Why I'm recommending last year's phones over 2026 models - with one exception

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• The smartphone market is facing pressure due to the supply constraints of memory chips
• Phones launched in 2026 have been underwhelming, and many have seen price hikes.
• The top phones from 2025 are discounted now, making them a better purchase than newer devices.

If you're in the market for a new smartphone, you might be better off buying one from 2025 right now. Recent phones, especially mid-rangers, have delivered underwhelming upgrades, while also seeing price hikes.

Also: Why you'll pay more for phones and computers in 2026

As businesses scoop more and more memory for their AI data centers and hardware, fewer memory chips are available for consumer products. This is creating a shortage and subsequent price increases. The phones launched in 2026 are facing tougher competition from their predecessors than ...