Samsung Overtakes Apple for Top Smartphone Customer Satisfaction

[jonnyb098]

After the mess with iOS and iPadOS 26 strictly from a bugs perspective (not Liquid Glass), it’s not shocking Apple is losing steam. This has been WAY worse than the transition from iOS 6 to 7 at least they actually fixed boatloads of bugs in the subsequent months. Here we are 8 months into official release and 26 is still riddled with pure jankiness. I don’t mind Liquid Glass at all but the rest of it is barely acceptable. It took months just to fix the keyboard. A core experience was busted for that long.

 

[I7guy]

After the mess with iOS and iPadOS 26 strictly from a bugs perspective (not Liquid Glass), it’s not shocking Apple is losing steam. This has been WAY worse than the transition from iOS 6 to 7 at least they actually fixed boatloads of bugs in the subsequent months. Here we are 8 months into official release and 26 is still riddled with pure jankiness. I don’t mind Liquid Glass at all but the rest of it is barely acceptable. It took months just to fix the keyboard. A core experience was busted for that long.

They are running out of steam is right. They are in free fall. /s

Apple Reports Record-Breaking 2Q 2026 Results: $29.6B Profit on $111.2B Revenue

Apple today announced financial results for the second fiscal quarter of 2026, which corresponds to the first calendar quarter of the year. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $111.2 billion and net quarterly profit of $29.6 billion, or $2.01 per diluted share, compared to revenue of...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[jonnyb098]

I feel like it's getting worse. I had less typos on the iPhone 1.

The UI was also smoother on the iPhone 1! Sad fact is iOS 26 is built off the architecture from iOS 1 and that’s why it’s so janky now. It’s become the iTunes of iPhone software. So insanely bloated it needs to be rewritten from the ground up. The whole reason they need more powerful chips now is to just keep up with the software bloat.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Liquid Glass could have a lot to do with this. Usability has dropped significantly, even when making all the changes Settings allows.

Apple only fell 1 point (81 last year to 80 this year) -- that's easily within margins of error in surveys. That would indicate Liquid Glass is not a big factor for most people.

Also, this suggests that people new to flagship iPhones (not necessarily new to iPhones) are quite pleased with them: "Among new flagship owners, Samsung's latest Galaxy S-series leads at 84, followed by new iPhone owners at 82." Again, if Liquid Glass was causing widespread usability problems, there's no way the rating would be that high.

The bigger issue appears to be that Apple has been struggling with Apple Intelligence implementation: "AI integration, measured by the ACSI for the first time, scores 85 overall, signaling that customers are not only aware of AI features but find them useful."

Put this together and it suggests Liquid Glass isn't the problem, lacking more functional "AI" is. That's not the typical narrative we get here on MacRumors (down on AI and Liquid Glass), but MacRumors commenters are not representative of the typical iPhone users.

 

[jimbobb24]

Keep in mind this is an American-only study, which excludes many of the Chinese phones and devices that are extremely popular worldwide. Xiaomi is the #1 phone producer worldwide. Huawei makes the best smartwatch (My 2 generation old GT3 Pro has 14 day battery life, O2 and heartrate monitoring, and their latest model offers blood pressure and glucose).

These opinions on products are interesting but not more than that. Huawei measures BP with a cuff....lol ok. No one wants a cuff thats not exciting. That is a trivial engineering or over engineering problem. The watch cannot do glucose measures.

 

[eveluvsrainbows]

After the mess with iOS and iPadOS 26 strictly from a bugs perspective (not Liquid Glass), it’s not shocking Apple is losing steam. This has been WAY worse than the transition from iOS 6 to 7 at least they actually fixed boatloads of bugs in the subsequent months. Here we are 8 months into official release and 26 is still riddled with pure jankiness. I don’t mind Liquid Glass at all but the rest of it is barely acceptable. It took months just to fix the keyboard. A core experience was busted for that long.

Ever stopped to think why iOS 26 isn’t as rock solid as iOS 7? It has been 13 years since the release of that version, during which time the iOS codebase has absolutely exploded. Thousands of features have been added since 2013, increasing its complexity and the challenge of keeping it stable, reliable, and free of major bugs. Software development is hard. Very hard. And it only gets harder and harder as a project / product grows in complexity and scale.

iOS 7 was a lot less complex; it was only the seventh major release of iOS and back then iOS was a lot more limited in functionality and far less flexible than it is now. These days iOS has thousands of features, dozens of built-in apps, and a huge device ecosystem to support. Back in the days of iOS 7 there was only one major iPhone flagship released per year (with the occasional attempt at a budget phone like the iPhone 5c) and that was Apple’s flagship phone until the following year. Now we have several iPhone models all consecutively announced and sold at once, meaning more engineering and development work is required to have iOS work across all the different devices Apple supports.

It takes a not unsubstantial amount of resources to just maintain the existing features, and with iOS continuing to grow in complexity, unfortunately the amount of bugs will only increase as less time can be dedicated to stability and bug fix testing to all of the different areas of the operating system. It has been reported (by Bloomberg, so its just a rumor currently) that iOS 27 will focus a lot more on bug fixes and stability and performance while containing a more limited set of feature additions, so I guess we’ll see in less than three weeks if that tuns the tide of the iOS stability picture for the better.

 

[eveluvsrainbows]

The UI was also smoother on the iPhone 1! Sad fact is iOS 26 is built off the architecture from iOS 1 and that’s why it’s so janky now. It’s become the iTunes of iPhone software. So insanely bloated it needs to be rewritten from the ground up. The whole reason they need more powerful chips now is to just keep up with the software bloat.

This isn’t true. If you actually used the iPhone 2G compared to, say, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, you would very quickly realize that no, iPhone OS 1-3 are not smoother on the iPhone 2G compared to iOS 26 on a 17 Pro Max.

Additionally, no, iOS 26 is not built on the architecture of iPhone OS 1 either. It has received several major rewrites to the majority of its components since then. And I vehemently disagree that iOS is “bloated”, as would a lot of other users I’m sure.

 

[vantelimus]

I'm not really a fan of Samsung, and I don't believe I ever will be, but I've been happy with the Z Fold 3, 4, 5, 6, and now the 7. I've never had an issue with Samsung support, either. Maybe it is the Apple fan in me, but I just don't like Samsung overall for some reason.

Their reputation for large appliances is a bit spotty, especially refrigerators. They don't last as long as other manufacturers. I've not had a problem with any of their electronic products. I've got a Samsung gaming monitor that fits its purpose well. I could trash it in comparison to a Studio Display, but that would be ludicrous since the Samsung was ⅕ the price of the low end Apple display.

 

[ab2c4]

They are running out of steam is right. They are in free fall. /s

Apple Reports Record-Breaking 2Q 2026 Results: $29.6B Profit on $111.2B Revenue

Apple today announced financial results for the second fiscal quarter of 2026, which corresponds to the first calendar quarter of the year. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $111.2 billion and net quarterly profit of $29.6 billion, or $2.01 per diluted share, compared to revenue of...

forums.macrumors.com

To be fair and realistic the typical Apple customer is not a tech savvy person like the Android crowd tends to be, so Apple can get away with a lot more and their average customer has no clue what's going on anyways from a technical perspective.

 

[Aoligei]

That's why I specifically said "hardware of software". BTW, the scores are still pretty damn high from a customer satisfaction standpoint.

Same as my original point. If you have an issue with their software, buy a product from a competitor with software that meets your needs, if enough people spoke with their wallet...Apple might be forced to change.

I don’t think it is all that black and white.

I don’t like iOS due to lots of imitations, but I am tolerating it, because I am use to iOS and there are few apps that I brought from App Store that i do not feel I want buy again.


Am I happy with iOS, probably not. The amount of lags and bugs with iOS 26 is annoying. My 16 Pro Max sometime will loss cell reception out of no reason and I have to reboot twice to get cell service. But I am hang on with it, because I did not want change phones.

 

[rhinosrcool]

Samsung is great (Irealize no tech co cares about me, personally). My S25 Ultra is fantastic. In the fall, I'll probably add the iPhone 18 Pro Max, too. Competition is good.

 

[slippery-pete]

I don’t think it is all that black and white.

I don’t like iOS due to lots of imitations, but I am tolerating it, because I am use to iOS and there are few apps that I brought from App Store that i do not feel I want buy again.


Am I happy with iOS, probably not. The amount of lags and bugs with iOS 26 is annoying. My 16 Pro Max sometime will loss cell reception out of no reason and I have to reboot twice to get cell service. But I am hang on with it, because I did not want change phones.

To me it is black and white.

If you are not happy with iOS, I don't understand why you wouldn't want to change phones to get a phone with the software you want, that works. And the whole "I bought a few apps and don't want to buy them again", makes little sense. You are tolerating a phone and its poor software because of a few apps...

 

[spicynujac]

These opinions on products are interesting but not more than that. Huawei measures BP with a cuff....lol ok. No one wants a cuff thats not exciting. That is a trivial engineering or over engineering problem. The watch cannot do glucose measures.

Opinions on products are exactly what this survey is measuring.

The comment was referencing the fact that Samsung is not the most popular Android phone worldwide, despite being so in America, and the majority of high end Android models were not included in this survey. The results are essentially a statistical "tie" for Apple and Samsung, as there is not a meaningful difference between the two satisfaction numbers. If you want to see true interest in Android higher end models, look at the most popular and highest reviewed models on GSMArena.

As to blood pressure monitoring on a wristwatch, the D2 is Huawei's health centered device, with its blood pressure cuff. It is one of the lesser selling models, with the most popular model being the "jack of all trades" GT that does *most* health features, but not direct blood pressure or glucose. But of course if you need to track your blood pressure or glucose, that feature can be extremely valuable. I doubt it will ever be a high market share feature though.

As for glucose monitoring, it's not on the D2 but is a feature of the D3 coming out within the next 60 days. Again, for an even more niche audience, but can be extremely helpful for that class of user.

Huawei is testing diabetes risk detection on smartwatches

Huawei is testing diabetes risk detection on its smartwatches, using health data from the wrist to flag potential risk early and encourage users to seek medical advice.

www.digitaltrends.com

 

[I7guy]

To be fair and realistic the typical Apple customer is not a tech savvy person like the Android crowd tends to be, so Apple can get away with a lot more and their average customer has no clue what's going on anyways from a technical perspective.

Apple is one lucky company to manufacture mediocre products and sell them to average customers who don’t understand how mediocre these products are, such that their piggy bank is literally overflowing.

No wonder tech savvy consumers say what they say about apple and their products. /s

 

[zarmanto]

To be fair and realistic the typical Apple customer is not a tech savvy person like the Android crowd tends to be...

I see more nuance to their respective audiences. I would argue that it's a lot like the bell curve meme: there's no denying that less technical people are indeed better off with Apple, because of its simplicity; that's the left side of the bell curve. As you get closer to the top of the bell, you find yourself surrounded by PC and/or Android users. As you pull away towards the right side -- where you find the most technically savvy users -- you find the frequency of Apple users increases again... but for a different reason.

Because on the right side of the curve... they actually get it.

 

[dominiongamma]

I am very dissatisfied with the typing experience on my iPhone’s keyboard.

You and me both

 

[ghostanime2001]

The UI was also smoother on the iPhone 1! Sad fact is iOS 26 is built off the architecture from iOS 1 and that’s why it’s so janky now. It’s become the iTunes of iPhone software. So insanely bloated it needs to be rewritten from the ground up. The whole reason they need more powerful chips now is to just keep up with the software bloat.

That's true iOS code needs to get updated be reworked. You can only use code from so many years back until it limits the potential for the hardware. For example, the system data but has been plaguing iPhones for God knows how long since the iPhone SE 1st Gen or even iPhone 5 and onwards. I'm hoping John ternus will listen to us

 

[Fallforward]

Customer satisfaction declined greatly under Tim Cook! He was all about pushing out half baked products with beta labels on features.

Half baked products from St. Jobs:

First tenure from founding to 1985:

• Apple III product flop plus design and QA failure with overheating and chips coming loose.
• Lisa product flop. Also limited software and significant reliability issues.
• Macintosh 128K botched launch in 1984. Shipped with limited RAM, few bundled applications, lots of frustrated buyers. Not a product flop but shakey start with serious quality issues.

Second tenure from 1997 to 2011:

• Power Mac G4 Cube product flop.
• iPod Hi‑Fi product flop.
• MobileMe botched launch with widespread outages, sync errors and billing problems and eventual flop.
• iTunes Ping flop. Low engagement. Infested with spam.
• iPhone 4 antennagate. Not a product flop but a serious quality flop.
• Final Cut Pro X launch. A botched ground‑up rewrite that dropped critical features with no compatibility to older Final Cut projects. Would have been a flop but they fixed it to work more like the previous version.
• Xserve flop.

 

[goonie4life9]

It's actually even more concerning when people are less satisfied with the so called "best-in-class" devices. Perhaps these devices are not best-in-class?

They are absolutely the best-in-class devices. See below:

The only devices that run iOS are iPhones and iPads so it’s pretty easy for iPhones to win that one.

Correction: Only iPhones run iOS. iPads run iPadOS. That is why iPhones are the best-in-class iOS devices!

 

[indychris]

I have never owned a Samsung phone. Love their TV's; tend to hate their kitchen appliances. Been using Apple stuff since 1990 and have owned most of the iPhone iterations since the introduction. I can honestly say I have never been more dissatisfied by the overall experience of both Apple and Mac as I have the last 2-3 years. After upgrading annually or more, I haven't even considered it since my 15PM. Can't stand OS/iOS 26. Too much clunkiness and 'hang-ups' in both. The keyboard in iOS 26 absolutely stinks, and I have to clear my spotlight cache in OS 26 about weekly to make the OS even usable.

My one caveat: I did purchase a 512GB indigo Neo to travel with a few weeks ago, and aside from it using Tahoe, it is actually a great travel notebook for emails, page layout with pages and presentations with Keynote. For the price point, it's a home run following a litany of strikeouts and bunts over the last few years. I can't stand Cook, but I will give him proper kudos for the Neo.

 

[Hedkandi]

Gee I thought I was one of the very few that has keyboard issues. I swear it gets worse with each update. Am glad I switched off autocorrect, but it's so hit and miss with letters I choose and so laggy.

 

[DevinRN]

I feel like iOS makes me feel like I'm going back to that same old stagnant no growth job every day. Just clocking in and clocking out when it's my time.

I have been an iPhone user since the iPhone 3G. Apple has made amazing phones for so many years and I definitely consider myself a fanboy however. This is the first year that I decided to try out Android. I picked up the s26 ultra and Galaxy pro buds 4 and holy cow.

I love my 17 pro max but I also really love my s26 ultra and I definitely reach for it 90% of the time. Maybe it's just the excitement of having something new and different but I feel like I'm moving so much faster when I'm on the s26 ultra.

I still appreciate what apple is doing but I definitely have way more fun over there on Android. iOS 26 has kind of been up and down. There are times when I really like it and then there are times where I look at it and I just say this is the most boring thing I repeatedly use on a daily basis.

There are several applications I think need a big revamp. Especially if they are going to look anything like the liquid glass set up. Calculator, calendar, and reminders are definitely a few I think they need to do a pass over.

 

[ab2c4]

They are absolutely the best-in-class devices. See below:

Correction: Only iPhones run iOS. iPads run iPadOS. That is why iPhones are the best-in-class iOS devices!

You are right I stand corrected lol.

 

[goonie4life9]

You are right I stand corrected lol.

I say this a bit in jest; however, Apple has defined things in the past such that they exclude nearly all phones (e.g., "premium" phone market, "pro" phone market, etc.).

 

[DaveN]

It'll probably get me excommunicated by both sides but I own and like both Samsung and Apple products

11 likes and 1 haha. Looks like both sides are accepting of your viewpoint.