Samsung Knocks iPhone from Top Satisfaction Spot for First Time since 2020

by Aaron Leong — Thursday, May 21, 2026, 10:16 AM EDT

ACSI just released its latest survey showing that Samsung has nudged past Apple in overall cell phone satisfaction, while the Apple Watch still shares the smartwatch lead. Samsung's winning margin was minuscule, but a win is still a win, and thus ends Apple’s long run at the top that began way back with the iPhone 11.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 2026 Telecommunications, Cell Phone, and Smartwatch Study, overall satisfaction with wireless service providers rose 3% to a record score of 77, while internet service provider satisfaction climbed 1% to 73. The biggest gains came from mobile virtual network operators, with full-service MVNOs reaching 77 and value MVNOs topping the wireless category at 79, a sign that consumers are rewarding lower-friction, lower-cost service models (or maybe it's down to good, old American marketing?).

Arguably, the more eye-catching change is in the cell phones department. Samsung scored 81, enough to claim the top spot, while Apple followed at 80, ending a tie that had held last year. Google and Motorola both improved to 77, but the race at the top is focused on Samsung’s small but meaningful edge over Apple’s default dominance.

What's interesting about this shift is the story isn't merely a simple hardware-versus-hardware contest. Per the results, while the highest-rated customer experience metrics are still the basics, i.e. calling and texting (both scored 86), AI feature performance is new (scoring 85—nearly matching those table-stakes functions). On one side are the not-so-glamorous expectations that phones must simply work, with reliable battery life, strong network performance, and fewer frustrations. On the other side is the race to make AI feel genuinely useful.

Therefore, it's possible that Apple’s dip reflects that tension, pointing to the company’s heavy promotion of Apple Intelligence before many of those features were fully available. It's not that Apple suddenly faltered across the board (it didn't), but that customers may be weighing delivery against promise more sharply than before.

In the smartwatch category, the story is more restrained. Apple held steady at 80, while Samsung fell 4% to match it at the top. Google Fitbit climbed to 78, Garmin entered at 76, and Google Pixel came in at 74, showing that the wearables market is still spread beyond the two biggest phone brands.

The truth is, satisfaction scores like ACSI's have become a proxy for brand momentum, especially in a market where most people already own a premium smartphone and upgrade cycles are slowing. ACSI's results show overall cell phone satisfaction rose just 1% to 79 in 2026 after a sharp decline last year, meaning that the market is recovering, but not evenly.