For the first time in several years, Samsung has taken the top spot in mobile phone customer satisfaction, breaking a tie to edge out its biggest rival. A new study from the American Customer Satisfaction Index shows that buyers are slightly happier with Galaxy devices than their iPhone models. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch managed to tie for first place in the wearable tech category, keeping things competitive.
Samsung takes the top spot in overall phone customer ratings
The newest survey asked nearly 27,000 customers to rate their mobile devices. Samsung kept its score of 81 out of 100, while Apple dropped one point to 80. This marks the first time since the iPhone 11 era that Apple does not hold or share the number one position.
During recent earnings calls, Apple executives highlighted that models like the iPhone 17 saw very high internal satisfaction numbers. The independent data from the ACSI presents a slightly different picture, showing a one-point drop for the company overall.
Other brands are also catching up. A two-point jump helped Google and Motorola tie for third place at a score of 77. The overall average score for the entire cell phone industry actually went up a point to 79.
The study looked at new artificial intelligence features for the first time this year. AI tools scored highly across the board. Some analysts suggest that shipping phones with promises of future software updates might have caused the slight dip in scores for certain brands.
Smartwatch scores show a tight race between top wearable brands
The smartwatch category tells a slightly different story. Apple and Samsung are now tied at the very top of the list, with both companies scoring an 80.
For Apple, this score remained exactly the same as last year. Samsung actually saw a drop from its previous high of 83, bringing the two tech giants onto an even playing field for wrist-worn gadgets. The overall average for all smartwatches stayed flat at 77.
Customers reported being highly satisfied with how these watches connect to other apps and track daily fitness activities. As the gap between major brands gets smaller, buyers are getting better technology across the board, making the choice between ecosystems closer than ever before.
