{"id":218006,"date":"2025-12-30T11:54:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T11:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/218006\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T11:54:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T11:54:19","slug":"buy-these-5-cheap-android-phones-before-the-ram-shortage-ruins-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/218006\/","title":{"rendered":"Buy these 5 cheap Android phones before the RAM shortage ruins them"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Someone<\/p>\n

Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to believe, but 2026 is almost upon us. It\u2019s a new year for renewed resolutions, fresh starts, and \u2014 unfortunately \u2014 more expensive smartphones.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s quickly leading to a RAM shortage<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

Although smartphone brands largely ate the cost of this memory shortage in 2025, that\u2019s going to change in 2026. There are already rumors that Xiaomi\u2019s next Android phone will see a 10% price increase<\/a> as a direct result of RAM shortages, and experts predict that lower-cost budget phones could be hit even harder.<\/p>\n

In other words, if you expect you\u2019ll need a new cheap Android phone at some point in 2026, you\u2019re almost certainly better off buying right now while prices are stable. If you decide to do so, these are the five best options.<\/p>\n

Heading into 2026, what do you think is the best cheap Android phone to buy?<\/p>\n

43 votes<\/p>\n

Google Pixel 9a<\/p>\n

35%<\/p>\n

OnePlus 13R<\/p>\n

19%<\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G<\/p>\n

28%<\/p>\n

Nothing Phone 3a<\/p>\n

9%<\/p>\n

Motorola Moto G Stylus (2025)<\/p>\n

9%<\/p>\n

Other (let us know in the comments)<\/p>\n

0%<\/p>\n

Google Pixel 9a<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve recommended the Google Pixel 9a<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t due to any single feature or specification; it\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Google is working on the Pixel 10a<\/a>, which is expected to be released in the first half of 2026, but I wouldn\u2019t recommend waiting for it. Not only is it expected to be very\u00a0similar 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\u2019re in the market for a lower-cost Google phone.<\/p>\n

Google Pixel 9a<\/a>\"Google\"AAGoogle Pixel 9a<\/a><\/p>\n

Built-in Gemini \u2022 Incredible camera \u2022 All-day battery<\/p>\n

All the Pixel essentials for less.<\/p>\n

The Google Pixel 9a brings built-in Gemini, an incredible camera, all-day battery, and seven years of updates for under $500.<\/p>\n

OnePlus 13R<\/p>\n

\"OnePlus<\/p>\n

Rushil Agrawal \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t believe me that the RAM shortage will make 2026 phones more expensive? Don\u2019t take my word for it \u2014 look at what happened with OnePlus. The OnePlus 13R<\/a> 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<\/a>, launched just a couple of weeks ago, and it\u2019s a bit of a mess.<\/p>\n

When compared side by side with the 13R, the 15R isn\u2019t nearly as compelling. It has a more generic design, severely downgraded cameras, no wireless charging, and no alert slider \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

The 15R is almost certainly a teaser for other phone releases we\u2019ll see in 2026: getting less for more. If that doesn\u2019t sound good to you and you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

OnePlus 13R<\/a>\"OnePlus\"AAOnePlus 13R<\/a><\/p>\n

Speedy performance \u2022 Long-lasting battery \u2022 Superb value for money<\/p>\n

R-eally great.<\/p>\n

The OnePlus 13R is everything you\u2019d expect from a OnePlus phone \u2014 blazing performance, amazing battery life, and rapid charging. Add to that a gorgeous display and a smooth, feature-packed Oxygen OS experience, and you have a phone that feels like it punches well above its $600 price tag.<\/p>\n

Nothing Phone 3a<\/p>\n

\"Nothing<\/p>\n

Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Another Android phone worth considering is the Nothing Phone 3a<\/a>. 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 \u2014 of course \u2014 its design is unlike just about anything else on the market.<\/p>\n

Beyond the design, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Phone 3a is its spec sheet. Even without considering the price, it\u2019s a solid setup. We\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

All signs point to a Nothing Phone 4a launching sometime in 2026<\/a>, 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 \u2014 nearly a $100 increase. That would make Nothing\u2019s budget phone a lot less appealing, and assuming that rumor is true, you\u2019re much better off buying the Nothing Phone 3a instead of waiting around for its successor.<\/p>\n

Nothing Phone 3a<\/a>\"Nothing\"AANothing Phone 3a<\/a><\/p>\n

Triple camera setup \u2022 Excellent Essential Space \u2022 Eye-catching design<\/p>\n

Affordable style.<\/p>\n

The Nothing Phone 3a builds on the best of Nothing’s previous budget phones, including the addition of a 2x optical zoom lens.<\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G<\/p>\n

\"Samsung<\/p>\n

Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Although we can\u2019t 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\u2019ll be models like the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 which happens to be just $200.<\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t many high-quality Android phones available at this price, but the Galaxy A16 5G is one of them, and it\u2019s absolutely worth buying \u2014 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<\/a>, 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\u2019t looking very promising for phones of this caliber.<\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G<\/a>\"Samsung\"AASamsung Galaxy A16 5G<\/a><\/p>\n

Budget phone, flagship support.<\/p>\n

The Galaxy A16 5G continues Samsung’s trend of reliable budget phones, only this time it’s equipped with flagship-grade software support that will see it enjoy up to six years of updates.<\/p>\n

Motorola Moto G Stylus (2025)<\/p>\n

\"Motorola<\/p>\n

Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

My fifth and final pick is the Moto G Stylus (2025)<\/a>. 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Although we don\u2019t yet know what the 2026 version of the Moto G Stylus will look like, Motorola has announced the Moto G Power (2026), and it\u2019s 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 \u2014 a feature the 2025 model had \u2014 while keeping the same $300 price.<\/p>\n

What does this mean for the Moto G Stylus (2026)? It doesn\u2019t 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\u2019s all up in the air, and given the current market conditions, it doesn\u2019t 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\u2019d recommend the latter.<\/p>\n

Moto G Stylus (2025)<\/a>\"Moto\"AAMoto G Stylus (2025)<\/a><\/p>\n

Built-in stylus \u2022 Vibrant OLED screen \u2022 Fast 68W charging<\/p>\n

Doing things in styl-us.<\/p>\n

The Motorola Moto G Stylus (2025) charges quickly, has decent performance, and comes with a built-in stylus that’s way easier than drawing with a fingertip.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n

\"google\"google<\/a><\/p>\n

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our\u00a0Comment Policy<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Joe Maring \/ Android Authority It\u2019s hard to believe, but 2026 is almost upon us. It\u2019s a new…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":218007,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[113212,52584,61,60,202,90792,51991,29256,83563,80],"class_list":{"0":"post-218006","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-cheap-android-phones","9":"tag-google-pixel-9a","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-mobile","13":"tag-motorola-moto-g","14":"tag-nothing-phone-3a","15":"tag-oneplus-13r","16":"tag-samsung-galaxy-a","17":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}