Samsung ranks first in the latest comparable U.S. smartphone-manufacturer satisfaction study, with a score of 81 out of 100. Apple is one point behind at 80; Google and Motorola tie at 77. The study does not publish individual scores for nine brands, so a genuine “top nine” satisfaction ranking is not supported by the available data.
How the 2026 ranking was measured
The ranking below uses the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) 2026 Telecommunications, Cell Phone, and Smartwatch Study. It measures U.S. consumers’ satisfaction with their cell-phone manufacturer on a 0–100 scale; it is not a laboratory test, a sales ranking, or a score for one particular phone model. The results were released May 19, 2026, and reflect consumer data collected from April 2025 through March 2026. ACSI’s 2026 study release and its cell-phone results page provide the published figures.
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The highest-scoring smartphone brands
| Rank | Manufacturer | 2026 ACSI score | Year-over-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung | 81 | Unchanged |
| 2 | Apple | 80 | Down 1% |
| T-3 | 77 | Up 3% | |
| T-3 | Motorola (Lenovo) | 77 | Up 3% |
The cell-phone industry score was 79, up from 78 in 2025. ACSI also reports an “All Others” score of 73, but that is a combined category—not an individual manufacturer and not a fifth-place brand. In 2025, Apple and Samsung each scored 81, while Google and Motorola each scored 75 and All Others scored 68. ACSI’s 2025 release provides the prior-year comparison.
1. Samsung — 81
Samsung has the highest overall manufacturer score in the 2026 U.S. results, unchanged from the previous year. It also leads the reported flagship and foldable categories. That makes Samsung the strongest fit in this study for shoppers who are considering one of those phone types, but the brand-wide score does not predict satisfaction with every Galaxy model.
#1 Best Overall
- Universal unlocked. Compatible with all major U.S. carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and other prepaid carriers.
- Super-bright, super-smooth 6.7" display. See your screen clearly even outdoors in sunlight, and enjoy seamless views with a fast-refreshing 120Hz display.*
- AI-powered camera system. Take stunning photos in any light with the 50MP camera**, look your best with a 32MP selfie cam*****, and capture extreme close-ups.
- Superfast 5G performance. Unleash your entertainment at 5G speed*** with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and up to 12GB of RAM with RAM Boost****.
- Long-lasting battery + TurboPower charging. Power through day after day with a 5200mAh battery, then get hours of power in just minutes.****
2. Apple — 80
Apple is just one point behind Samsung overall. It scores highest among these manufacturers in the study’s legacy/other phone category, so the overall order is not a universal verdict across product types. Apple’s score fell by one point year over year. Buyers should also consider whether they want to use Apple’s hardware and software ecosystem; the ACSI score itself does not measure ecosystem fit for an individual shopper.
T-3. Google — 77
Google rose three points from 2025. Its reported flagship score is 80, while its foldable score equals that category’s overall score. The public brand table does not give Google a manufacturer-specific score for individual features such as AI performance, repair access, or software support; those need to be checked for the particular Pixel model and buyer’s location.
Rank #2
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
T-3. Motorola (Lenovo) — 77
Motorola also gained three points year over year. Its legacy/other score is higher than Samsung’s in that category, while its reported foldable score trails Samsung’s and Google’s. The brand-level result does not establish that every Motorola model offers the same ownership experience or represents the same value.
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Satisfaction changes by phone type
ACSI’s model-category results show why an overall manufacturer ranking can be a poor shortcut when choosing a specific kind of phone. The figures below are satisfaction scores for the named category, not scores for every device from each brand. They are reported in the 2026 ACSI study report.
Rank #3
- Charger NOT Included, 6.7" Super AMOLED FHD+, 90Hz Refresh Rate, 385 ppi, 800 nits (HBM), 1080x2340px, 5000mAh Battery
- 128GB, 4GB RAM, microSDXC, Exynos 1330 (5nm), Octa-Core, Mali-G68 MP2 or Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
- Rear Camera: 50MP, f/1.8 (wide) + 5MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 2MP, f/2.4 (macro), LED flash, panorama, HDR; Front Camera: 13MP, f/2.0, Android 14, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
- 3G: HSDPA 850/900/1700(AWS)/1900/2100; 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/13/14/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/48/66/71, 5G: 2/5/25/41/66/71/77/78 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - Nano-SIM + eSIM
- US Model – Global Connectivity – Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will Also work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Straight Talk.
| Phone category | Category score | Brand scores reported |
|---|---|---|
| Flagships | 82 | Samsung 84; Apple 82; Google 80 |
| Foldables | 72 | Samsung 80; Google 72; Motorola 70 |
| Legacy/other | 76 | Apple 79; Motorola 78; Samsung 76 |
Foldables stand out: their category score is 72, compared with 82 for flagships, and ACSI reports that foldable owners were three times as likely to complain as non-foldable owners. A shopper deciding between a conventional phone and a foldable should weigh that category difference alongside the specific model’s features, warranty, and repair options.
What customer satisfaction includes
Owner satisfaction is broader than camera quality or speed. ACSI’s cell-phone benchmarks cover practical parts of using and maintaining a phone, including calls and texts, battery, screen, camera, performance, menus and settings, and service. In the 2026 industry benchmarks, ease of calling and texting each scored 86; AI-feature performance debuted at 85; screen quality scored 85; camera quality 84; speed and performance 83; and battery life 81. These are industry-wide measures, not Samsung-, Apple-, Google-, or Motorola-specific ratings.
Rank #4
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Service can shape the experience too. ACSI tracks matters such as arranging service, repair outcomes, website experience, call-center experience, and technician helpfulness. Most repair-related measures improved, but the repair outcome score moved from 84 to 83. Satisfaction therefore reflects more than the phone’s specifications: the support experience can matter when something goes wrong.
Why this is not a top-nine ranking
The published ACSI brand table names Samsung, Apple, Google, and Motorola, alongside the aggregated All Others category. It does not provide current, individual 2026 U.S. scores for OnePlus, Sony, Xiaomi, Nothing, ASUS, HMD/Nokia, OPPO, vivo, HONOR, or other manufacturers. Assigning those companies ranks five through nine would invent a comparison the study does not make.
Best Value
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Tracfone plan required, activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- DISPLAY: Immersive viewing on a 6.7-inch super-bright 120Hz display with powerful stereo speakers and Bass Boost for cinematic entertainment.
- CAMERA SYSTEM: Advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera captures sharp, detailed photos and videos in any lighting condition
- PERFORMANCE: Lightning-fast 5G connectivity paired with a powerful processor and RAM Boost for smooth multitasking.
- BATTERY LIFE: Long-lasting 5000mAh battery with TurboPower charging technology delivers hours of power in minutes.
Other sources can help answer different questions, but they should not be blended into this ranking as though they measured the same thing. Consumer Reports’ smartphone ratings combine model testing with survey-based predicted reliability and owner satisfaction; they are useful for comparing particular phones, not a substitute for a single current manufacturer-satisfaction table. YouGov’s 2026 U.S. technology report measures brand perceptions, which are not the same as owners’ satisfaction with their phones. Likewise, market share and reviewer scores do not establish customer satisfaction.
Geography matters as well. These ACSI results describe the U.S. market. A global list would need comparable evidence across markets where availability, cellular-band compatibility, software versions, carrier relationships, and warranty or repair systems may differ. Carrier satisfaction is also a separate question: J.D. Power’s 2026 wireless-carrier study measures experiences with wireless providers, not smartphone manufacturers.
Quick Recap
How to use the ranking when choosing a phone
- Start with the kind of phone you want. The category scores differ, especially for foldables, and the overall brand ranking does not erase those differences.
- Compare specific models within your budget. A manufacturer score is not a guarantee about an entry-level, midrange, flagship, or older phone.
- Check carrier compatibility and local repair options. Availability and support can vary by model and location, and neither is captured fully by one brand-wide score.
- Consider software and ecosystem preferences. Confirm that the phone’s operating system and connected devices suit your needs; satisfaction averages cannot decide that trade-off for you.
- Use model-level evidence for reliability and features. Satisfaction, predicted reliability, and controlled testing answer different questions, so consult sources that identify the model and explain their method.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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