Phone satisfaction falls to 10-year low - and AI is only partly to blame

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET If you're not as happy with your current mobile phone as you used to be, you're not alone. A recent American Customer Satisfaction Index study showed that overall cell phone user satisfaction took a big step back this year from 82% to 78%. That might not sound like a huge drop, but it's the lowest satisfaction score in 10 years. Last year's score was an all-time high. Also: I test dozens of phones every year: Here's how Apple and Samsung stack up ACSI said the drop is largely in part to AI enhancements that didn't quite deliver what they promised. Add in the fact that most people aren't embracing AI on mobile devices anyway (only 8% of people said they'd pay for AI features), and it's clear customers are more focused on practical things like simple calling and texting, the phone's design, and improved battery life instead of fancy features. The study showed that steep prices and low upgrade rates also played a part in people being less satisfied. "Brands keep ... Read full article.