The concept of a budget-friendly phone lost its meaning this week when Samsung announced its new Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE costs an eye-watering $900. It’s similar in looks and ability to its premium-model sister phone, and it even has the same cameras.
Earlier this year, Apple released its more budget-friendly iPhone 16E, which also got jeers for an higher-than-expected price of $600. It carries the same processor as the main iPhone 16, but lacks one rear camera.
The cost of phones is expected to continue to rise, leaving the more affordable models stuck filling an awkward gap for anyone who’s looking to buy a new phone. These budget models cost more than before but they can also do more than ever, with similar processors to their flagship counterparts.
So for this week’s episode of One More Thing, which you can watch embedded above, I’m talking about how budget tech is becoming the new normal — and why it’s time to take this category seriously as the only tech worth your money now for upgrades.
Phone costs will continue to rise, and it might not even be related to the latest tariff threats. Apple is reportedly planning to raise iPhone prices regardless of tariffs, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. Tech tariff anxiety is still high, with a CNET survey finding that 64% of consumers are rushing to buy tech to avoid price spikes and shortages.
That means tech companies are more incentivized to make lower entry prices for a product, and that means cutting some features to cut costs. And this trend goes beyond phones. Apple is rumored to be making a cheaper MacBook by giving it an iPhone chip.
And why not? With how good these processors are, you might not even notice the difference for basic tasks.
If you’re looking for more One More Thing, subscribe to our YouTube page to catch Bridget Carey breaking down the latest Apple news and issues every Friday.
