> Smartphones are expected to get pricier for potentially years to come.

"Smart" phones have ceased to be smart years ago. They are now instruments of mass surveillance, and the tech industry has convinced people that 1) you need one not to be a social outcast, 2) you need to upgrade it every year, 3) not having root access is for your own good.

I'll stick to my Pixel 9a running Graphene for the forseeable future.