What about the new iPhones?
Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and first-ever foldable iPhone Duo at its "Surprise and Shine" hardware event on Sept. 9. We just published our initial review of both Pro models and plan on adding at least one of them to this guide in the near future, once we've wrapped up a couple more performance and battery life tests. Both phones are available for preorder ahead of their release on Sept. 18.
As for the iPhone Duo: It's not out until Oct. 23, but Mashable's Stan Schroeder got to spend a little time with it at Apple Park earlier this month. (Read his hands-on first impressions.) It should give our current favorite foldable phone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, a run for its money. Look for preorders starting Oct. 16.
Why are phones so expensive right now?
If you're in the market for a new phone right now, you should know that it'll cost you more than usual. Smartphone prices have surged in 2026 because we're in the middle of a global RAM shortage caused by the AI boom (commonly known as "RAMageddon"). New AI data centers are hogging supplies of memory and SSD storage chips, driving up their prices. Consequently, consumer tech devices that use the same components are also getting more expensive. Along with phones, laptops, and gaming consoles have also been heavily affected by RAMageddon price hikes.
So far, we've seen Apple, Google, and Samsung all raise the prices of their new releases at launch. Apple also increased the prices of some older iPhones by $100 following its iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and Duo announcements. Meanwhile, Samsung is reportedly mulling another bump for its current lineup.
With this in mind, it's especially wise to shop around for deals and carrier promotions before buying your new phone. Trading in an older device is the easiest way to save several hundred dollars on an upgrade. Some carriers will give you a new phone for free (in the form of monthly bill credits) if you also sign up for a new line or certain data plans. For example, the new iPhone 18 Pro is free with eligible trade-ins and plans through AT&T and T-Mobile.