The sky-high cost of RAM has claimed another victim: budget smartphones. The cofounder of Nothing company, Akis Evangelidis, recently took to X to announce that there will be no successor to last year’s popular CMF Phone 2 Pro, a credible iPhone competitor that launched for just $279 and won plaudits up and down the tech world for its design and budget-friendly pricing. 

Nor was Evangelidis shy about naming the problem: “We were working on a successor, but with memory prices where they are right now, we can’t build a phone that feels like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense for CMF.”

If you’re totally oblivious about what he’s alluding to, check out this series of charts from PCPartPicker, detailing the rise in RAM costs over just the last 18 months. Two standout examples: a basic 2x8GB configuration of DDR4 RAM went for about $50 in January of 2025 and now sells for over $150 in June of 2026, while a more speedy 2x16GB configuration of DDR5 RAM went for under $100 in January of 2025 and today costs close to $500!

And while RAM is the most talked-about culprit behind the price spikes, solid-state storage (SSDs), the kind used in mobile phones, high-end gaming computers, and consoles, has also shot up dramatically in price, currently priced at 20 times the equivalent hard disk drive (HDD). 

The driver of these price hikes is the AI revolution currently underway across the entire tech space, as deep-pocketed companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet (parent company of Google) are projected to spend some $700-$900 billion per year on AI-related infrastructure, growing to as much as $1.6 trillion in 2031, according to reporting from Goldman Sachs. 

Unfortunately, because chip makers and RAM suppliers are seriously constrained in their production capacity, this newfound demand has created a bidding war, with budget smartphone shoppers and trillion-dollar tech companies all competing for the same finite supply of materials. The result, at least in the near term, will be not only the abolition of budget smartphones like the CMF Phone 2 Pro, but also inevitable price hikes for compute-heavy devices like smartphones, tablets, and personal computers that are already quite expensive. Apple’s outgoing CEO Tim Cook said these developments are “unavoidable.“

What is a budget-savvy shopper to do in 2026? The best solution for the time being might be to hold on to your old phone, tablet, or computer for as long as possible.

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 in full swing, and fans from all over the world traveling across the United States to cheer on their home teams, beloved Sesame Street character Elmo took to X in a Team USA jersey to declare his support for the American squad. 

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The explicit partisanship isn’t an accident but an inside joke. Earlier this month, as the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks battled for a championship, Elmo expressed hope for both teams to have fun.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The social media world wasn’t having it. Knicks fans, already riled up by the intensity of the series, weren’t pleased.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Other brands got in on the joke. The roasting continued after the Knicks won, with at least one fan dressing in an Elmo suit to hold up an apology sign at the victory parade in New York.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Even Cookie Monster didn’t hold back, saying he would teach Elmo how to pick a team.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

As a public figure with an international audience, Elmo is definitely in a tough spot, but declaring that you love everyone while wearing your nation’s soccer uniform is probably your best shot at minimizing the fallout.

By Steven Nelson
| Published 1 hour ago

Prepare for an intergalactic showdown unlike any other. Skylines, the exhilarating third installment in the much-talked-about Skylines franchise, is now soaring its way into Netflix’s streaming galaxy. The saga continues as humanity and extraterrestrial life collide in a fight for survival, intertwining past legacies with futuristic ambitions. 

Whether you’ve been a fan since the first ship landed or are just embarking on this cosmic journey, brace yourself for a sci-fi adventure that promises to be a spectacle of thrilling confrontations, otherworldly landscapes, and mind-bending twists. Let the battle for Earth’s destiny begin!

In Search Of A Vital Artifact

In Skylines, the story picks up after the events of the previous movies, catapulting viewers into an intensified interstellar conflict. When a virus threatens to turn Earth’s now peaceful hybrid alien population against humans, Captain Rose Corley (Lindsey Morgan), a human-alien hybrid with extraordinary abilities, is summoned.

Having proved herself in the previous encounters, Rose is the linchpin in humanity’s desperate plan to prevent the impending alien attack.

Drawing from her lineage’s strengths, she assembles an elite team of soldiers to join her on a mission into the extraterrestrial world. Their objective? To retrieve an artifact from the aliens‘ home planet that is key to saving both their species. However, as they journey through space, they encounter challenges and adversaries that put their skills, determination, and alliance to the ultimate test.

While the goal is clear, the path is fraught with battles, betrayals, and unexpected alliances. The mission becomes a race against time as they navigate through the alien world, battling enhanced creatures and trying to secure the vital artifact.

With the fate of both species hanging in the balance, Skylines is an adrenaline-pumping roller-coaster that pushes the boundaries of friendship, duty, and survival.

There Are Plans For Another Skyline Movie

The Skylines saga may not be over just yet. A fourth installment, Skyline: Warpath, was originally slated for an October 2025 release, but as of 2026, the film remains unreleased and no new launch date has been announced.

While updates have been scarce, interest in the franchise remains strong among fans who have followed the series from its beginnings. Frank Grillo has previously expressed interest in returning, and the ending of Skylines leaves plenty of room for the story to continue expanding into new corners of its universe.

That said, if Skyline: Warpath never materializes, Skylines still serves as a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, bringing its central conflicts to a satisfying close while leaving the door open for future adventures.

Speculating about the next Skyline movie is exciting, given the universe’s potential to expand and evolve. With the Earth somewhat stabilized after the events of Skylines, the story could further delve into the expansive universe. New planets, teeming with unknown life forms, could be discovered, presenting both opportunities and threats. As the survivors of Earth venture into the cosmos, they might seek alliances with other civilizations to fortify against shared adversaries.

Another angle could be the discovery of remnants of the alien race that had previously wreaked havoc on Earth. The survivors might unearth secrets about their adversaries, leading to potential reconciliations or fresh conflicts. Delving deeper into the origins and motivations of the aliens could add layers of complexity and empathy to the narrative.

On a more personal note, characters that survived the past ordeals might face internal struggles. The trauma of previous battles, combined with the challenges of navigating an expansive universe, could take a toll on their mental well-being. New characters, potentially from other civilizations, could be introduced, bringing with them unique skill sets, philosophies, and technologies.

With a universe as expansive and intricate as that of Skyline, there’s no telling where the story might lead next, especially with potential future sequels on the horizon.For now, fans can immerse themselves in the spectacle and drama of Skylines on Netflix, savoring the evolution of a story that promises to remain a mainstay in contemporary sci-fi cinema. Dive in and let the celestial odyssey unfold.