People urged to buy these six tech items before Trump's tariffs come into effect next month
President Donald Trump is knocking on our doors, and with new tariffs coming into play on August 1, Americans are warned to stock up on key tech items or make that purchase you've been putting off while you can.
Although there's good news that Donald Trump has extended his tariff deadline to August 1, it comes with the caveat that even more hikes could be on the way. The tech world is due to be hit hard, and as we're more reliant than ever on our gadgets and gizmos in 2025, you'll want to be quick in scooping up your tech before the tariffs come into play.
With this in mind, here are six (expected and unexpected) tech items you might want to think about buying now.
Smartphones
There was been wild claims that the price of the iPhone could soar to $3,500, while even if it's made in the USA, it might cost 2900% more. Trump as been vocal about his disdain for Apple CEO Tim Cook trying to get around tariffs by building in India, but experts warn that moving the iPhone manufacturing infrastructure to the USA might be 'impossible'.
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With the iPhone 17 due to be revealed soon and go on sale shortly afterward, we're bracing for a price hike no matter what happens. Of course, it's not just iPhones that could soon be hitting us hard in the pocket. As Samsung's main production hubs for Galaxy phones are Vietnam and South Korea, with others in India, price rises are expected across the board. The problem is, there's not a lot you can do unless you plan on sticking with your existing model for the foreseeable future.
Games consoles
For anyone who has kept an eye on what's going on with the Nintendo Switch 2, you'll know their was pre-launch chaos as the gaming giant delayed orders on its next console. In particular, Trump's latest threat of 25% import tariffs on Japanese goods would almost certainly affect the price of the Switch 2's games. For those already sweating at the idea of paying $80 for Mario Kart World, that could be just the tip of the iceberg.
The fact that the Switch 2 is largely built in Vietnam is slightly better, but with Trump locking in a 20% import cost on the country, it's not exactly great news.
PCs
Similarly, PCs might be on the up due to Trump's tariffs. PC Mag claims that while PC build prices seem to be holding steady, graphics cards in particular are continuing to climb in price. For example, the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT launched for $599 and is now selling for $750. High demand, shortages, and an Nvidia monopoly are also to blame for the sharp increase, although there's no escaping the effects that tariffs are having.
Televisions
The Consumer Technology Association thinks the price of television sets is going to go up. Posting on its site, it says that a set which used to cost $250 will now cost $308 after the tariffs. More expensive models will cost even more, as it writes: "If these tariffs take effect, they will force American families to pay more for TVs and other products. We urge the administration to avoid taxing Americans through tariffs and instead work with our like-minded trading partners and develop a serious, long-term strategy to pressure China to play by the rules."
Printers
A surprising item you might want to stock up on is printers. Once a staple of the workplace, they're now a staple of our homes as more of us have moved to work remotely in a post-pandemic world. Some of you might consider a printer an obsolete piece of tech in 2025, but we guarantee as soon as you chuck your old one out, you'll likely need one.
In an altogether more costly corner of the printing industry, 3D printers are also poised to climb in price.
Chinese brands including Bambu Lab, Creality, Elegoo, Anycubic, and Flashforge have all stuck significant hikes on their 3D printers, with Bambu Lab's 40W laser 3D printer going for up to $900 more in the USA than in China.
Hearing aids
The final one to make the list is hearing aids. You might think this is a relatively niche item, but with an estimated 28.8 million Americans benefiting from hearing aids, they're more important than you might think. As noted by The Verge, the margins on hearing aids are much thinner, meaning they're much more at risk from price hikes than more profitable tech items like smartphones.
Blake Cadwell, CEO of Soundly, said: "Most hearing aids are manufactured in Europe or Asia, and many are assembled in countries like China."
He anticipates between a 25 and 50% rise, with a lasting impact on consumers.