Readers' Choice Awards 2022: Smartphones & Carriers

This month'southward PCMag Readers' Choice Award survey tackles what is, for most of u.s.a., the about important and most expensive personal engineering science production and service we employ: our mobile smartphone and mobile service provider.

Consider that some of the nearly popular smartphones on the market—such as Apple tree'due south iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung's Galaxy S7 and Google'southward Pixel phones—typically cost at to the lowest degree $650. Your mobile phone must be continued to a mobile service provider such as Verizon Wireless or AT&T, where you're paying at least $twoscore per month for service. On boilerplate, people upgrade their phone at least every 24 months, which means you lot're probably spending $1,600 or more every two years for your phone.

That'due south not chump change, only money isn't the merely reason making the correct telephone choices is then important. It's also because we spend an incredible corporeality of time on them. Mobile research firm Dscout created a utility to track mobile usage on Android phones and found that on boilerplate, people had 76 separate telephone sessions each day. Bold 17 hours of awake time per twenty-four hours, that'south more four sessions per hour. Your computer doesn't go that sort of workout. Neither does your Boob tube.

To brand the most of your telephone money and time, yous accept a few decisions to make. First, you need to determine which mobile telephone platform you're going to use. The pick is mostly betwixt Apple's iOS and Google's Android, although a pocket-size number of individuals choose to get the Microsoft Windows Phone route. In one case you've picked your platform, then pick your telephone. If you cull to become with Android, you'll accept dozens of phones from which to choose. With iOS and Windows Phone, there will but exist a few options.

Finally, pick a mobile service provider, aka carrier. Based on the ads that bombard you, you might call up in that location are only four: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, simply xiii carriers received the minimum number of responses to exist included in our survey assay. You have many choices.

Your personal decision process may not follow the platform > phone > service provider menses to a higher place. Given that the carrier represents the largest ongoing price, you might want to commencement in that location. Your provider selection will then limit the platforms and phones available to you. If you go with 1 of the big four providers, you lot can choice nigh any phone you want. Smaller providers may not support the most cutting edge smartphones. If yous cull Google's Project Fi as your carrier, you'll have ane choice of phone platform (Android) and ane pick of phone brand (surprise, it'south Google!), but that may non exist such a bad matter. Most of the other carriers offer enough choices to help you avoid compromise.

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The PCMag Readers' Option survey for smartphones and mobile carriers was in the field from February 21, 2022 through March thirteen, 2022. For more information on how the survey is conducted, read the survey methodology.

Each person who completed the survey was entered into a drawing to win an Amazon.com souvenir card valued at $350.

You tin win! Sign up for the Readers' Selection Survey mailing list to receive invitations for future sweepstakes.

Looking for expert stance? Read The Best Phones of 2022, The Best Android Phones of 2022, and our annual coverage of the Fastest Mobile Networks.

LINK from WINNERS Page

Mobile Operating Systems

When you ask people nigh which mobile phone platform they use—Android, iOS or fifty-fifty Windows—don't exist surprised if you become a very impassioned respond defending their choice. Surprisingly, though, when you ask them how satisfied they are overall with their choice of mobile telephone platform, the differences are minimal. On this question of overall satisfaction, Google's Android received the highest rating, eight.5 on our scale from 0 (extremely dissatisfied) to x (extremely satisfied), simply Apple'southward iOS and Microsoft's Windows Phone were right behind with identical ratings of viii.iv.

Where the difference between Android and the other platforms comes out is when we ask how likely respondents are to recommend their mobile platform. Hither, Android rates an 8.9 compared to iOS's eight.5 and Windows Telephone's vii.9. For this reason, Android wins our PCMag Readers' Choice Laurels for mobile platform for the fourth straight year.

Each mobile platform has its ain strengths, which contribute to their overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend ratings. Nosotros asked respondents to rate their mobile devices on well-nigh twenty different aspects of phone usage, and nosotros rolled upwardly the responses by platform. Android only comes out on top on a few measures. Satisfaction with reliability rated an 8.6, tied with iOS and slightly ahead of Windows Phone's 8.5. Android as well received praise for its selection of free apps, earning an 8.8 compared to iOS's 8.half dozen and Windows Phone's dismal v.ix.

On other measures related to apps, Android rated a little behind iOS. On overall availability of apps, iOS received a ix.0 compared to Android's 8.9, and on quality of apps, iOS rated 8.7 compared to Android's 8.iv. Respondents did prefer Android'southward navigation tools, rating satisfaction with maps and directions an 8.7 compared to iOS'due south 8.4 and Windows Phone's 8.3.

In addition to Apple iOS's strengths in apps, it also received height marks on several other satisfaction measures including web browsing (8.3), listening to music (8.6), watching videos (8.3), gaming (vii.7), shooting videos (8.iii) and payments (8.1). In addition, iOS and Windows Phone tied for best satisfaction ratings in text messaging (8.9) and taking photos (8.6).

While Windows Phone users weren't enthusiastic most recommending the platform, they were very happy with some fundamental parts of smartphone usage. In addition to the items mentioned above, Windows Phone received the highest ratings for ease of setup (8.8), managing contacts (8.v), managing calendar (8.half dozen), and managing email (8.8).

See all of our survey results for Mobile Operating Organisation.

WINNERS: MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM

Google Android
Each platform has its own strengths only no platform gets recommended every bit enthusiastically by users equally Google'south Android. That enthusiasm earns Android its 4th straight Readers' Choice Award for mobile platform.

Cease with solid 60 minutes

LINK from WINNERS Page

Smartphones

Last twelvemonth, Google's new Nexus smartphones were met with groovy enthusiasm by PCMag readers, and the company won the PCMag Readers' Pick Laurels. The Nexus phones were designed and built jointly with LG and Huawei and represented to many the purest vision of Android phones.

A few months ago, Google introduced their successors, the Pixel and Pixel XL. The Pixels come under the "Made by Google" imprint, meaning that although HTC articles the phones, the pattern comes from Google. Our survey respondents proceed to be very enthusiastic about Google's phones, again earning the company the PCMag Readers' Option Award.

In that location's picayune that Google respondents didn't love well-nigh their phones. The company was the only brand to receive ratings of ix.0 or ameliorate on our 0 to 10 scale in overall satisfaction (ix.0), satisfaction with setup (9.i), satisfaction with reliability (9.0) and likelihood to recommend (9.ii). In addition, the company had the highest rating for satisfaction with tech support (8.3). That's an fantabulous mark in a category that rarely gets high numbers.

The enthusiasm for Google's phones carries over to many of the ratings on which all Android phones should be fairly equal such every bit availability of apps (nine.ii), which trounce Apple's rating of 9.0 even though Android phones overall did not practice too as Apple. Google had the highest rating in 12 of 17 drill-downward categories.

In all, nine phone brands received enough responses to be included in our analysis, with Apple and Microsoft phones earning the second and third best overall satisfaction ratings at 8.6 and eight.5, respectively. No other make—all of which utilize the Android operating arrangement, by the manner—received college than an 8.three rating.

Respondents were very enthusiastic virtually recommending Apple (8.7), but that was non the instance with Microsoft. Despite its very expert overall satisfaction rating, Microsoft received the lowest score for likelihood to recommend (seven.viii), tied with ZTE. This is probably due to the scant availability of apps for Windows Phone and the lack of clarity from the visitor nearly the future of the platform.

Information technology doesn't appear that all the problems Samsung users ran into with the combustible Note 7 greatly afflicted the company. Overall satisfaction was downwards slightly from 8.4 to viii.3, merely despite middle-of-the-road satisfaction ratings in most areas, users are still very likely to recommend the brand, giving it a rating of 8.half dozen, behind just Google and Apple.

See all of our survey results for smartphones.

WINNERS: SMARTPHONES

Google
Google continues to show the world the purest version of an Android phone by making its own phones, and users like what they see, giving the company elevation satisfaction ratings in all major measures. That's more than enough to earn Google its 2d directly Readers' Choice Honour for Smartphones.

Cease with solid HR

LINK from WINNERS PAGE

Smartphones by Carrier

While most major mobile service providers offer a lot of the aforementioned phones, not all smartphones are exactly equal on all carriers. Readers register the differences in how they feel, and we quantify which smartphone might exist the best selection with the major carriers beneath.

AT&T: Apple
Microsoft's phones had the highest overall satisfaction rating (8.8) on AT&T, but they're also the least likely to be recommended (7.8)—plus, it turns out AT&T is no longer selling any Windows phone models directly to its customers. The best all-around telephone brand for AT&T is Apple, which had the next all-time overall satisfaction rating (8.5), and tied with Samsung for the highest likelihood to recommend rating (8.half dozen). Apple too had the all-time ratings for satisfaction with support (7.five) and repairs (8.0) on AT&T.

Consumer Cellular: Apple tree
Consumer Cellular currently offers sixteen different smartphones beyond seven brands, just most of our respondents chose either Apple or Motorola phones. The iPhone was conspicuously the smartphone of choice with an overall satisfaction rating of viii.four compared to Motorola's 8.one and a likelihood to recommend rating of viii.4 to Motorola's 8.0. While Apple tree also rated higher for satisfaction with reliability (8.7 to eight.5), simply 2 percentage of Motorola devices needed repairs within the concluding year compared to 7 per centum of the respondents' iPhones.

Sprint: Apple tree
The primary choice of our readers on Dart is between Apple and Samsung. Apple comes out slightly ahead of Samsung in overall satisfaction (8.4 to 8.iii) and wins our Readers' Pick Award. Notwithstanding, Sprint customers like their Samsung phones and are slightly more probable to recommend them (8.6 to viii.5).

T-Mobile: Google
You can't buy Google'southward latest smartphones from T-Mobile (yet), but enough respondents had the older Nexus phones or brought unlocked Pixels onto the T-Mobile network and they're very happy with the results. Google received an overall satisfaction rating of 8.eight from T-Mobile users. That'south identical to Apple's rating but Google users were much more probable to recommend their phones, rating Google a nine.ii compared to Apple'south 8.8.

Verizon Wireless: Google
Aside from Google'south own Projection Fi, Verizon Wireless is the only mobile service provider that sells the new Pixel phones. On every fundamental satisfaction mensurate, Verizon customers were more satisfied with their Google phones than with whatever other brand, including ratings of 9.0 for overall satisfaction and satisfaction with reliability, and ix.ii for likelihood to recommend.

See all of our survey results for smartphones by carrier.

Mobile Carriers

If you're looking for a better mobile carrier, it behooves you lot to do more than only compare the big four (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless). Ix other mobile carriers received plenty responses this year to be included in our survey assay, and most of them rated better in satisfaction than the big guys. These smaller carriers are what are known every bit Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs): they utilise the big four's networks but improve upon their offerings in a variety of means, such as offer the service at lower rates, using multiple carriers to better coverage, and offering better customer service.

Two MVNOs, Google Project Fi and Consumer Cellular, represent the best of what a carrier can exist and share our Readers' Option Award. In many ways, though, these two companies represent reverse ends of the spectrum. Google Projection Fi, which also won a Readers' Choice Award last year, is office of an all-Google vision: the service merely works with Google phones that run on Google'south Android platform, over the combined power of three carriers (Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular) every bit well as Wi-Fi to provide the best coverage possible.

Consumer Cellular which earns its fourth straight Readers' Selection Accolade, focuses on simplicity and value. If you're 50 or older, y'all get a disbelieve on the service through AARP. Consumer Cellular offers over a dozen smartphones including both iPhones and Android and uses both AT&T and T-Mobile'due south networks. Unlike Project Fi, however, Consumer Cellular gives you lot a SIM for access to the network that they feel will work all-time for yous. You just roam to the other network if the called network isn't available.

Despite the differences, both approaches resonate with our respondents. Project Fi earned a nine.2 for overall satisfaction and Consumer Cellular an 8.ix. It'south hard to ignore the measure on which each carrier won its highest rating: satisfaction with fees. Project Fi rated 9.4 and Consumer Cellular 9.2. In contrast, Verizon Wireless rated a dismal 5.4 for satisfaction with fees and AT&T (5.9) and Sprint (6.five) weren't much better. But T-Mobile (7.9) did reasonably well on this mensurate. With the advent of a new price state of war for "unlimited" data plans happening at present, perhaps those scores will change adjacent year.

Both Google and Consumer Cellular try to keep pricing simple. Project Fi costs $20 per month for unlimited domestic and international voice plus $ten per gigabyte of data, and it refunds you for information non used. Consumer Cellular works best if y'all're non a heavy data or vox user; for $40 per month, you can go 1,500 minutes of domestic talk and 1.5GB of information.

Cost is a strong influencer in satisfaction, but information technology's non the but thing that differentiates our accolade winners. Project Fi, with its multi-network approach, received a rating of 9.2 for satisfaction with coverage in the home area and ix.ane for speed of the data network. Both were top marks in our survey. Consumer Cellular earned the all-time satisfaction rating for customer service (eight.7), but it too tied Verizon Wireless and Straight Talk Wireless for the second-best ratings in satisfaction with speed of network (8.5) and reliability of network (8.6).

If yous're looking for the all-time selection of phones, yous still need to go with a big carrier. Verizon Wireless had the top marking in satisfaction with choice of phones (viii.four); AT&T was second (8.2). Verizon also rated amid the better carriers for satisfaction with network coverage within the home area (8.7) and outside of the area (8.viii), simply MVNO's such as Project Fi, Consumer Cellular, Heave, Cricket, and Direct Talk all posted similar ratings.

It'southward important to note that these are satisfaction ratings based on perceptions, not on comparative, objective coverage tests. Some of these MVNOs rated far better than the carrier on which they run. For instance, Sprint had the everyman home coverage rating (7.3) however Heave Mobile, which Sprint own and runs on Sprint'south network, got an eight.8. AT&T had the 2nd lowest satisfaction ratings for abode coverage (vii.nine) but its subsidiary Cricket runs on its network and scored ameliorate (eight.vii).

See all of our survey results for mobile phone carriers.

WINNERS: MOBILE CARRIERS

Google Project Fi
If yous're happy in an all-Google world—and there's a lot to be said for such a unified approach—then Project Fi is the carrier for you. It only runs on a few smartphones, but they're Google'south own, highly regarded Android devices. Users are extremely happy with the speed, price, and reliability of the service, helping Project Fi win its second straight Readers' Choice Honour.

Consumer Cellular
For the 4th year in a row, Consumer Cellular wins our Readers' Option Honor. The company offers an affordable, reliable service backed by elevation-notch client back up. Different Google's Project Fi, Consumer Cellular offers a wide multifariousness of popular, modern smartphones including the iPhone seven and 7 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S7.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/google-project-fi/14856/readers-choice-awards-2017-smartphones-carriers

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