People’s Picks: 4 Phone Brands Dominate, but 1 Reigns Supreme and It’s Not Apple
Apple may seem like an obvious winner for most, but readers’ responses say this brand is a force to be reckoned with in the smartphone space.
Google emerged as the clear overall winner in CNET's People's Picks for Phones, with a score of 4.52 out of 5. Motorola came in a close second with a rating of 4.45. The ranking of the top four phone brands - Google, Motorola, Samsung, and Apple - was determined by averaging scores across three key categories: customer satisfaction, battery longevity, and price-to-value.
Google's Pixel 10A was highlighted as a particularly strong value, costing less than $500 while offering impressive features and battery life. Its AI-powered features, such as Magic Eraser and live translation, were particularly well-received, with 88% of Google users reporting these features as essential and occasionally useful.
While Samsung and Apple scored lower in overall satisfaction, with scores of 4.19 and 3.87 respectively, they still offer compelling features and innovations. Samsung's AI advancements and Apple's diverse range of devices may have contributed to their strong showing, despite trailing behind Google and Motorola in overall satisfaction.
Apple's fourth-place finish may be attributed to a lack of visible upgrades in recent years and the higher price points of its devices. However, Apple's strong battery life, with 31% of iPhone users reporting their phone's battery exceeded expectations, helped it secure the lowest score among the four brands.
The report underscores the growing importance of AI features in smartphones, with Google leading the charge in this regard. Google's Gemini AI, which can run on all four major phone brands, has been well-integrated into its Pixel phones, making it a standout feature for users of Google and Motorola devices.
Written by urgent.news from CNET's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
