If you are inside market for anything with a memory chip in it, now might be the time to grab it.
Another round of price hikes in consumer electronics appears to be underway. In June, Apple announced increased prices for its MacBooks and iPads. Xbox consoles are also more expensive since August. This is on the heels of already increased prices on products like Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro and, you know, oil, which has raised gas prices and added to the cost of shipping something to you.
This new price increase-following last year’s prices-is driven by many factors, but the main reason is the ongoing memory shortage, that is, the manufacturers of software components make it a priority to make chips for AI data centers over other technologies that require it. If this was a temporary problem, the affected companies would be able to cover the costs themselves. But the memory shortage doesn’t seem like it’s going away anytime soon, and the AI bubble hasn’t quite popped yet. Too much demand for too little supply often means the inevitable—companies pass their costs on to consumers through higher prices.
“In the past, you would have expected flies like this,” said Shawn DuBravac, an economist at the Global Electronics Association, which reports on memory shortages and related industries. “I don’t think that’s the case here. Waiting is not a strategy right now and probably won’t be for the foreseeable future.”
DuBravac says the best way to avoid price gouging is to buy refurbished gear, but if you need something new, always check to see what price increases have arrived. If something hasn’t seen a price increase yet, it will soon. But even if prices go up, this may be the best price you’ll see in the long run.
“They’re very serious in their pricing, and there’s a lot of collaboration that goes along with all of that,” DuBravac said. “If you’re looking at products that have already gone up in price, you probably have less time to think about them.”
Just buying everything you want this second is not realistic for people who feel financially strapped. People feel stressed out as the back-to-school and holiday product cycles loom.
“People are worried that they will have to pay more money for the next machine or the next purchase,” said Thibaud Hug de Larauze, CEO of the second-hand market Back Market. “The bad thing about that is it forces people to develop faster because they’re afraid of inflation, actually.”
The highlight of all this mess may be that the refurbished and used markets built to support and resell used products are booming. Buying refurbished is often more ethical and eco-friendly than buying new. And now is the best time to check the second-hand market for devices like phones.
Sean Cleland, vice president of Mobility tech at remarketing firm B-Stock, says that used smartphones are selling 10 to 20 percent more than they were in December 2025. In a typical year, those numbers would likely be reversed, with used phones declining. But demand for recycled products has increased.
“The supply chain will adjust eventually,” Cleland said. “The secondary market price will return to normal decline, but it will continue to be a step above what it was in 2025. It will never come back.”
A healthy resale market means more people are offering refurbished devices. It may be out of necessity, but it has led to a thriving industry that helps second-hand devices find new lives instead of going to the landfill. Manufacturers also rely on their resale programs, offering buy-back or trade-in programs for phones, computers, tablets, watches, and headphones. Selling that gear on third-party markets could also be more profitable as long as this shortage continues.
“You’re going to get more out of that phone than ever before,” Cleland said. “Use well; there’s a trade-in and a resale value in all those things.”
