Samsung Overtakes Apple in Smartphone Satisfaction as AI Emerges as Key Battleground

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has long tracked consumers’ experiences with smartphone brands, making it an important gauge of brand loyalty and market competition. As generative AI reaches flagship phones, the user experience offered by these features is joining hardware specifications as a key factor shaping upgrade intentions and customer satisfaction.

In its latest survey results, released in 2026, ACSI ranked Samsung as the smartphone brand with the highest user satisfaction, ahead of Apple, with a score of 81. The report included AI features in its scoring for the first time, awarding them 85 points. The result indicates strong consumer approval of mobile AI experiences and shows that generative AI is becoming an important driver of competition and market growth in premium smartphones.