Apple Raised the MacBook Air $200 in June. Samsung Raised Its Flagship $100 in October.
The advice used to be simple. Wait for the sale.
In 2026 the sale stopped cooperating.
| Product | Before | After | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 512GB | $1,099 | $1,299 | June 25, 2026 |
| MacBook Pro 14-inch, 1TB | $1,699 | $1,999 | June 25, 2026 |
| iPad Air 128GB | $599 | $749 | June 25, 2026 |
| Galaxy S26, 256GB | $899 | $999 | October 1, 2026 |
| Galaxy S26+, 256GB | $1,099 | $1,199 | October 1, 2026 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra, 256GB | $1,299 | $1,399 | October 1, 2026 |
The Galaxy S26 FE stayed at $699.
Those raises came about six months after the Samsung launch. That's not a sale getting skipped. That's the price going the wrong way after you started shopping.
The cause analysts keep naming is memory chip costs.
- IDC says PC shipments fell 20.1 percent in the third quarter to 62.7 million. Vendors had loaded up on stock early in the year to get ahead of price hikes.
- Counterpoint, as reported by FoneArena, says global smartphone retail prices are up about 20 percent so far in 2026.
- TrendForce says memory and storage chips made up about 68 percent of the parts cost of a mainstream $900 notebook in the third quarter.
Waiting for a sale is a bet now. Not a plan.
There's a quieter way prices rise. The spec shrinks and the price stays.
TrendForce says a maker can raise the price, eat the cost, or cut specs. It says makers are unlikely to hold price, specs and profit all at once. For the fourth quarter it reports some PC makers are cutting SSD sizes.
So check the configuration, not just the model name.
What the Price Tag Assumes
A price on a gadget is often a price with a condition attached.
| The ad says | The fine print says |
|---|---|
| iPhone 17, from $899 | That price includes a $30 connectivity discount that needs carrier activation. Unlocked, the same phone is $929 (Apple, October 2026) |
| Up to $1,000 trade-in credit | Usually monthly bill credits over 24 or 36 months, not cash at checkout |
| 0 percent APR for 36 months | The credits depend on staying on the plan the whole time. Verizon's own wording: customer must remain in the program for 36 months |
| Activation | AT&T and T-Mobile each list a $35 fee |
| Apple Card financing | A variable APR of 17.74 to 27.99 percent on new accounts as of October 1, 2026 |
| Unlocking | Verizon delays unlocking by 35 days if a Verizon gift card paid for the phone |
Here's what that trade-in credit does to a bad month.
Say a carrier gives you $1,000 in credit over 36 months. That's $27.78 a month.
Leave after 12 months and 24 credits are still unpaid. That's about $666.67 you never get.
The credit isn't a discount. It's a contract.
Gadgets That Died When the Company Stopped Paying Its Servers
Some devices are a screen plus a subscription to a server. Pull the server and you have a paperweight.
| Device | What happened | When |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify Car Thing | Stopped working entirely. A class action followed | December 9, 2024 |
| Humane Ai Pin | Cost $699 at launch, then $499 plus $24 a month. Servers shut off after HP agreed to buy most of the company for $116 million | February 28, 2025 |
| Nest Learning Thermostat, 1st and 2nd generation | Support ended | October 25, 2025 |
| Belkin Wemo, 19 products | App, remote access and voice features ended unless the product works through Apple HomeKit or Thread. Refunds only for products still under warranty on that date | January 31, 2026 |
| iRobot | Filed for Chapter 11 and was to be acquired. We could not find what happens to the app | December 14, 2025 |
The pattern is the same each time.
The hardware kept working. The company's side stopped.
Before you buy anything that has an app, ask three questions:
- Does it still work without the maker's server?
- Is there a support end date in writing?
- Is there a refund promise if the company quits?
If all three answers are no, you're renting a gadget and paying like you own it.
Wondering about home gear specifically? The smart-home guide goes deeper on subscriptions and cloud shutdowns.
How Long Will It Get Updates? Get the Year in Writing
A device that stops getting security fixes is a device you slowly stop being able to trust.
| Device | What the maker says |
|---|---|
| Pixel 8 and later | 7 years of OS and security updates (Google) |
| Galaxy S26 family | Seven years, to 2033 (as reported on Wikipedia's product page) |
| iPhone | iOS 27 runs on iPhone 11 and later (Apple) |
| Chromebook | 10 years from the platform release date, listed per model (Google) |
| Windows 10 | Support ended October 14, 2025. Extended Security Updates cost $30 one time and cover up to 10 devices through October 12, 2027 (Microsoft) |
| Windows 11 version 24H2, Home and Pro | Servicing ends October 14, 2026 (Microsoft lifecycle page) |
Microsoft says the Windows 10 extension is free if you sync your PC settings or spend 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
On the Apple side, the security page lists no 2026 fixes for macOS 13 Ventura. Its last listed update was August 20, 2025.
A support promise without a year is a mood, not a promise.
Look for a written year. Not “regular updates.” Not “as long as possible.” A date.
Fake Chargers and Recalled Power Banks
A charger is the one gadget you plug into the wall and leave next to your bed.
UL tested 400 counterfeit iPhone adapters for a Senate hearing in 2018. The failure rate topped 99 percent. All but three had fire and shock hazards. Twelve could electrocute someone.
The Government Accountability Office bought 47 items from third-party sellers on popular consumer sites. Twenty were counterfeit.
Those tests are old. We found no 2026 retest.
UL also found counterfeit UL marks on products it seized. So a logo on the box proves nothing.
And real brands recall things too. Anker's two big power bank recalls, as reported from the Consumer Product Safety Commission notices:
- June 2025: about 1.16 million PowerCore 10000 power banks, model A1263, sold from June 2016 to December 2022. 19 fires and explosions, 2 minor burns, and over $60,700 in property damage across 11 incidents. The remedy was a replacement or a $30 gift card, and you had to prove safe disposal.
- September 2025: about 481,000 power banks across five models, sold from August 2023 to June 2025 for $30 to $50. 33 overheating incidents, including explosions. The remedy was a refund or gift card. The model numbers were A1257, A1647, A1652, A1681 and A1689.
We couldn't open the commission's own pages, so those numbers come from Fox Business and FOX 13.
The habit that protects you is small. Buy chargers from the brand or an authorized seller. Then check the model number against the recall list.
Return Windows Are Shorter Than You Think
Here's something that surprises people.
No federal law gives you a general right to return something you bought. The FTC's mail and internet order rule covers late shipping and refunds for delayed or cancelled orders. It doesn't cover changing your mind.
Your return right is the store's policy.
| Store | Window for electronics | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Best Buy | 15 days. 60 days for My Best Buy Plus and Total members | Phones and other activatable devices get 14 days and a $45 restocking fee if opened. Cameras and lenses carry a 15 percent fee. The clock starts the day you receive it |
| Target | 30 days, but 14 days for Apple and Beats including phones | Phones carry restocking up to $35 where allowed, none if unopened. Circle Card adds 30 days |
| Costco | 90 days | Phones vary by carrier contract |
| Walmart | 30 days for consumer electronics | Marketplace sellers set their own rules. Check phones separately |
| Amazon | 30 days for most items. 15 days for new Apple-brand items | Up to 50 percent can come off the refund if the item returns damaged or with obvious signs of use |
| Apple | 14 days | From Apple's education terms. We couldn't open the consumer page |
Best Buy applies its window to open-box, refurbished and pre-owned items too, and they must come back like new.
A 14-day window on a $1,000 phone isn't a trial. It's a deadline.
So test on day one. Don't wait until the weekend.
- Every port
- Every speaker
- The camera and the microphone
- Battery drain overnight
- A software update check
And screenshot the price you paid, because Best Buy only matches its own lower price during the return window. It won't match marketplace, clearance, refurbished or open-box items.
The Protection Plan Math
The FTC says an extended plan is not a good value if it doesn't offer more coverage than the warranty that came with the product. Its own advice on the contract: “If it isn't listed in the contract, assume that it's not covered.”
Apple's one-year warranty covers defects. It excludes accidents and liquid damage.
So the part you're buying with a plan is accident coverage.
Here's what Apple charges for it:
- AppleCare One: $19.99 a month for up to three products, $5.99 a month for each one you add, and $49.99 a month for a family of up to six
- iPhone screen or back glass: $29 to $99 per claim
- Other iPhone damage: $99
- iPhone theft or loss: $149
- Mac screen or enclosure: $49 to $99
- Other Mac damage: $149 to $299
Now run it on the calculator above.
The defaults say a $240 plan, a $149 claim fee and a $700 repair. The plan only breaks even if you have a 43.6 percent chance of a covered claim. At a 20 percent chance, the plan loses about $130 on average.
That doesn't mean never buy one. It means the plan has to cover something your warranty doesn't, and the repair has to hurt more than the plan does.
We found no independent claim-rate data for 2026. The chance is your guess. Be honest with it.
One more rule that works in your favor. Under federal warranty law, a seller must make a written warranty available before you buy on products over $15. Ask to read it first.
Right to Repair: Where It's Law and Where It Isn't
If you live in some states, you have a stronger hand when a gadget breaks.
| State | What it does | When |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | Right-to-repair law | July 1, 2024 |
| California | Parts and tools for 3 years on products priced $50 to $99.99, and 7 years on products of $100 or more | July 1, 2024 |
| Oregon | Bans software parts pairing on devices made after January 1, 2025. Penalties start July 1, 2027 | January 1, 2025 |
| Washington | Key provisions, with a parts pairing ban for products made and first sold after that date | January 1, 2026 |
| Texas | House Bill 2963 covers products first sold in Texas on or after that date | September 1, 2026 |
Those come from Repair.org, an advocacy group. Its New York and Colorado dates conflict with other sources, so check the statute before you rely on either.
For repairability before you buy, iFixit scores laptops. It rates ThinkPads at 9 to 10, the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 at 5 (provisional), and the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 at 4.
A low score doesn't mean don't buy. It means price in the repair.
Used, Refurbished and Open-Box: Where the Discount Is Real
A used or refurbished device can be the smartest buy in this guide. Or it can be a locked brick.
Start with the lock. On an Apple device, Apple Support says this is the test:
- Turn it on. If it shows a passcode or a Home Screen, it was not erased.
- If setup asks for the previous owner's Apple Account, it's still linked.
- Don't pay until the seller removes it.
Now the discount. These are Apple's certified refurbished prices against its listed new prices:
| Device | Refurbished | New | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-inch iMac M4 | $1,269 | $1,499 | $230 (15.3 percent) |
| 15-inch MacBook Air M4 | $1,019 | $1,099 | $80 (7.3 percent) |
| MacBook Neo | $679 | $699 | $20 (2.9 percent) |
A refurb can save you 3 to 15 percent. The MacBook Neo saves $20, on a device whose support clock has already started.
So the question isn't refurbished or new. It's whether the discount is worth the lost time on the clock.
Amazon Renewed gives 90 days to return items rated Acceptable through Excellent and 365 days for Premium. Third-party sites disagree about Renewed battery rules, so read Amazon's own page.
Spec Words That Cost You Money
A few phrases on the box carry more weight than they should.
| On the box | What it really means |
|---|---|
| Up to 18 hours of battery | Apple tested preproduction MacBook Air units in January 2026 while browsing 25 websites and streaming 1080p video at a set brightness. Microsoft's 2024 claim of 22 hours of video used 150 nits. Look for an independent test at your brightness |
| 40+ TOPS NPU | The minimum for Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs. Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 reaches about 46 to 50 TOPS, but the similarly named Core Series 3 reaches only 15 to 17 |
| AI features included | Samsung says basic Galaxy AI features are free and that future releases may include paid features. Ask what's free, and for how long |
| UL listed | Counterfeiters copy it. Check the model number, not the logo |
| Lifetime or unlimited | If it isn't in the contract, assume it's not covered |
| Was $X, now $Y | A former price has to be an actual, bona fide price offered on a regular basis for a reasonably substantial period of time, under federal pricing rules |
| Certified refurbished, Renewed, open-box | Three different things. Ask who certifies it, and for how long |
A tiny word difference, like Core Ultra versus Core, can decide whether a PC meets the line. Read the whole name.
We found no electronics-specific 2026 enforcement case for fake “was” prices. The rule is real. We just couldn't find a recent case to point at.
When to Buy: What the Forecasters Say About Prices
Treat everything in this section as a forecast, not a fact.
- Black Friday: November 27, 2026. Cyber Monday is November 30. Thanksgiving is November 26.
- IDC: Promotions will be modest and short-term, and the outlook for the next few quarters could worsen before it improves.
- TrendForce (October 8): 2027 notebook shipments should fall by a low single-digit percentage. DRAM supply stays tight in 2027. NAND constraints may ease in the second half of 2027.
- Acer's chairman: He expects relief from new Chinese capacity in the second half of 2027 and called a shortage lasting to 2030 impossible.
- Return extensions: Apple's 2025 holiday window ran to January 8, 2026. We found no 2026 Apple holiday policy as of October 19. Apple usually announces it in mid-November.
One more thing on tariffs. The Supreme Court struck down the emergency tariffs on February 20, 2026. A 10 percent Section 122 tariff expired on July 24, and Section 301 tariffs of 10 to 12.5 percent on about 60 economies started that day. A 25 percent Section 232 tariff on certain advanced chips began January 15, 2026, with an exemption for non-data-center consumer uses.
We couldn't confirm which phone and laptop lines those tariffs touch. We also couldn't confirm that tariffs are the reason any given price rose. The memory story fits the data better.
The Subscription Trap: What Amazon Paid
A lot of gadgets now come with a subscription attached. Cancelling is where it gets ugly.
On September 25, 2025, the FTC announced a $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon over how Prime enrollment and cancellation worked. That's a $1 billion civil penalty plus $1.5 billion in refunds. The agency estimated it covered about 35 million consumers.
That's the biggest cancellation case in years. And it's about one company.
The federal rule that was meant to make every cancellation as easy as signing up has been in flux. The FTC's page shows a February 12, 2026 notice that revised the Negative Option Rule to match court decisions. A March 2026 advance notice started a new effort.
So don't count on a federal cancel button yet.
Before you sign up for anything with an app, look for the cancel button first. If you can't find it in two minutes, that's your answer.
Who Should Buy Now, Wait, or Walk Away
Six rules. Each one comes from the numbers above.
-
Buy now if your device lost security updates
Windows 10 stopped getting them on October 14, 2025. If you need the computer for work, don't wait for a deal. The forecasts say prices stay high.
-
Wait if your device is supported and works
TrendForce expects NAND relief in the second half of 2027, and IDC says promotions may appear. Waiting is a bet, because Apple and Samsung both raised prices in the middle of a product cycle.
-
Walk away from any gadget that needs the maker's server
No local mode, no written support end date and no refund promise is the Car Thing, Ai Pin, Wemo and Nest pattern. Skip it.
-
Walk away from charger and power bank deals from unknown sellers
Anker's recalls show even a known brand can recall 1.16 million units. An anonymous seller gives you less to go on.
-
Buy open-box or refurbished only when the certifier is named
The return window has to cover your testing. Best Buy applies its normal 15 days to open-box and refurbished items.
-
Skip the protection plan unless it adds accident coverage
Run the calculator above. If the break-even chance is above your honest odds of a claim, keep the money.
How We Checked It
We read the maker pages, the retailer policies, the FTC documents and the analyst reports. We checked them on October 19, 2026.
Some sources were stronger than others. Here's what we leaned on.
Market data:
- IDC's third-quarter 2026 PC tracker
- TrendForce on 2027 notebook demand
- Fox Business on Apple's price increases
- WhistleOut on Samsung's Galaxy S26 increase
Support and policy pages:
- Google's Pixel update policy
- Microsoft's Windows 10 Extended Security Updates
- Apple's Activation Lock guide
- AppleCare
- Belkin's Wemo notice
- Best Buy's return policy
- Target's return policy
- Costco's return policy
Safety and the law:
- UL's 2018 Senate testimony on counterfeit chargers
- The GAO's counterfeit goods report
- The FTC on extended warranties
- The FTC's warranty law guide
- The FTC's Amazon settlement
What we couldn't confirm:
- Amazon's and Walmart's return pages blocked part of our checking, so treat those two rows as lower confidence.
- Apple's U.S. consumer return page wouldn't open.
- How the July 2026 tariffs apply to specific phone and laptop lines.
- Which fake-review penalty figure is current.
- The terms of Apple's lease option at the end of the lease.
This guide is one of 25 in our series on what people research before they buy. For specific products, start with the TV guide, the laptop guide or the smartphone guide. If you're shopping for hearing help, see the over-the-counter hearing aids guide.