Don’t Buy New Phones
Why You Shouldn’t Buy a New Phone in 2026
We’re already halfway through 2026, and some of you may be waiting for the perfect opportunity to buy a new smartphone. Given the many new announcements, I can well understand why you might be tempted to snap up a top-of-the-range model like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. But personally, I don’t think that’s a good idea.
The price is too high, with many newly released smartphones costing between £1,000 to £2,000. For me, the value for money has to be right above all else, and that’s certainly not the case with many of these devices. Admittedly, our list of the best smartphones shows that top-of-the-range devices are still playing in the top league. But the differences compared to the previous generation – or even to many mid-range devices like the Samsung Galaxy A54 or the Google Pixel 6a – are becoming increasingly minor.
The Current Memory Crisis
The current memory crisis is doing its bit to drive up the cost of new devices even further. Or it’s leading manufacturers to simply install less RAM, following the example set by companies like Microsoft. At the end of the day, it’s your decision what you want to do with your money. But don’t complain when, in a few months’ time, the latest flagship model is already on your doorstep, offering nothing more than AI features and a 0.3 per cent performance boost.
Even our colleagues at Macworld, who usually celebrate every new Apple device like the iPhone 16 Pro or the Apple Watch Series 10, advise giving the upcoming iPhone Ultra a miss. Take their advice and wait for genuine innovations instead. It’s equally worrying when a tech CEO publicly says the best time to buy a phone was yesterday.
Old Smartphones Last Longer
Ever since the EU decided that smartphone and tablet manufacturers must provide updates for their devices for five years and supply spare parts for up to seven years, there’s really no longer any reason to buy a new mobile every two years. A device launched in 2025, like the Samsung Galaxy S25 or the iPad Air M2, will, in any case, continue to receive new features and security updates until 2030. So why start eyeing up the next, more expensive model just yet? There’s no need to rush, as your current smartphone will continue to perform well in the future.
A Better Option
So my recommendation is: stick with your current device for as long as you can. Or at least until the prices of storage media have stabilised again. Because everything new coming onto the market in 2026 will be affected by this. I can’t say for certain whether things will improve in 2027. The developments fuelled by the hype surrounding artificial intelligence are simply too unpredictable for that.
There are, of course, exceptions. If your current smartphone breaks down or the battery life is no longer acceptable, you don’t have to put up with it. However, a new device should genuinely feel like something new, rather than a minor improvement that’s only really noticeable on paper. It’s best to take a look at the devices that have come onto the market over the last two years, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 or the Google Pixel 7 Pro, and have performed well in our reviews, or a budget device as a stop gap. These are often available at a decent discount and will give you many years of enjoyment.
