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Best VPN for PC and the 2026 Phone Buying Call

Smartphone shipments hit a 14 year low on memory prices. Here is what to buy, what to skip, and why extending your current phone wins for most readers.

Global Smartphone Shipments Hit 14-Year Low: What It Means for Buyers — illustrative featured image
The third quarter of 2026 closed with the weakest global smartphone shipment numbers since 2012. Reuters reported the 14 year low last week, and the cause is not consumer apathy. It is memory. DRAM and NAND contract prices have climbed for six straight quarters, and phone makers are now fighting AI data centers for the same silicon. Every flagship that shipped this autumn carries a bill of materials roughly 18 to 22 percent higher than its 2025 predecessor, and most of that delta is RAM and storage. That changes what you should buy, when you should buy it, and how long you should plan to keep it. It also changes what you should install on the machine you already own. If you are holding a 2022 or 2023 handset and waiting for a deal, the [best VPN for PC](/blog/best-noise-cancelling-earbuds-for-every-budget-2026-real-world-guide) and a battery replacement will stretch that device further than any upgrade on shelves right now. Below is the decision, framed as the two paths most readers are actually weighing: upgrade now versus extend what you have. ## The verdict at a glance If you need a new phone in the next 90 days, buy the Pixel 10a at $499. It is the only current device where the price did not move despite the memory squeeze, and it will hold resale value better than anything else in its bracket. If you can wait, do not buy at all until Q2 2027, when memory contracts are forecast to soften and the current inflated flagships will be discounted. The winner for most readers in the US, UK and Europe is waiting, and spending $30 to $60 on a battery replacement plus a privacy subscription instead. ## Quick comparison table | Feature | Upgrade now (Pixel 10a) | Extend current device | |---|---|---| | Upfront cost | $499 | $0 to $60 (battery) | | Memory tier | 8GB LPDDR5X | Whatever you bought in 2022 to 2024 | | OS support runway | 7 years from launch | 1 to 3 years remaining | | Resale value in 12 months | Roughly 55 percent | Not applicable | | Best for | Broken screen, dead battery, work-critical apps | Functional device, mild slowdown | | Risk | Paying peak memory pricing | Missing a security patch window | | Monthly equivalent over 3 years | About $13.90 | Under $2 | | Trade-in leverage | High, carriers still competing | None | | Recommended action | Buy in the next 6 weeks | Wait until Q2 2027 | ## Pixel 10a, where it shines ### It is the only phone that ignored the memory tax Google locked its component contracts in early 2025, before the DRAM spike. The 10a ships with 8GB of LPDDR5X and 128GB of storage at $499, identical to the Pixel 9a at launch. Samsung's Galaxy S26 starts at $899, up $100 year over year. Apple's iPhone 18 holds at $799 but quietly dropped the 128GB tier in Europe. Google is the outlier, and outliers do not last. Buy this one while the pricing holds. ### Seven years of updates is now an economic argument, not a marketing one When replacement hardware costs 20 percent more than it did last year, longevity becomes the whole calculation. Seven years of OS and security patches means a $499 phone costs you $71 per year of supported life. A $1,199 flagship with the same support window costs $171. The 10a's Tensor G5 is not fast, and we will say that plainly. It is fast enough. ### Trade-in programs still favor midrange buyers Carriers in the US and UK are sitting on inventory they over-ordered before the shortage bit. That means aggressive trade-in credits on midrange devices specifically, because that is where volume lives. We have seen $200 to $300 credits on three year old handsets against the 10a in both markets. Those credits will not survive the holiday quarter. ## Extending your current device, where it shines ### The math is not close A battery replacement runs $49 to $89 at a US carrier store, £45 to £75 in the UK, and €50 to €90 across the EU. Add a $40 annual privacy subscription and you have spent under $130 to keep a working phone alive for another 18 months. Compare that to $499 plus tax plus a case. If your device still receives security patches, extending is the correct financial answer, full stop. ### Slower storage is the real bottleneck, and it is manageable The memory shortage did not just raise prices. It pushed manufacturers toward cheaper NAND in midrange devices, which means a 2026 midrange phone can feel slower at app switching than a 2023 flagship. If your current phone has 8GB of RAM or more, you are not losing to this year's midrange. You are winning. Clear 15GB of storage, disable background refresh on the five apps you never open, and the difference disappears. ### Security patches are the hard deadline This is the one thing you cannot work around. Check your device's support page today. If your phone stopped receiving patches before mid 2026, extend nothing. Buy the 10a and move on. Running an unpatched handset on public networks in 2026 is not a frugal choice, it is a liability, particularly if you handle work email or banking on it. ## Pricing and value Current US pricing as of mid October 2026. UK and EU prices include VAT. - Pixel 10a: $499 / £449 / €499. The value pick. No memory tax. - Galaxy S26: $899 / £849 / €949. Up $100 from the S25. Skip unless you need the S Pen. - iPhone 18: $799 / £799 / €899. Held US pricing, lost the 128GB tier in Europe. - Refurbished Pixel 9a: $329 to $379. The smartest buy if you accept a one year warranty. - Battery replacement: $49 to $89 US, £45 to £75 UK, €50 to €90 EU. The one to avoid is any 2026 flagship bought at full price between now and January. You are paying peak memory pricing for hardware that will be discounted 15 to 20 percent by spring. If you must buy a flagship, buy last year's model refurbished. The gap between a 2025 flagship and a 2026 flagship is smaller than it has been in a decade, because neither one got meaningfully faster. ## Our take Buy the Pixel 10a if you need a phone this quarter. Buy a refurbished Pixel 9a if you need one and want to spend less. Replace the battery and wait if your current device still gets patches. Do not buy a 2026 flagship at list price. That is the whole recommendation, and it holds across the US, UK and Europe. ## Which one should you choose If your screen is cracked, your battery dies before 4pm, or your device stopped receiving security updates, buy the Pixel 10a now. The six week window before holiday pricing kicks in is real. If your phone works, holds a charge through a workday, and still gets patches, extend it. Spend the $60 on a battery and the $40 on privacy software. Revisit in Q2 2027 when memory contracts reset. If you are a heavy mobile gamer or shoot a lot of video, neither path is ideal. Buy a refurbished 2025 flagship with 12GB of RAM. You will pay $600 to $700 instead of $1,100, and you will get better sustained performance than anything midrange shipping this year. ## FAQ ### Can I swap the Pixel 10a for a Galaxy S26 later without losing money? Not without losing money. Resale on the 10a after 12 months sits around 55 percent, so you would recover roughly $275 against an $899 S26. That is a $624 gap for a phone that is not meaningfully faster in daily use. Buy the device you intend to keep. ### Is it worth upgrading from a 2023 flagship to a 2026 midrange? No. A 2023 flagship with 8GB of RAM outperforms most 2026 midrange phones at app switching, because the midrange tier absorbed the worst of the memory downgrade. Upgrade only if your device has lost patch support or the battery is failing. ### What is the single biggest deal-breaker in this market? Patch support. Everything else is negotiable. A slow phone is annoying, an expensive phone is annoying, but an unpatched phone on a public network in 2026 is a genuine security problem. Check your support window before you check anything else.

Frequently asked questions

It is the only phone that ignored the memory tax Google locked its component contracts in early 2025, before the DRAM spike. The 10a ships with 8GB of LPDDR5X and 128GB of storage at $499, identical

Not without losing money. Resale on the 10a after 12 months sits around 55 percent, so you would recover roughly $275 against an $899 S26. That is a $624 gap for a phone that is not meaningfully faster in daily use. Buy the device you intend to keep.

Is it worth upgrading from a 2023 flagship to a 2026 midrange?

No. A 2023 flagship with 8GB of RAM outperforms most 2026 midrange phones at app switching, because the midrange tier absorbed the worst of the memory downgrade. Upgrade only if your device has lost patch support or the battery is failing.

What is the single biggest deal-breaker in this market?

Patch support. Everything else is negotiable. A slow phone is annoying, an expensive phone is annoying, but an unpatched phone on a public network in 2026 is a genuine security problem. Check your support window before you check anything else.

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