Across the U.S., there are a few vehicles that stand out as being consistently popular with buyers. Sales data collected by Edmunds shows that the Ford F-Series is the most popular new vehicle in over half of the country, with the Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Tesla Model Y each also taking top honors in multiple states. However, buyers in Michigan favor one unexpected SUV more than any other.
Michigan is the only state where the Chevrolet Equinox is the most popular new vehicle, with the Ford F-Series being the second-most popular model and the Chevrolet Silverado taking the third place spot. Rounding out the top five best-selling models in the state are the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Although the Equinox doesn’t top the sales charts in any other state, it does make appearances in several other states’ top five most popular vehicles. Other Midwestern states like Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota all see Chevy’s sensibly priced SUV rank highly, and it’s also the third most popular new vehicle in New York.
That popularity has helped the Equinox become Chevy’s best-selling SUV in the U.S., ahead of the Trax and Traverse. For the 2026 model year, the base-spec Equinox starts from $30,795 (including a $1,995 destination fee), while a fully-loaded top-spec Equinox can stretch past the $40,000 mark.
The Equinox hasn’t seen any major changes for 2026
Given the sales success of the Equinox, it shouldn’t come as a shock to find out that Chevy hasn’t been too keen on switching things up for the 2026 model year. The only two changes for 2026 are the introduction of a new Polar White paint color and the drive mode selector dial becoming standard equipment across all trims. Other than that, the Equinox remains exactly the same as it was when we reviewed it in 2025.
We spent time with both the road-focused Equinox RS trim and the ruggedized Equinox Activ, and liked both overall. However, we weren’t convinced that the Equinox Activ represented the best value for money against its competition, with its Japanese rivals from the likes of Toyota and Subaru offering better efficiency and better all-terrain capability, respectively. Subaru also makes the 2026 Forester in the U.S. at its Indiana facility, while the Equinox is made in Mexico. In 2025, GM announced plans to start production of the Equinox at its Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas, with the first examples set to roll off the line in 2027.
Flip phones are making a comeback, but most US adults aren’t convinced enough to upgrade.
Smartphone brands are trying new phone concepts, like flip and foldable phones, to give us a bigger screen when we want it, while still maintaining the same functionality as the smartphones we’re used to. There’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, for instance, and there’s even a rumor that Apple plans to release its first foldable phone.
And if you remember the popular 2000s Motorola Razr, now there are rumors about the Motorola Razr 2026 — it reminds me of my old pink phone. But gone are the days of a basic keypad and a few ringtones. Smartphone brands are adding AI features, such as creating custom emoji, removing background objects from photos, and live translation.
Yet a recent CNET survey says smartphone users aren’t sufficiently impressed by new features and concepts to consider upgrading their phones. Only 12% are motivated by AI integrations and 13% by new phone designs. Instead, price (55%) and longer battery life (52%) are the biggest drivers of their decision to get a new phone.
If most US adults aren’t sold, why are tech brands so adamant? Let’s dive into CNET’s findings and what they mean for the future of smartphones.
The top three motivations for US adult smartphone owners to consider upgrading their devices are price (55%), longer battery life (52%) and more storage (38%). That’s the same top three as last year: In 2025, price was the top motivator (62%), followed by longer battery life (54%) and storage capacity (39%).
Despite AI’s growing presence, only 12% of smartphone owners say AI integrations would motivate them to consider upgrading.
Only 13% of smartphone owners would be motivated to consider upgrading to a new phone concept, such as a foldable or flip phone.
Over half of smartphone owners (58%) experience frustration with their phone’s battery life, and 31% say their phone’s battery doesn’t hold a charge as well as it did when it was new.
Most US adults aren’t motivated by new smartphone features and designs
Smartphone brands, like Samsung and Apple, are building in convenient features, such as a tool to remove unwanted objects from pictures, AI call screening and the ability to draft a message from a prompt. However, CNET found that US adults would consider upgrading for more practical reasons. Over half (55%) of US smartphone users are motivated by price, including 53% of Apple users and 56% of Samsung users.
Yet brands are still exploring new concepts and features, like Apple Intelligence, a built-in AI feature. Then there’s the rumor of a book-style iPhone, potentially followed by a clamshell foldable design. But that’s not what most smartphone owners are after.
Smartphone owners are more convinced by other design and feature factors when deciding on a new phone, such as camera features (27%) and the phone’s display or screen size (22%). Here are the top motivators to consider upgrading for all smartphone users.
Enlarge Image
Zain Awais / CNET
You’ve probably noticed the price of a basic smartphone has increased drastically over the years. Take the iPhone, for example. It was originally $600 for 4GB. But advanced features, the RAM shortage, inflation and tariffs are pushing prices even higher. Now, the baseline iPhone 17 (256 GB) is $800, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 (256 GB) starts at $900.
There’s no way of knowing for sure, but these may be the lowest prices we’ll see on new models for a while, especially as features advance and designs become more complex. So if you’re already in the market for a new phone, you might want to think seriously about pulling the trigger now if you find a good deal.
The top upgrading motivators haven’t changed much over the years
Looking back at CNET’s survey data from 2024 and 2025, and now, people’s motivators for upgrading their phones haven’t changed much. Price, longer battery life and more storage have been top drivers in the past, and despite small dips this year, they’re still key upgrading factors.
Despite design upgrades and new features, smartphone owners are still focused on how much they’re paying and how long they can use their devices without needing a charger. Consumer sentiment about AI integrations dropped hard from 2024 to 2025, but it has edged up slightly in 2026. And smartphone owners aren’t as easily persuaded by phone color or the phone being thinner, either.
Even with these nice-to-have capabilities, smartphone owners are looking at the basics. That includes practical features like battery life and more storage to hold their many important files, photos and apps.
Most smartphone owners want better battery life
Taking a closer look at smartphone users’ hope for longer battery life in a new phone, over half (58%) are frustrated with their current phone’s battery life. Roughly one in three (31%) say their phone doesn’t hold a charge.
The reality is, battery life will decline the longer you have your phone, so you may find your phone’s battery charge doesn’t last as long as it used to. Even though you can replace your phone’s battery, most phone batteries have a lifespan of two to three years before they start degrading.
CNET Director of Editorial Content Patrick Holland examined battery life tests on over 35 current smartphones. And it’s not just iPhones that pack impressive batteries.
Based on CNET’s lab testing, the $1,200 iPhone 17 Pro Max had the best overall battery life, with a 5,088-mAh capacity. Another top performer was the $900 OnePlus 15, with a 7,300-mAh battery.
If you’re looking for a phone with better battery life, consider one with a silicon-carbon battery to increase capacity without requiring a larger phone. The OnePlus 15, Poco F7 Ultra, OnePlus 13R and OnePlus 15R all feature silicon-carbon batteries with large capacities and all performed well in Holland’s testing. Keep in mind that other factors can impact your battery life, like your carrier’s signal, software efficiency and processor.
Methodology
CNET commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the survey. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample comprised 2,486 adults, of whom 2,407 owned a smartphone. Fieldwork was undertaken from April 29 to May 1, 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18 plus).
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
