Cell phone satisfaction in the United States has reached its lowest point in a decade, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). This marks a sharp decline from last year’s record high, with the latest score falling to 78 out of 100.
“Despite ongoing innovation, consumers continue to prioritize basic features like battery life, call reliability, and ease of use,” noted Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and ACSI’s Director of Research Emeritus. “True customer satisfaction depends on these fundamentals.”
Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, echoed this sentiment, highlighting battery life as a top issue in surveys. He added that call reliability remains a significant concern, especially when dropped calls interrupt social media use.
Bryan Cohen, CEO of Opn Communication, offered a relatable example: “My 72-year-old father was thrilled to get an iPhone 16, particularly for its AI features. But his excitement quickly turned to frustration due to the phone’s complexity.”
Impact on Manufacturers and Technology Gaps
This dissatisfaction extended to phone manufacturers. Based on over 27,000 surveys, Apple and Samsung saw their scores dip to 81, though Samsung maintained a slight advantage in the 5G category. Both companies still outpaced competitors like Google and Motorola, which dropped three points to 75.
The gap between 5G and non-5G phone users widened, with satisfaction for 5G phones slipping two points to 80, while legacy phone satisfaction plunged seven points to 68.
John Strand of Strand Consulting explained that older phones often lack compatibility with modern spectrum bands, affecting performance. Cohen added that many users don’t realize their older LTE phones aren’t built for 5G or eSIM technology, creating further frustration.
Internet Providers See Modest Gains
On the brighter side, internet service providers (ISPs) saw small improvements, with overall satisfaction rising to 72. Non-fiber services climbed three points to 70, while fiber services dipped one point to 75.
AT&T Fiber led the fiber segment with a score of 78, followed by Google Fiber and Verizon FiOS at 76. Optimum stood out with an eight-point jump to 71, attributed to enhanced customer service. Meanwhile, smaller ISPs experienced a nine-point decline to 70, with service quality metrics dropping across the board.
In the non-fiber segment, T-Mobile’s efforts to improve service consistency helped it tie AT&T for the top spot at 78. Verizon also improved, rising four points to 77, while Windstream’s Kinetic service gained significant ground, climbing 11 points to 62.
Wireless Service Satisfaction Declines
The wireless industry saw an overall decline in satisfaction, dropping to 75. Value MVNOs fell three points to 78, full-service MVNOs dropped three points to 74, and MNOs slipped one point to 75.
Among major carriers, T-Mobile fell to 76, AT&T dropped to 74, and UScellular slid to 72. Verizon, however, managed a slight improvement, climbing to 75. AT&T experienced the most significant losses in call quality and network capability, with scores dropping six and eight points, respectively.
Smartwatches Added to the Report
For the first time, the ACSI included smartwatches in its evaluation. Samsung led the category with a score of 83, narrowly surpassing Apple Watch at 80. Fitbit trailed with a score of 72.
thetechtrident.com 
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