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Phones normally get cheaper as they age. In October, Samsung and Google did the opposite in Australia, adding A$50 to A$250 to models that have been on shelves for months. We checked what the same phones, and the alternatives, cost refurbished from Australian sellers.
WhistleOut Australia reported both rounds. Samsung raised the Galaxy S26 family on 2 October, seven months after launch, leaving the new Galaxy S26 FE and its foldables alone. On 12 October Google raised the Pixel 10a and Samsung raised four Galaxy A-series models:
| Model | Was | Now | Rise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 256GB | A$1,549 | A$1,649 | +A$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Plus 256GB | A$1,849 | A$1,949 | +A$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB | A$2,199 | A$2,299 | +A$100 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra 1TB | A$2,949 | A$3,199 | +A$250 |
| Pixel 10a 128GB | A$849 | A$949 | +A$100 |
| Galaxy A57 128GB | A$749 | A$849 | +A$100 |
| Galaxy A37 128GB | A$599 | A$649 | +A$50 |
| Galaxy A27 128GB | A$499 | A$549 | +A$50 |
| Galaxy A17 128GB | A$349 | A$399 | +A$50 |
Manufacturer prices as reported by WhistleOut Australia on 2 and 12 October 2026. Other S26 storage options also rose by A$100. We have not confirmed these figures on Samsung’s or Google’s own stores.
WhistleOut called the rises “unprecedented” and put them down to the same cause we covered in why AI data centres are raising refurbished phone prices: memory chips cost far more than they did a year ago. Apple did something similar in September, raising the price of several older iPhones by A$100 to A$150 when the iPhone 18 Pro launched, according to the same outlet.
The same day as the A-series rise, Counterpoint Research published preliminary figures showing global smartphone shipments down 20% in the third quarter, the weakest third quarter since 2012. “Consumers are holding on to their devices longer than estimated, increasingly considering refurbished devices and prioritising higher-value devices,” senior analyst Shilpi Jain told Reuters.
The Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10a are recent enough that refurbished stock is already on Australian marketplaces. These are the lowest prices we found on 15 October from sellers we track:
| Model | New now | Refurbished from | Seller · grade · warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 256GB | A$1,649 | A$977 | Reebelo AU (sold by Green Gadgets) · Very Good · 12 months |
| A$999 | Mobile Guru · Premium · 24 months | ||
| A$1,009 | Back Market AU (sold by Mobile Guru) · Premium · 12 months | ||
| Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB | A$2,299 | A$1,309 | Reebelo AU (sold by TechAgain) · Like New · 12 months |
| Pixel 10a 128GB | A$949 | A$649 | Phonebot · Like New · sale price, one unit left |
| A$784 | Back Market AU · starting price shown |
Prices checked 15 October 2026 on each seller’s product page, base colour and storage at the cheapest grade available. Prices on these sites change daily and vary by colour; Back Market’s Galaxy S26 ran from A$1,009 to A$1,359 depending on colour.
That puts a refurbished Galaxy S26 about A$670 (41%) below the new price, and a refurbished S26 Ultra about A$990 below. Those are big gaps for phones that are only seven months old, and part of the reason is mechanical. Refurbished prices are set by what sellers paid for trade-ins and stock, not by Samsung’s price list, so a rise in the new price doesn’t reach them straight away.
On 15 October both Back Market and Reebelo were still comparing their Galaxy S26 against the old A$1,549 new price, and Reebelo was comparing the S26 Ultra against A$2,199. The banner saving on those listings is A$100 smaller than the real gap. That isn’t a reason to trust a listing less. It is a reminder to work out the saving yourself against today’s new price, not the one printed on the page.
The A-series rises matter more to budget buyers. A Galaxy A57 is now A$849 and a Galaxy A37 A$649. At those prices, refurbished stock from a year or two ago includes phones from a tier higher:
| Refurbished model | From | Seller · grade | Costs about the same as new |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S25 256GB | A$736 | Back Market AU (sold by Digi Swap) · Fair. Good A$770, Excellent A$839 | Galaxy A57 128GB (A$849) |
| Pixel 9a 128GB | A$529 | Phonebot · Grade A. Back Market AU from A$555 (Fair) | Galaxy A27 (A$549) or under an A37 (A$649) |
Prices checked 15 October 2026. 12-month warranty on Back Market AU listings; check Phonebot’s warranty terms on the listing.
The Galaxy S25 was Samsung’s A$1,399 flagship last year, and Samsung has promised it seven years of Android and security updates, so support runs to early 2032. The Pixel 9a also has seven years of updates from Google. A cheaper new phone isn’t automatically the safer choice on software. Check the update end date for any model, new or refurbished, before you buy.
Probably, but more slowly. A dearer new phone makes a recent second-hand one worth more, so trade-in offers and refurbished prices usually firm up over the following weeks. Our earlier reporting found refurbished prices had already been rising through 2026 for the same memory-cost reasons. Our expectation, not a measured result yet: the gap is likely to be widest in the next few weeks, before refurbished sellers reprice. We will track it on our Best Buys page.
Yes. WhistleOut reported on 2 October 2026 that Samsung had raised most Galaxy S26 models by A$100, so the base 256GB Galaxy S26 went from A$1,549 to A$1,649. The 1TB Galaxy S26 Ultra rose A$250 to A$3,199. The Galaxy S26 FE and Samsung’s foldables were not affected.
On 12 October WhistleOut reported that the Pixel 10a rose from A$849 to A$949 and that Samsung raised the Galaxy A57 by A$100 and the A37, A27 and A17 by A$50 each. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 range had already risen at the start of the month.
Memory. Demand from AI data centres has pushed up the price of the DRAM and storage chips in every phone, and manufacturers are passing that on, including on models already on sale.
On 15 October 2026 we found the 256GB Galaxy S26 from A$977 at Reebelo AU (Very Good grade), A$999 at Mobile Guru (Premium grade, 24-month warranty) and A$1,009 at Back Market AU. That is about A$640 to A$670 below the new price of A$1,649. Prices change daily.
Often, if the software support has years left to run. A refurbished Galaxy S25 was listed from A$736 on 15 October, less than a new Galaxy A57 at A$849, and has Android and security updates until early 2032. Check the battery condition and warranty, and check whether a retailer is still selling the new phone at the old price before you decide.
The manufacturer price rises come from a single outlet, WhistleOut Australia, which published exact before-and-after prices. Counterpoint’s figures are preliminary. Refurbished prices change often and vary by grade, colour and storage.