Hey,
It’s Pete Matheson with a new issue of Experiments in Progress.
Tech used to get cheaper every year.
Not anymore.
Apple just raised prices. Consoles are going up. RAM and storage have gone absolutely mental thanks to AI.
So this week: the 5 gadgets you should stop upgrading, why your "old" tech is better value than anything on the shelf, and the one case where upgrading is still the right call.
5 Gadgets You Should Stop Upgrading
Here's my honest list:
📺 TVs: Buy last year's flagship instead
Buying last year's flagship is becoming the smartest move in tech, and nowhere is this more true than TVs.
The LG G6 OLEDs are rolling out now which means the G5 (and even the G4) are being heavily discounted. You're getting what was the best picture money could buy 12 months ago... for not much money.
And here's the trick: do the same thing one tier down.
LG's C range sits below the G range (so if there's a G5, there's a C5)
The C range was already cheaper
Now it's last year's model too, so it's double-discounted
Right now the 65" LG C5 is nearly 50% off
If you want an incredible picture without flagship money: last year's C5 is the play.
📱 Tablets: An iPad from 5 years ago is still fine
Tablets are probably the single most over-upgraded gadget out there.
You could buy an M1 iPad from years ago and it would still be absolutely fine — just as fast for everything you actually use a tablet for. Browsing, streaming, notes, a bit of drawing... none of it needs the latest chip.
📱 Phones: A flagship lasts 4–5 years now
If you buy a flagship phone, it can and will last you a good 4–5 years.
There've been plenty of blind camera tests where people compare photos from the last 5 generations of flagship Samsungs and iPhones... and you can barely tell the difference.
Cameras: marginal gains, year on year
Performance: flagships from 2021 still fly
Software support: flagships now get 5–7 years of updates
💻 PCs: The worst possible time to buy
AI is chewing up every form of computer technology. AI data centres are forecast to consume roughly 70% of the world's memory output in 2026, and that's sent prices into the stratosphere:
RAM: 32GB DDR5 kits shot up to over $550 before "stabilising" at $420–520
Storage: 2TB SSDs hit $500 before settling around $300
Graphics cards: popular models sitting 15–20% above MSRP
Consoles are going up. Apple just raised Mac and iPad prices, with many models up 20% or more
Just hold on to your tech a little longer and try to ride out this AI storm.
⌚ Smartwatches & smart rings: The one exception
You don't need to upgrade a smartwatch either... but the batteries in these things are tiny, and they deteriorate a lot faster than phone batteries. Same with smart rings — the batteries just aren't the best.
So the honest rule is: the battery is the only reason to upgrade a watch.
Battery still gets you through the day? Keep it. The new features aren't worth it.
Battery dying by 2pm? That's a legitimate upgrade.
What are you still upgrading every year (be honest)?
📱 Enjoying this newsletter? Share it with a friend who’s as obsessed with tech as you are:
Apple's Studio Display is a lovely monitor with one big problem: the price, and the fact it does nothing for gaming.
So I've been testing the LG UltraGear Evo 27GM950B, a 27-inch 5K Hyper Mini LED display that claims to do the Mac productivity thing and the gaming thing, for less money.
How sharp 5K at 218 PPI actually looks day to day
Whether this is genuinely the more affordable Studio Display alternative
Real-world brightness, colour accuracy and HDR1000 performance
How it performs on Mac vs Windows (and connectivity for both)
The dual mode switch — dropping to 1440p at 330Hz for gaming
AI upscaling and AI audio, tested
Response times, matte coating, and how it compares to other panels
and more…
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