"The smart way to shop for used phones and other gadgets."
Cracked your laptop screen? Discovered your phone no longer gets software updates? You're now facing a stiffer penalty than before, as device prices go anywhere but down.
The global memory-chip shortage that has dogged device makers in recent years—triggered by AI's voracious appetite for the same silicon found in nearly all consumer tech—has even begun to cause pain for supply-chain heavyweight Apple.
The iPhone maker plans to raise prices in the coming months, Chief Executive Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, citing rising component costs tied to memory constraints.
Hardware makers of all sizes will have little choice but to share the burden with consumers—either by raising prices or compromising on components, says Emily Herbert, a senior analyst with Counterpoint Research who leads the firm's global preowned smartphone service.
That makes the secondary market an attractive starting point for more people than ever before, she says, especially those shopping for their kid's first phone.
"Not a lot of parents will want to hand a 10- to 15-year-old an almost $2,000 device," Herbert says.
Turning to refurbished phones, laptops and even game consoles can be a great money-saving move, but it presents its own complications, so you need to be vigilant.
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