GoKawiilIt's hard to believe that back-to-school season is upon us.
Kids will return to the classroom in many parts of the US in a few short weeks, some as early as August 3. School supply lists are already available, so you can start shopping. In addition to notebooks and paper, parents are learning that many lessons and projects are expected to be completed using technology, such as laptops and tablets. Some schools, like my son's elementary school, provide devices such as Chromebooks. But many school-aged and college students will be expected to have a separate device at home, which puts parents in the market for laptops or tablets.
But today's educational tech doesn't come cheap. The evolution of AI led to a memory chip shortage. Those chips are vital to most devices, including phones, gaming consoles, computers and tablets. And that shortage means you can expect higher prices. One workaround could be refurbished or secondhand models.
In April 2026, CNET found that nearly half (48%) of US adults have considered secondhand devices within the past year. Several factors influenced their decision, including cost-effectiveness (31%) and newer models being too expensive (25%).
However, refurbished tech isn't exempt from those price hikes. So what should you do if you have to buy a laptop or tablet for school but don't want to break the bank? I'll explain.
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How is the RAM shortage impacting refurbished tech?
Older devices bypass new chip costs, making them a potentially more cost-effective option. But the RAM shortage is increasing demand and prices for refurbished products.
Apple is the latest tech company to raise prices on its new and refurbished products. Its Certified Refurbished store saw price increases of 6% to 15% in June. A refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 with 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage cost $1,699, but a discount brought it down to $1,439 on June 14 after looking at Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. It now costs $1,999, but a discount brings it down to $1,699.
Other companies, including Samsung and Microsoft, have also been affected by chip shortages. Microsoft will increase the prices of its Xbox Series X/S on Aug. 1, and its new Surface laptop models will cost more. The chip shortage isn't expected to end until 2028, so more companies may continue to raise prices on new and refurbished devices.
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