If you live on the East Coast or Southeast Coast, you probably remember Hess gas stations. At one point, there were over 1,400 Hess stations, constituting the largest chain of company-operated gas stations on the East Coast. However, that changed in 2014, when Marathon Petroleum Corporation purchased Hess Corporation for $2.6 billion, including all retail locations as well as transport and shipper operations. By 2016, every Hess gas station had disappeared and been converted to a Speedway.
At the time of the deal, Speedway was a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation, although it later sold the Speedway brand to Seven & i Holdings in 2021. With the addition of the Hess locations, Speedway became the second-largest convenience store chain in the United States at that point, with 2,770 stores across 22 states. This put an end to the long-standing Hess brand gas stations, which first opened in 1960. A few years after Hess sold its retail division, Chevron announced in 2023 that it was acquiring Hess Corporation for $53 billion, completing the deal in 2025. However, Hess is still around — in a different way.
The Hess toy truck lives on
Norrie3699/Getty Images
While the Hess Corporation no longer has gas stations, the name is living on through its iconic toy trucks. These trucks have their origins with founder Leon Hess, who grew up during the Great Depression and began delivering fuel oil in a 615-gallon truck he bought secondhand because he couldn’t afford college. His delivery business was a success, and he purchased five more trucks in 1937, switching some vehicles to residual fuel oil.
In 1964, Hess decided he would sell a toy truck at his gas station retail locations for visiting families. The Hess Toy Truck, which featured working head- and taillights, plus a fillable cargo tank, became a popular holiday present at the time. Despite the disappearance of Hess gas stations in the mid-2010s, Hess has continued to sell its iconic trucks and other toys, albeit via an online storefront. The truck is still available today, with a plush version made available in 2026. So, while we don’t know whether Hess would rank as one of the best gas stations in 2026, we can at least still buy its iconic toy truck.
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.
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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).
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