Skip to main content

iPhone 5 ranks 5th in user satisfaction in U.S. behind four Android phones

ondevice
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The “5” in iPhone 5 stands for more than just the fifth generation of iPhone. It also stands  for fifth in customer satisfaction, which is where Apple’s handset placed in a recent report from OnDevice Research

In a poll of over 320,000 smartphone and tablet users across six countries – 93,825 in the United States – OnDevice Research found Android handsets to be the champions of the major mobile markets. In the United States, four different Android handsets finished ahead of Apple’s iPhone 5. Despite scoring an 8.23 in user satisfaction, the iPhone 5 is stuck looking up at Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 (8.26 user satisfaction score), the HTC Rezound (8.32), and Motorola’s Droid Razr M (8.5) and Atrix HD (8.57). The Atrix HD snagged the top spot in satisfaction while also being the only real budget-sensitive offering on the list. Perhaps the lowered expectations of the less expensive handset gave it a boost by boasting surprisingly good results for owners.

Across the pond, Apple fared a bit better. The iPhone 5 had a satisfaction score of 8.21 in the U.K., finishing second only to HTC’s One X and it’s 8.47 score. The top five for the UK was rounded out with an all Samsung line up of the Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S 3 Mini, and Galaxy S 3.

The silver lining for Apple should be that if one combines the full rankings – which includes data from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Japan, and Indonesia – and looks at overall device satisfaction, the Cupertino company is still the cream of the crop. As a company, Apple finished first across the entire survey, followed by Google even though Google doesn’t actually make any devices itself. Finishing last in overall device satisfaction is Samsung, though no reasoning or data is given to explain why.

Editors' Recommendations

AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
Here’s how Apple could change your iPhone forever
An iPhone 15 Pro Max laying on its back, showing its home screen.

Over the past few months, Apple has released a steady stream of research papers detailing its work with generative AI. So far, Apple has been tight-lipped about what exactly is cooking in its research labs, while rumors circulate that Apple is in talks with Google to license its Gemini AI for iPhones.

But there have been a couple of teasers of what we can expect. In February, an Apple research paper detailed an open-source model called MLLM-Guided Image Editing (MGIE) that is capable of media editing using natural language instructions from users. Now, another research paper on Ferret UI has sent the AI community into a frenzy.

Read more
There’s a big problem with the iPhone’s Photos app
The Apple iPhone 15 Plus's gallery app.

While my primary device these days continues to be my iPhone 15 Pro, I’ve dabbled with plenty of Android phones since I’ve been here at Digital Trends. One of my favorite brands of phone has been the Google Pixel because of its strong suite of photo-editing tools and good camera hardware.

Google first added the Magic Eraser capability with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which is a tool I love using. Then, with the Pixel 8 series, Google added the Magic Editor, which uses generative AI to make edits that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. There are also tools like Photo Unblur, which is great for old photographs and enhancing images that were captured with low-quality sensors.

Read more
How to use iMessage on an Android phone or tablet
iMessage on an iPhone 14 Pro Max, plus iMessage on an Android phone using the Beeper app.

One of the big draws of iPhone and Mac is the iMessage software. This texting app makes it easy to stay connected to friends and family, and many users point to it as a key reason they stay within the Apple ecosystem – venture off to Android, and you'll be stuck with third-party apps or standard text chats.

However, that's not actually the case anymore. While Apple's iMessage software is exclusive to iOS and you won't find it in the Google Play Store, a new app called Beeper lets you access the iMessage platform. The universal chat app works with a variety of texting software beyond iMessage, making it a one-stop-shop for all your communication needs.

Read more