The latest ACSI 2026 report says Samsung has moved ahead of Apple in overall US smartphone satisfaction, marking the first time since the iPhone 11 era that Apple has not held the top position on its own.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index based the result on 26,963 survey responses collected between April 2025 and March 2026. In this year’s mobile phone ranking, Samsung scored 81 points while Apple came in at 80, breaking the tie the two companies shared a year earlier.
Across the category as a whole, smartphone satisfaction rose to 79, up 1% year over year. ACSI says the improvement is tied to features that deliver practical value without adding too much friction or complexity for users.
Google and Motorola were tied for third place at 77, with both brands improving by 2 points from the prior study. Outside the leading names, the broader group of manufacturers also improved, climbing from 68 to 73.
The study also separated out AI-related experiences for the first time. That category scored 85 overall, nearly matching the 86-point scores users gave to core functions like calling and texting. Within the flagship segment, the newest Galaxy S devices reached 84 points, ahead of the latest iPhone models at 82 and Google’s flagship phones at 80.
Foldables remained a weaker spot in satisfaction terms despite strong attention from the market. Samsung led that category at 80, ahead of Google at 72 and Motorola at 70. ACSI said foldable owners are three times more likely to report problems than users of non-folding phones, which helps explain why interest stays high even while satisfaction remains relatively low.
On the smartwatch side, Apple held at 80, while Samsung dropped 4 points and ended up tied with Apple for first place. The broader smartwatch category improved in several areas, including easier menu navigation and better app and accessory connectivity.
