The RAM shortage is about to ruin cheap Android phones, so buy these 5 now

It’s hard to believe, but 2026 is almost upon us. It’s a new year for renewed resolutions, fresh starts, and — unfortunately — more expensive smartphones.

As AI continues to get bigger, companies are building more and larger data centers to keep the lights on. Those data centers require tremendous amounts of RAM to function, and as you might have heard, that’s quickly leading to a RAM shortage. AI companies are buying RAM at significantly higher levels than ever before, leading to less of it to go around and dramatically higher prices for the inventory that is available.

Although smartphone brands largely ate the cost of this memory shortage in 2025, that’s going to change in 2026. There are already rumors that Xiaomi’s next Android phone will see a 10% price increase as a direct result of RAM shortages, and experts predict that lower-cost budget phones could be hit even harder.

In other words, if you expect you’ll need a new cheap Android phone at some point in 2026, you’re almost certainly better off buying right now while prices are stable. If you decide to do so, these are the five best options.

I’ve recommended the Google Pixel 9a multiple times in various articles throughout 2025, and for good reason. Google has always had success with mid-tier/budget Android phones, and the Pixel 9a is its best yet.

This isn’t due to any single feature or specification; it’s how the Pixel 9a comes together as a complete package. Its cameras are so good and so consistent, its day-to-day performance is great, it has clever AI features, its battery life is solid, and Google’s seven-year software update guarantee is one of the best in the business. You also get all of this housed in a comfortable, well-built body with virtually no camera bump.

Google is working on the Pixel 10a, which is expected to be released in the first half of 2026, but I wouldn’t recommend waiting for it. Not only is it expected to be very similar to the Pixel 9a, but the current RAM shortage could easily push the price to $550 or more. When the Pixel 9a is available for $499 (or less during frequent sales), it makes much more sense to buy the Pixel 9a now if you’re in the market for a lower-cost Google phone.

Don’t believe me that the RAM shortage will make 2026 phones more expensive? Don’t take my word for it — look at what happened with OnePlus. The OnePlus 13R launched in January 2025 and quickly became one of the best Android phones in its class, delivering excellent hardware, performance, battery life, and charging for just $600. Its successor, the OnePlus 15R, launched just a couple of weeks ago, and it’s a bit of a mess.

When compared side by side with the 13R, the 15R isn’t nearly as compelling. It has a more generic design, severely downgraded cameras, no wireless charging, and no alert slider — one of the most iconic features of OnePlus phones for the last several years. The best part? The OnePlus 15R is $100 more expensive than its predecessor, starting at $700.

The 15R is almost certainly a teaser for other phone releases we’ll see in 2026: getting less for more. If that doesn’t sound good to you and you’re considering a lower-priced OnePlus phone, do yourself a favor and buy the OnePlus 13R now while you still can. It remains an outstanding Android phone as we head into 2026, and some retailers, including Best Buy, currently have it discounted to just $550.

Another Android phone worth considering is the Nothing Phone 3a. Although not as much of a home run as the OnePlus 13R, the Nothing Phone 3a is still a really attractive option. Its cameras are solid, its software is clean, and — of course — its design is unlike just about anything else on the market.

Beyond the design, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Phone 3a is its spec sheet. Even without considering the price, it’s a solid setup. We’re talking about a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and 50W wired charging. The fact that you get all of that for only $379 is nothing (pun intended) short of impressive.

All signs point to a Nothing Phone 4a launching sometime in 2026, and while it should still have 12GB of RAM like the Phone 3a, one leaker claims its price will go all the way up to $475 — nearly a $100 increase. That would make Nothing’s budget phone a lot less appealing, and assuming that rumor is true, you’re much better off buying the Nothing Phone 3a instead of waiting around for its successor.

Although we can’t predict with 100% certainty how RAM shortages will affect Android phones in 2026, one factor seems clear: the cheaper an Android phone is, the more likely it is to be negatively affected. If any Android phones will feel the brunt of limited RAM in the new year, it’ll be models like the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G.

Released in January 2025, the A16 5G offers unbelievably good value for such a low asking price. Its 50MP primary camera is great, battery life is solid, the AMOLED display looks good, and the Exynos 1330 chip paired with 8GB of RAM provides decent performance for a phone this cheap — which happens to be just $200.

There aren’t many high-quality Android phones available at this price, but the Galaxy A16 5G is one of them, and it’s absolutely worth buying — especially because phones like it may soon be impossible to find. Reports suggest that phones typically believed to have 8GB of RAM may be downgraded to as little as 4GB in 2026, alongside higher prices. As such, other Galaxy A models Samsung launches in 2026 are likely to have less horsepower and steeper price tags. If getting the most bang for your buck is your number one priority, buy the Galaxy A16 5G today, because tomorrow isn’t looking very promising for phones of this caliber.

My fifth and final pick is the Moto G Stylus (2025). Motorola releases countless Moto G models every year, and among all of the ones that came out in 2025, the Moto G Stylus stands out as the highlight. It has a good AMOLED display, solid cameras, a pleasant software experience, and very fast wired charging. And, of course, it’s one of the few phones with a built-in stylus. Where many of the 2025 Moto G phones were tricky or impossible recommendations, the Stylus was an easy one at its (often discounted) $400 price.

Although we don’t yet know what the 2026 version of the Moto G Stylus will look like, Motorola has announced the Moto G Power (2026), and it’s not exactly an exciting upgrade over the 2025 variant. Comparing the 2026 and 2025 Moto G Power, both phones have identical designs, displays, chipsets, cameras, battery capacities, and wired charging speeds. Interestingly, the 2026 model removes wireless charging — a feature the 2025 model had — while keeping the same $300 price.

What does this mean for the Moto G Stylus (2026)? It doesn’t seem promising. Will Motorola also have to remove wireless charging from it to keep costs down? What about downgrading the storage from 8GB to 4GB? Will the $400 price remain the same? It’s all up in the air, and given the current market conditions, it doesn’t appear to be heading in the right direction. You could roll the dice and wait for the 2026 Stylus, or you could play it safe and buy the 2025 version now. Personally, I’d recommend the latter.