There’s Simply No Point In Buying These 5 Phones Anymore

Dani D.G/ShutterstockMost smartphone vendors unveiled several devices this summer, including the Google Pixel 11 series, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 foldables, and the iPhone 18 Pro models. Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, is set to hit stores in late October. Even without new releases, the Black Friday sale and Christmas shopping season are approaching. Consumers may want to purchase a handset this year. But buyers should be more critical than before when shopping phone deals. That means avoiding certain handsets, despite potential discounts. We've singled out five such devices, ranging from entry-level to premium handsets that you might be better off ignoring. These are the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G and Galaxy S24 FE, the OnePlus 13R, the Motorola Razr Plus, and the Apple iPhone 16.

The mobile market has been affected by the chip crisis this year. AI data centers have consumed large amounts of RAM and storage chips that are also used in smartphones, and handset vendors were forced to raise prices. Separately, manufacturers have increasingly offered more AI features on their smartphones, which are able to act as more personal assistants than ever before. The Pixel 11 series is the best example of that, though Apple's iPhones that support iOS 27 and Apple Intelligence are also catching up.

With that in mind, if you're a buyer looking for a brand-new device that's still available in U.S. stores, you shouldn't settle for certain bargains. You should consider how long you want to keep using your next handset and decide what sort of performance you may need from it in a few years. You might also want personal AI experiences from your devices and may like to invest in more powerful hardware that will be better positioned to offer speedy on-device AI experiences in the future.

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Released in early January 2025 for $199.99, the Galaxy A16 5G seems like a great entry-level Android smartphone to purchase at first glance, especially considering that it comes with Samsung's strong software update commitment. The phone will receive six years of major Android releases and six years of security updates. This should keep the phone relevant until 2031, assuming the hardware can survive that long.

But there are some inherent downsides for which you might want to skip the Galaxy A16. For starters, the phone offers more limited performance, with Geekbench 6 scores reaching 962 (single-core) and 1,901 (multi-core) points. Almost two years after its original launch, that might not be enough to guarantee fast performance. Also, the Galaxy A16 isn't exactly futureproof. Its base variant comes with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, which might not be enough in a few years. Other specs include a 6.7-inch OLED screen that supports a 90 Hz refresh rate and 800 nits of brightness, a triple-lens camera (50-megapixel wide, 5-megapixel ultrawide, and 2-megapixel macro), and a 5,000 mAh battery.

Considering that the phone hasn't become any more affordable since launch combined with its age and the fact that a more recent version of the handset is already available, the Galaxy A16 is difficult to recommend. On that note, the $270 Galaxy A17 5G isn't necessarily a better option. You should only consider these if they are discounted below their launch price or if you can find good-condition versions on second-hand marketplaces. You might want to wait for the Galaxy A18, or buy slightly more expensive mid-range Samsung phones, like the newer Galaxy A37 or Galaxy A57 instead.

Released in January 2025 in the U.S., the $599.99 OnePlus 13R (selling for $712.50 on Walmart) is much faster than the Galaxy A16. The handset features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor paired with 12 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage. This lets the OnePlus handset hit significantly higher scores than the Galaxy phone in Geekbench 6: 2,161 and 6,595. The 13R isn't a flagship like the OnePlus 15, but it features high-end hardware, including a 6.78-inch display with 2,780 by 1,264 resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, and up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness. It has two 50-megapixel sensors on the back (wide and telephoto lens) and an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. The 6,000 mAh battery supports 80 W wired charging speeds.

The OnePlus 13R sounds like a phone to consider in late 2026, but there are two problems that potential buyers should be aware of. First, the handset supports only four years of major Android releases, which means support will end in 2029. Thus, the support window is significantly shorter than vendors like Samsung and Google offer, despite the fact that the phone is more likely to offer a good smartphone experience in the coming years than Samsung's A16.

Keeping the phone for up to four years would be one way to mitigate the lack of software support after 2029. However, U.S. buyers should remember that OnePlus has decided to exit the North American and European markets. While the Chinese company will continue to support devices sold in these regions, the absence of a stronger commercial presence from the manufacturer may be an issue in the future, for both software and hardware problems, despite the vendor's reassurance that after-sales support will continue for existing devices.

Samsung's Galaxy Fan Edition (FE) phones are affordable versions of the Galaxy S models. They feature less capable processors and camera systems than the flagships, but they come with large displays and extended software support. That said, late 2026 isn't the time to buy the Galaxy S24 FE – a phone that Samsung launched in the U.S. in October 2024 for $649.99, which you may find two years later for around $600 on Walmart. That's not a great deal considering that Samsung has released two newer Galaxy S FE models since then, the S25 FE and S26 FE.

In terms of performance, the Galaxy S24 FE is slightly slower than the OnePlus 13R. The phone features the Exynos 2400e chip paired with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB to 512 GB of storage. This allows the handset to reach Geekbench 6 scores of 1,964 and 6,230. Other key specs include a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a triple-lens camera (50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide, and 8-megapixel telephoto), and a 4,700 mAh battery that supports 25 W charging. Finally, the premium phone comes with Samsung's best software guarantee, seven years of major Android releases, and seven years of security updates, which matches the regular Galaxy S24 series. This means the handset will be supported until 2031.

While the Galaxy S24 FE can be a decent phone for most users, you should choose one of its successors instead, which offer slightly better processors and larger batteries with faster charging. Alternatively, the standard Galaxy S24/S25 or a discounted Galaxy S24/S25 Ultra may be a much better choice than any FE model.

It's not just conventional phones released within the past two to three years that you should ignore. Some of the foldable handsets released during the same period should also be avoided, considering that they already carry a premium price tag. That's because all smartphones with folding designs are more expensive to manufacture. The Motorola Razr Plus (2025) is one example.

Launched in April 2025, the device was priced at $1,000 last year, and may be found for $774.99 at Target. The phone features decent hardware, but it's not a flagship. The Motorola Razr Plus scores 1,980 and 4,989 points in Geekbench 6, making it slightly slower than the OnePlus 13R and Galaxy S24 FE. It features the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, 12 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. The 6.9-inch foldable screen is a highlight, supporting 2,640 by 1,080 resolution, 165 Hz refresh rate, and up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. The secondary 4-inch display lets you control the handset without unfolding it, which may be an appealing reason to look for clamshell foldables. Other specs include two 50-megapixel lenses on the back (wide and telephoto), a 32-megapixel selfie lens, and a 4,000 mAh battery that supports 45 W wired charging.

Software support is another reason why the Motorola Razr Plus shouldn't be on your shortlist in late 2026. The phone will receive three major Android releases, which means software support will end in 2028. While security updates will be available for an extra year, the Motorola Razr Plus will reach its end of life much faster than other devices. If you're looking for better clamshell handsets, you should look at the Motorola Razr Ultra or Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 or 8.

The iPhone 16 may be the most surprising handset on the list. The phone was launched in September 2024, priced at $799. Apple discounted the handset by $100 a year later, when the $799 iPhone 17 arrived. The iPhone 17 was an immediate hit as it featured the most significant upgrade for a base iPhone in years, and Apple made it almost as good as the iPhone 17 Pro in terms of hardware. The $699 iPhone 16 already seemed like a bad deal by comparison. In March 2026, the $599 iPhone 17e arrived, featuring the same A19 chip as the base iPhone 17 model. In September 2026, Apple raised iPhone prices. The 128 GB iPhone 16 costs $799 again.

The iPhone 16 is the most powerful phone on our list, with Geekbench 6 scores reaching 3,418 and 8,632 thanks to the A18 chip paired with 8 GB of RAM. Apple doesn't market software support commitments like Samsung and Google, but it routinely supports its devices for five or six years. The iPhone 11 series is the best example of that, as the 2019 devices can run the recent iOS 27 release. In other words, the iPhone 16 will likely offer a fast, dependable experience for a few more years.

However, the iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch OLED panel that only supports a 60 Hz refresh rate. It also has only 128 GB of storage in the base variant, and the camera system features a 48-megapixel wide camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. For $100 more, the iPhone 17 offers a 120 Hz panel, up to 512 GB of storage, two 48-megapixel cameras, and the faster A19 chip. For $100 less, the iPhone 17e offers the same performance as the iPhone 17 and better battery life.

When compiling the list above, we considered the two main factors impacting the mobile industry in late 2026. Phones are getting more expensive, including the more affordable options, and vendors are adding more advanced AI features to their devices. We also looked at the phone's hardware and remaining years of software support. We concluded that a buyer looking to purchase a brand-new Android or iPhone handset during this period should try to get the best possible value for their money. It can make more financial sense to buy a premium-to-flagship 2026 device and use it for three to five years than to choose an affordable phone launched in 2024 or 2025.

Considering that we selected relatively new phones for this list, the implication is that even older devices should also be ignored, especially the cheaper Android phones from 2023 and earlier and previous non-Pro iPhones. Consumers looking for second-hand devices should also avoid refurbished versions of these five phones. Instead, they can look for former flagship Android and iPhone models and buy those models for discounted prices. We also included some alternatives that users can consider instead of the above phones.