Samsung Overtakes Apple in 2026 ACSI Smartphone Satisfaction Study

Apple has fallen just behind Samsung in the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) rankings for cell phone manufacturers. After tying for first place last year, Apple slipped 1% to a score of 80 in the 2026 study, while Samsung held steady at 81 to take the outright lead.



The broader cell phone industry saw a modest improvement this year, climbing to an average score of 79 out of 100. Google and Motorola also gained ground, each rising to 77.


While Apple recently led global smartphone shipments for the first quarter, flagship devices continued to dominate customer sentiment in the ACSI rankings. Flagship models scored an industry-leading 82, well ahead of legacy phones at 76 and foldables at 72. Samsung's foldable lineup significantly outperformed rivals in that category with a score of 80, compared to 72 for Google and 70 for Motorola.

The ACSI measured AI feature satisfaction for the first time in this year's study. AI capabilities debuted with a strong score of 85, nearly matching core functions like calling and texting. Battery life satisfaction also improved 5% across the industry, suggesting manufacturers are improving optimization as devices handle more compute-intensive workloads.

On the wearable side, Apple and Samsung finished in a tie for first place with smartwatch satisfaction scores of 80. Apple held steady year over year, while Samsung dropped 4% from last year's lead. Google Fitbit posted the biggest improvement in the category, rising 8% to 78, followed by Garmin at 76 and the Google Pixel Watch at 74. The report noted broad improvements across the industry in areas like battery life, menu navigation, and app connectivity.

The study also tracked the wireless carriers and internet providers powering these devices. Wireless customer satisfaction reached an all-time high score of 77, with T-Mobile leading major mobile network operators at 78. Verizon and AT&T tied at 76. Among value-focused MVNO carriers, Consumer Cellular led with a score of 84. In home internet service, AT&T Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet tied for the top spot at 79.