Tech is full of half-truths, clever marketing lines, and myths that just refuse to die. Some of them sound logical, companies push some to sell you products you don’t need, and others are just plain outdated. Whatever the source, they end up draining people’s wallets.
7
Expensive cables improve quality
Walk into a big-box store, and you’ll see cables (HDMI, audio, you name it) lined up for five to thousands of dollars. The salesperson’s pitch is likely to be that the pricier ones promise a “superior” picture and sound. This is not true at all.
A solid HDMI cable in the $5–$10 range, as long as it meets the specifications and runs a reasonable distance (say, one to five meters), will deliver the exact same picture and sound as a $100 version of the same length. That’s because digital signals don’t care about prestige pricing. They’re binary—either the ones and zeros make it across intact, or they don’t. There’s no middle ground where an expensive cable somehow makes your picture look as expensive as the cable.
The only times it makes sense to spend more are for durability or special cases. If you’re constantly plugging and unplugging gear, a sturdier connector might save you headaches. And if you’re trying to push a signal over 50 feet, better shielding or active cabling might be necessary. However, for everyday home use, any certified HDMI cable that meets the standard will perform exactly the same as one that costs ten times more.
6
More megapixels means a better camera
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard some of my friends brag about their phone’s “200-megapixel camera” like it’s the holy grail of photography. But the truth is, megapixels mostly determine image size, not quality. A 12-megapixel camera with a large sensor and good software will beat a 64-megapixel one with a cheap lens any day. Apple knows this, which is why they stuck to 12MP cameras for years while still producing some of the best shots.
People waste money upgrading to phones or cameras simply because the megapixel number went up. But unless you’re printing billboard-sized posters or cropping aggressively, you won’t even notice the difference. What matters far more is sensor size, lens quality, and image processing software.
5
Bigger TVs always mean better viewing quality
The “bigger is better” mentality has packed living rooms with giant TVs, but sheer size doesn’t guarantee a better picture. In fact, it can sometimes make things worse. Manufacturers love this misconception, of course, because bigger screens mean bigger margins, and plenty of buyers assume that more inches automatically equals a superior viewing experience.
A massive display can certainly feel cinematic, but true comfort comes from more than raw dimensions. Picture quality is shaped by where you sit, the screen’s resolution, the room’s lighting, and the panel technology behind it, such as OLED, QLED, QNED, or Mini-LED. If you sit too close to an oversized, lower-resolution screen, instead of immersion, you’ll end up with pixels becoming visible, and your eyes will strain.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers even has a more precise guideline: your screen should cover about 30° of your field of vision, which works out to sitting at about 1.2–1.6 times the diagonal. So, for a 55–65 inch 4K TV, the sweet spot is usually seven to ten feet away, which happens to match the average distance from couch to TV in many homes. If you go much larger than 65 inches, unless you have a very spacious living room, you’ll either need to sit uncomfortably far back or risk seeing picture flaws.
4
Antivirus software is a must for every device
When Windows first made antivirus software a must-have, somehow, people got the idea that every device needed pricey security software. But times have changed. Nowadays, operating systems like macOS, Windows 10/11, and even many Linux flavors already come with strong built-in defenses like sandboxing, regular security updates, and behavior monitoring. For most folks who stick to good habits, such as avoiding shady internet browsing and downloads, spotting phishing attempts, and maybe running an ad-blocker in the browser, those native protections are more than enough.
Paying for extra antivirus software often just duplicates what your OS or browser is already doing, and in some cases, it can actually drag your system down with unnecessary bloat. That said, there are scenarios where an extra layer makes sense, such as households with kids, less tech-savvy users, or big enterprise setups where the stakes are higher. But for the average user, those expensive antivirus subscriptions usually just repackage what you already have for free.
3
Brand-new tech is always better
There’s a strange obsession with buying the newest gadget the moment it drops, as if last year’s tech suddenly turned to dust. Companies love this myth because it fuels the upgrade treadmill, but it’s rarely true.
Last year’s flagship phone will usually run circles around this year’s midrange model, and a laptop that’s two or three years old can still handle everyday tasks just as well as one fresh out of the box, straight from the factory. Upgrading just for the sake of “new” is like trading in your perfectly good car every year just because the dealership unveiled a shinier one. It probably looks better aesthetically, but it doesn’t necessarily perform any better when you actually use it.
The smarter play is often to grab slightly older models at a discount. You pocket the savings, and in most cases, you’re not giving up much, if anything at all. But as long as people equate “new” with “better,” companies will keep happily cashing in.
2
Expensive gaming PCs and gear equal instant pro performance
This myth always cracks me up, because it assumes skill comes in the box. Spending $5,000 on a rig or springing for the “highest-end” PC peripherals doesn’t magically make you good at gaming. If your aim is off or your reflexes are slow, some kid with a bargain setup will still wipe the floor with you.
High-end hardware can definitely improve graphics and frame rates, but gameplay itself doesn’t transform. There’s a sweet spot for performance that doesn’t require bleeding your bank account dry. If you’re going to spend, put it toward the things that actually matter. Like stable framerates (stable 144fps matters more than inconsistent 240fps), a low-latency monitor (low input lag beats maximum resolution), peripherals that feel right in your hands, and an internet connection that won’t betray you mid-match.
1
Extended warranties are always worth it
Extended warranties always sound like a good idea because tech breaks, right? However, most devices we buy (phones, laptops, TVs) already come with a manufacturer’s warranty baked in. Even though it won’t cover every mishap, it still covers most, if not all, factory defects you’d worry about. If something really does go wrong, you can usually find a solid repair shop that fixes it for a fraction of what you’d have shelled out for an extended plan.
If you’re the type who upgrades every couple of years or simply takes good care of your gear, the odds of ever needing an expensive post-warranty repair are slim. And from what I’ve seen, paying for the occasional repair as it comes up almost always costs less than pouring money into coverage you’ll probably never use.
Tech doesn’t have to be a splurge. All too often, our instincts nudge us toward bigger numbers, flashier packaging, or pricier assurances, none of which guarantee a better experience. By cutting through these myths, you can make smarter choices that align with real value. So, save your wallet, stay savvy, and invest in what actually matters.
