discover their quirks and features. He also keeps up with the latest tech and actively follows the latest AI trends.

He began his writing career in 2021 after completing a BA in English Language and Literature. To keep up with his workload, he relies on up to three cups of coffee a day. His love for the beverage inspired him to create a blog showcasing his favorite coffee mugs.

Beyond How-To Geek, Ismar has contributed to Red Stag Fulfillment and Authority Hacker. He has also worked on various SEO projects to help clients improve their search engine visibility.

In his free time, Ismar enjoys spending time with his wife, working out at the gym, playing guitar and bass, cooking gourmet meals, and traveling. But most important of all, he’s a proud cat owner.

Phone prices have been creeping upward for years due to a long list of factors. Most of the time, the increases felt gradual, fair, and manageable. However, the recent memory price spikes have hit the entire tech industry hard, and phones are no exception.

The real pressure is felt most in devices where margins are already razor-thin—the budget and mid-range segment. While flagships can absorb some of the added memory costs thanks to their higher price ceilings, cheaper phones may be forced into decisions nobody wants.

###
New phones cost more to build than ever

Mid-range phones have been enjoying gradual spec bumps over the years, in no small part thanks to economies of scale. As fancy new tech appears on flagships, the costs of manufacturing and buying these parts slowly fall and eventually trickle down into the mid-range segment.

That's how a company like Nothing can sell a phone like the 3a for $379 and deliver 12GB of RAM, 256GB storage, a 120Hz AMOLED display, decent cameras (one of which is a 50MP telephoto), a 5,000mAh battery, clean software, and a fairly capable mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC, all packaged in a phone that looks like no other budget unit.

[Nothing Phone (3a) showing back lights.]

Credit: Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

However, what makes this year particularly rough is the massive memory price increase both in RAM and storage.

According to TrendForce, global smartphone shipments could decline by around 10% year over year as bill of materials (BOM) costs surge. The cost of memory has roughly tripled, and now it alone could account for 30–40% of a smartphone’s total component cost.

You've likely heard about the AI boom that caused the so-called "RAM-pocalypse," but the problem is that storage and RAM are essential components every phone needs to function. Cutting down on storage or RAM would be a massively unpopular strategy—you need a certain amount of storage for apps and media, and your phone needs ample RAM to maintain smooth performance.

This is a major issue across all phones, but it's especially concerning in devices where there's already little budget left for meaningful upgrades. We're used to seeing generous amounts of RAM and storage in phones that cost around $300, so if these devices suddenly start shipping with as much memory as phones from four years ago, that's a problem.

###
The $300 to $500 range could see significantly higher prices or a spec plateau

[Google Pixel 9a laying on a table.]

Credit: Justin Duino / How-To Geek

Over the past few years, mid-range phones have managed to hit the sweet spot that everyone seems happy with—people get sub-flagship specs in a modern device that’ll receive updates for several years, and manufacturers can charge a tiny margin, relying on unit sales to drive profits instead.

However, this strategy just won’t work in 2026. If a $400 phone that cost $200 in parts to manufacture now suddenly costs $260 while keeping the same amount of RAM and storage, there’s simply nothing left for the manufacturer to make the phone even worth selling. They either have to price the phone closer to $500 to make a profit or cut the RAM and storage to maintain the $400 price.

Credit: Motorola

Samsung hasn’t officially announced the Samsung Galaxy A37 at the time of writing, but if GSMArena’s spec sheet is to be believed, the phone could be nearly identical to the Galaxy A36 while removing the 12GB RAM variant. If that ends up being true, it’s frankly hard to recommend the A37 in a world where you can get a deeply discounted A36.

Other Samsung Galaxy A series phones could face the same fate, as could other budget devices like the Nothing Phone a-series, most Motorola phones, and the Pixel a-series. Mid-range "flagship killer" phones could take the hardest hit, though, as these devices often rely on a combination of relatively powerful SoCs and large amounts of RAM to handle demanding apps like games.

[Someone holding the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2025) phone on its quick panel page.]

Credit: Cianna Garrison/ How-To Geek

Aside from increasing prices or reducing memory, there’s actually a third option—keep memory and price the same but cut specs elsewhere. A 120Hz display could become 90Hz, the SoC might stay from the previous generation or switch to a cheaper chip, cameras could be slightly downgraded, and even build quality could see corners cut, like replacing glass backs and aluminum frames with plastic.

I don’t think too many manufacturers will opt for this, though, since these are all small but damaging downgrades while manufacturing prices remain high due to memory.

[Samsung Galaxy S24 FE in blue and white sitting on a table]

These Cheap Samsung Galaxy Phones Are Surprisingly Great

I challenge you to spot the difference.

Bertel King

###
It's not all bad news—you can still buy last year's phones

[Multiple Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphones laying on a table]

Credit: Justin Duino / How-To Geek

While 2026 isn't shaping up to be a good year for smartphones, it's not all bad news. If you were planning to upgrade to a new phone this year but are now worried about RAM and storage, I suggest simply grabbing a phone from last year or even the year before instead.

A refurbished flagship from a couple of years ago could be the best option.

[...]

Original source