ACSI: Samsung edges out Apple in cell phone satisfaction, while Apple Watch ties at the top

Source: 9to5Mac

iPhone loses a point, as Apple Watch holds steady

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has published this year’s Telecommunications, Cell Phone, and Smartwatch Study. Here’s how the iPhone and the Apple Watch performed.

Over the years, Apple has touted its high customer satisfaction as a hallmark of product quality, to the point that Tim Cook’s “customer sat” line has become a sort of meme, especially during Apple events and earnings calls.

Just last month, during Apple’s Q2 2026 earnings call, customer satisfaction was mentioned five times. CEO Tim Cook and CFO Kevan Parekh cited 451 Research figures of 99 % for the iPhone 17 lineup in the US, 97 % for the Mac, 98 % for the iPad, and 96 % for the Apple Watch.

This week, however, the ACSI (via Macworld) released its Telecommunications, Cell Phone, and Smartwatch Study with somewhat different numbers.

The study was based on 26,963 completed surveys conducted between April 2025 and March 2026. Customers evaluated their recent experiences with the largest companies in each category.

Cell Phone Satisfaction

In the overall cell phones category, Samsung took the top spot with a score of 81, while Apple slipped one point from last year to 80.

The overall category score rose 1 % to 79. This year’s study also measured AI feature performance for the first time, with the category scoring 85 on ACSI’s 0‑to‑100 scale. The AI score, at 85, nearly matches top‑tier interactions, indicating AI is moving from novelty to practical utility for many customers.

When broken down by model type (flagship, foldables, and legacy/other):

• Flagship: Samsung 84 vs. Apple 82
• Legacy/Other: Apple 79 vs. Samsung 78
• Foldables: Samsung 80, well ahead of Google 72 and Motorola (Lenovo) 70

Smartwatch Satisfaction

In the smartwatches category, Apple and Samsung tied with scores of 80 each. Apple’s score was unchanged year over year, while Samsung fell from 83 the previous year.

Overall customer satisfaction in the smartwatches category remained steady at 77, with “Connectivity with apps and accessories,” “Usability of fitness/activity tracking,” and “Website satisfaction” each scoring the highest at 83.

To view the full ACSI report, follow this link.