Google’s affordable Pixel just became a lot less affordable. The Pixel 10a now starts at $599 in the U.S., a nasty $100 increase over its previous $499 asking price. The 256GB version has received the same treatment, climbing from $599 to $699.
Google has not officially explained the Pixel 10a hike yet, but the move is hardly coming out of nowhere. Earlier this year, the company warned that a severe, supplier-driven memory crisis would eventually affect Pixel phones already on sale.
When the Pixel 10a launched in March, its $499 starting price was a big part of the appeal. It gave buyers a cheaper route into Google’s smartphone ecosystem without jumping to the flagship Pixel lineup. That value proposition has taken a pretty significant hit overnight. Google’s own hardware leadership previously pointed to an unprecedented rise in memory prices, saying the company had absorbed those increases for as long as it could before passing some of the pain onto customers.
The problem extends well beyond Google. Samsung just raised prices across its Galaxy S26 lineup, with most configurations getting a $100 increase and the 1TB Galaxy S26 Ultra jumping by $200. Rising memory and storage costs were also at the center of Samsung’s warnings. The timing also puts a question mark over the upcoming Pixel 11a. Google’s next affordable phone has already leaked ahead of a possible spring launch, but with the current model getting a price hike, the question is how much Google will charge for the next generation.
Unfortunately, anyone hoping this is a short-lived problem may be disappointed. Micron says it has already sold most of its 2027 memory output, and buyers next year are expected to pay considerably more than they did in 2026.
Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra expects demand to continue exceeding supply through 2027 and 2028, with conditions potentially getting worse before they improve. The company is building new factories, but even those are not expected to bring immediate relief once production begins. AI hardware is soaking up huge amounts of memory capacity, leaving consumer electronics fighting over what remains. So if you are planning to buy a new device or upgrade an old one, it’s better to do it now than wait and get slapped with another potential price hike.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.