Electronics Prices in 2027: Phones, Streaming and Gadgets

Two price increases landed within two weeks of each other at the end of summer 2026, and together they explain most of what American households will pay for technology in 2027. On August 28, Apple lifted its Apple TV streaming plan from $12.99 to $14.99 a month. In September, it launched the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199, with US iPhone prices up $100 across the lineup. Meanwhile, a used iPhone 13 still sells for about $210, and a full live-TV streaming package runs $64.99 to $118.99 a month before fees.

That spread is the whole story of consumer tech right now. The hardware you own outright has a wide price ladder, with large savings available one or two generations back. The services you rent keep climbing a dollar or two at a time, and because they bill every month, they quietly become the larger number. This page pulls together our individual phone and streaming guides, adds the industry data that ties them together, and shows where the money goes over the full time you own or subscribe.

Jump to a section

• Twelve tech prices at a glance
• Why gadget prices stopped falling
• Phones: brand new, one year old or four years old
• Streaming boxes and subscriptions: the bill with no end date
• How “free” phones and trade-ins are paid for
• One household’s three-year tech tab
• Seven money leaks that show up across every gadget
• What 2027 is likely to bring
• Quick answers
• Your 2027 tech budget in four numbers

Twelve tech prices at a glance

The ranges below summarize our individual guides, each linked further down. They are current US prices from fall 2026, offered for 2027 planning. Used and refurbished prices move every week, so treat them as a fair-price yardstick rather than a quote.

Read the right-hand column as carefully as the middle one. The one-time purchases look expensive and the monthly ones look cheap, but over a typical three- or four-year ownership cycle the order often flips.

Why gadget prices stopped falling

For most of the past two decades, electronics were the one corner of the household budget that got cheaper. Each year brought more speed and storage for the same money, and last year’s model dropped in price the day the new one arrived. Three pressures have bent that curve.

A memory chip squeeze driven by AI servers

Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron control about 90% of the world’s DRAM supply, and all three have shifted production toward the high-bandwidth memory used in AI data centers. That leaves less ordinary memory for phones, laptops and tablets. Contract prices for general-purpose memory rose roughly 90% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the prior quarter, according to a Nikkei report, and TrendForce expected a further 13% to 18% increase in the third quarter. Fairphone’s chief executive has said memory can make up almost 60% of the bill of materials on a handset priced around $400.

The squeeze falls hardest on cheap devices. Counterpoint Research forecast global smartphone shipments falling 13.9% in 2026 to about 1.08 billion units, the steepest annual drop on record, largely because entry-level phones became uneconomical to build. Apple and Samsung locked in memory supply well ahead and have been absorbing more of the cost, which is one reason the premium end has moved in steps (like Apple’s $100 increase) rather than lurching.

Tariffs: phones mostly spared, uncertainty not

In April 2025 the administration exempted smartphones, computers and many chips from its broad reciprocal tariffs, which kept the worst-case price predictions for phones from materializing. The exemption never removed the possibility of separate, product-specific tariffs on semiconductors, and manufacturers have spent 2026 working through inventory bought before the rules changed. The Consumer Technology Association still forecast US consumer tech revenue reaching a record $565 billion in 2026, up 3.7%, while unit shipments were expected to grow just 0.7%. More dollars for nearly the same number of boxes is another way of saying average prices are rising.

Subscriptions that rise a dollar at a time

Software and services are where spending is growing fastest: CTA projected consumer spending on them to rise 4.2% in 2026 to nearly $194 billion. Streaming is the clearest example. A tally of seven major services shared in September 2026 put their combined monthly price at about 81% above what the same lineup cost in 2020. No single increase looks dramatic, which is exactly why they stick.

Phones: brand new, one year old or four years old

A phone is the most expensive gadget most Americans buy regularly, and the price depends far more on the model’s age than on the brand logo. Our guides track the iPhone line closely because it has the deepest resale market and the most predictable pricing, but the same logic applies to Android flagships, which usually lose value faster. Think of the market as four rungs.

The new flagship, and why storage is where Apple profits

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 with 256GB, then climbs to $1,399 for 512GB, $1,799 for 1TB and $2,399 for 2TB. The Pro Max starts at $1,299. The base storage jump is generous by historical standards; the upper tiers are where the margin lives. A buyer who stores photos in the cloud rarely needs more than 256GB, and a $2.99 to $9.99 monthly cloud plan costs far less over four years than the $600 step from 256GB to 1TB.

Last year’s Pro, once Apple stops selling it

Apple pulled the iPhone 17 Pro from its store on September 9, 2026, the day the 18 Pro arrived. Our iPhone 17 Pro price guide follows what it sells for now: about $850 to $1,000 for a used or refurbished 256GB model and $1,000 to $1,450 for a Pro Max. The 256GB Pro held its value well, selling only about 17% below launch after a year. The bigger saving is at the top: a used 1TB 17 Pro runs roughly $600 less than a new 1TB 18 Pro, which makes it the clearest win for last year’s model.

The catch is coverage. A secondhand phone usually cannot get standalone AppleCare+, so buyers who want theft and loss protection often end up on AppleCare One at $19.99 a month. Starting that bundle just for one used phone can erase most of the saving at the 256GB tier.

The sweet spot: two- and three-year-old phones

For most people, this is where the value peaks. Our guide to iPhone 15 prices, used, refurbished and leftover new finds used units at about $325 to $525, refurbished at $400 to $630 and remaining new stock near $629. Condition and battery cycle count separate a good listing from a bad one far more than the seller’s asking price. If you want the big screen and 5x zoom, our iPhone 15 Pro Max price ladder shows why a $555 used unit usually beats Apple’s $849 refurb.

One rung down, a used iPhone 14 averages about $341, which looks like a bargain next to Apple’s cheapest new iPhone at $699. Our iPhone 14 price breakdown by model, condition and seller lists seven buyer mistakes that can wipe out that saving, from a phone still tied to someone else’s Activation Lock to a battery already worn down to 80% health.

The budget floor, and when it stops making sense

At the bottom of the ladder, a used iPhone 13 sells for about $210 to $345, with the 13 Pro and Pro Max between $320 and $700. Our model-by-model iPhone 13 used price guide also flags the point where the math turns: once a 13 Pro Max approaches the price of a clean iPhone 15, the newer phone usually wins on battery life, software support and resale value. Apple has typically supported iPhones with software updates for six to seven years after release, so a 2021 phone has less runway left than its price suggests.

Streaming boxes and subscriptions: the bill with no end date

Television has turned into a rental business. You may buy a streaming box once, but the content behind it bills monthly, and providers raise prices with the confidence of companies that know most subscribers never cancel. These were the published monthly prices for several major services after the 2026 round of increases.

The box, the plan and the three-year total

Apple’s living-room setup shows how hardware and subscription prices stack. Our Apple TV cost guide prices the streaming plan at $14.99 a month or $119 a year and the Apple TV 4K box at $299. The annual plan saves about $61 a year over paying monthly, and the box is optional for anyone whose smart TV, game console or cheaper streaming stick already runs the app. Over three years, the plan alone comes to $357 on annual billing, more than the box.

Live TV: the most expensive line on the streaming bill

Replacing cable with a live streaming service saves equipment rental fees, but not as much as people expect. Our Fubo TV plans, fees and seasonal cost guide puts plans at $64.99 to $118.99 a month, plus a regional sports fee of up to $16.99 in markets that carry local teams. Fubo also raised TV plans by $15 and sports plans by $9 during 2026. The best saving is timing: a fan who subscribes only for a five-month season instead of all year saves about $455 at the base price.

The same rotation strategy works across every service on the list. Subscribe to one or two at a time, binge what you want and cancel. Annual plans are only a bargain if you would have kept the service all twelve months anyway.

How “free” phones and trade-ins are paid for

Carrier advertising makes a $1,199 phone look like it costs nothing. In fall 2026, T-Mobile and AT&T advertised the iPhone 17 Pro free with a trade-in and a qualifying unlimited plan, and Verizon listed up to $1,000 off. None of these are discounts at the register. The phone’s full price is financed over 24 to 36 months, and the carrier cancels each month’s installment with a bill credit.

• Leave early and the credits stop. Switching carriers, downgrading the plan or paying the phone off ends the credits, and the remaining balance becomes yours.
• The plan is part of the price. If the required unlimited tier costs $15 a month more than the plan you would otherwise pick, that adds $540 over 36 months.
• Trade-in values have conditions. Some top offers require a trade-in worth a minimum amount, and cracked glass or a battery warning can cut the credit after you ship the phone.
• The phone stays locked to the carrier until it is paid off or meets the carrier’s unlock rules.

Selling your old phone yourself is the other lever. For a one-year-old 256GB iPhone 17 Pro in good shape, Apple’s trade-in credit tops out at $785, a trade-in partner on Swappa quoted about $575, and private buyers paid about $913 on average. That $128 to $338 gap is the price of convenience. For older phones the dollar gap shrinks, and the hassle of a private sale may not be worth it.

One household’s three-year tech tab

Hypothetical example built from the prices on this page, not a real quote. Sales tax is left out because it varies by state. A couple each needs a new phone and keeps four streaming services: Netflix Standard ($19.99), Apple TV ($14.99), Peacock Premium ($12.99) and Paramount+ Essential ($8.99), for $56.96 a month. The next three years look like this under two approaches.

Two things stand out. Couple A spends almost as much on streaming as on two flagship phones, which surprises most people who think of phones as the big purchase. And Couple B’s savings come roughly 60% from the phones and 40% from the subscriptions, so the habit of rotating services is worth nearly as much as the decision to buy used.

Seven money leaks that show up across every gadget

Across our phone and streaming guides, the same errors keep surfacing. Almost none involve picking the wrong brand. Most involve paying for something that was never needed or failing to check something that was.

1. Buying storage you will not use. The step from 256GB to 1TB on an iPhone 18 Pro is $600. Cloud storage for four years usually costs a fraction of that.
2. Skipping the battery health check on a used phone. A battery at 80% health means a replacement soon, which narrows the gap with a newer model. Ask for a screenshot of the battery health screen before paying.
3. Buying a locked or flagged phone. Activation Lock left on, a blacklisted IMEI or an unpaid carrier balance can turn a cheap phone into a paperweight. Run a free IMEI check and make sure the seller has signed out and erased the device.
4. Treating a bill credit like a discount. A “free” carrier phone is only free if you keep the qualifying plan for the full term.
5. Paying monthly for services you watch seasonally. Live sports and prestige series run on calendars. Subscribe for the season, then cancel.
6. Buying a streaming box you already own. Most smart TVs and game consoles run the major apps. A $299 box makes sense for speed, picture quality or a cleaner interface, not as a requirement.
7. Starting a coverage plan that costs more than the risk. At $19.99 a month, AppleCare One costs about $720 over three years. That is worth it for households with several expensive devices and a history of cracked screens, and poor value for one used phone.

Scams deserve a separate warning. Used-phone listings priced far below the averages on this page, sellers who refuse to meet or insist on payment by gift card or wire transfer, and “pre-owned” phones shipped from overseas with no return policy are common patterns. A price that beats every reputable refurbisher by $150 or more is a reason for suspicion, not excitement.

What 2027 is likely to bring

Device makers do not publish next year’s prices in advance, so the figures on this page are current prices for 2027 planning. What is known points in one direction: hardware is unlikely to get cheaper soon.

• Memory stays tight through 2027. Planned output increases from the top chipmakers cover only about 60% of demand, according to industry reporting, and most new factory capacity is not expected to reach the market until the second half of 2027 or later. Several executives expect supply and demand to normalize only from 2028.
• Budget devices take the biggest hit. IDC warned PC prices could rise as much as 8% if the memory imbalance persisted, and forecasts for average smartphone selling prices ranged from 3% to 5% higher in a moderate scenario to 6% to 8% in a pessimistic one. Big brands with locked-in supply contracts are better placed to hold prices than smaller ones.
• Apple’s next price move is unannounced. Apple raised US iPhone prices by $100 in September 2026. It has not said anything about 2027 pricing, which normally arrives with new models in September.
• Tariff rules remain a wild card. Phones and computers kept their exemption from reciprocal tariffs, but separate semiconductor tariffs have been discussed and not settled. Any change would show up first in laptops and accessories from smaller brands.
• Streaming increases are likely to continue. Nearly every major service raised prices in 2026. None has announced a specific 2027 increase as of November 2026, but the pattern of annual dollar-or-two increases has held for six years.

The practical takeaway: if you need a new laptop or a mid-range Android phone in 2027, buying sooner is less risky than waiting for a price drop that may not come. For iPhones, the September launch remains the moment when the previous generation becomes cheaper secondhand, as owners trade up and supply floods the resale market.

Quick answers

Your 2027 tech budget in four numbers

Before buying anything new next year, write down four figures. Together they show whether the purchase fits, and they tend to expose the subscription creep that never shows up on a single receipt.

1. The purchase price per year of use. Divide the phone’s price by the years you will keep it. A $1,199 phone kept five years costs about $240 a year; a $425 used phone kept three years costs about $142.
2. Your monthly subscription total, times 12. Include streaming, cloud storage, device coverage and app subscriptions. Most people underestimate this by a third.
3. What your current device is worth today. Check a trade-in quote and a private-sale average. That number shrinks every month you wait.
4. The plan cost of any carrier deal. Multiply any increase in your monthly plan by the length of the bill-credit term.

For other big household costs, our complete car ownership cost guide covers the biggest purchase most families make after a home, and the free cost calculators estimate home, moving and repair projects in about a minute.

Every phone and streaming guide on the site

• iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max prices after Apple discontinued them
• iPhone 15: used, refurbished or leftover new
• iPhone 14 prices and the seven mistakes used buyers make
• What to pay for a used iPhone 13, 13 Pro or Pro Max
• Apple TV: the box, the plan and the total
• Fubo TV plans, sports fees and seasonal savings

Pricing method: prices were researched in November 2026 for 2027 planning and may change. Phone and streaming ranges summarize the individual guides linked above, which draw on Apple’s published prices, carrier and retailer listings, and resale data from Swappa and refurbished marketplaces. Streaming price changes come from 2026 reporting by Entertainment Now; industry figures come from the Consumer Technology Association, Counterpoint Research, TrendForce, IDC, TechSpot and Nikkei reporting. The three-year example is hypothetical. This site is not affiliated with Apple, any carrier or any streaming service. See our disclaimer.