Samsung and Google have both increased the starting prices of their budget phones, according to Engadget. Samsung's entire Galaxy A lineup now costs $30 to $70 more than before, with the Galaxy A17 5G rising from $200 to $270 after an earlier hike in August. The Galaxy A27 5G, A37 5G, and A57 5G also went up, to $380, $490, and $600 respectively.
Google's Pixel 10a, which launched at $499 in March, now costs $599 in the US. The increase is even steeper in Canada, where the phone rose from $679 to $849. Even at the higher price, the Pixel 10a remains on the cheaper end of Google's lineup, but it is no longer the bargain it was at launch.
The price hikes are attributed to a RAM shortage affecting the tech industry. Engadget reports that the best-case scenario is for the shortage to ease within a year as Chinese RAM production increases, while a more pessimistic outlook sees higher RAM prices persisting through 2030. That suggests future budget models could launch at similarly inflated prices, leaving used phones as an increasingly attractive option for cost-conscious buyers.