Updated: 13 Apr 2023

Which mobile phone brand to buy in 2023

Unique Which? data can help you choose a mobile phone brand that lasts. We surveyed owners of Apple, Samsung, Google and other mobile phones to find out which develop the fewest faults over time

Amy Axworthy

In this article

Smartphone brands rated
Which brands are best or worst for faults?
Which brands are best or worst for faults?
The most common smartphone faults
The most common smartphone faults
How long will my mobile phone last?
How long will my mobile phone last?
Should I switch mobile phone brands?

It's important to do your research before choosing a smartphone, but even then it's not easy to predict what might go wrong. To find out how important the brand is to choosing a smartphone that will last, we’ve surveyed more than 16,000 Which? members and members of the public to find out about the problems and experiences they've had with smartphone brands.

In our latest research, we’ve investigated the performance and reliability of some of the most popular smartphone brands including Apple, Google, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Samsung, Sony and Xiaomi.

We investigate whether you should consider switching phone brands when you next upgrade, and how many of us really recycle our phones.

Discover our pick of the best mobile phone and Sim-only deals, and best iPhone deals for 2023.
Or check our guide to the best smartphones to discover which models aced our lab tests.

Smartphone brands rated

Which? members can log in to see the scores and star ratings it earned in our latest survey. Not yet a member? Join Which? now to get instant access to all of our reviews.

Customer satisfaction score	Loyalty score	Faults developed within the first two years	Faults developed within the first five years
84%	94%	7%	12%
80%	54%	6%	9%
79%	62%	9%	13%
78%	78%	6%	12%
77%	53%	3%	4%
69%	46%	8%	16%
67%	25%	13%	25%

Table notes Results are based on a survey of 20,659 smartphones owned by Which? members and members of the public. The phones were purchased between 2015 and 2022. Research conducted in March 2022.

Customer satisfaction score and rating rates how happy the respondent is with their smartphone brand and how likely they would be to recommend it to a friend.
Loyalty score is the percentage of respondents who have or would choose the same brand again when they upgrade.

Fortunately, smartphones seem capable of lasting a good amount of time. According to our survey, more than 87% of phones don't develop a fault in five years, but this can vary between phone manufacturers. Also, brands don't often support devices for this long with important security updates. While iPhones tend to receive six years of updates, some Android phones stop receiving them after two or three.

Using a phone that's no longer receiving security updates is a risk. Read our guide to Mobile phone security: check how long a phone will stay secure to see how long a phone has left.

Which brands are best or worst for faults?

Unique Which? research reveals which smartphone brands develop the most faults, and which are more likely to have faults develop within the first two years.

Which? members can log in to unlock the results of our survey. Not yet a member? Join Which? now to get instant access to all our reviews, or read on for a preview of what our survey uncovered.

The most common smartphone faults

Our survey collected data on more than 25 faults that can plague smartphones.

We reveal the most common faults that plague smartphone owners – worsening batteries, faulty charging ports, overheating and software problems – along with tips and tricks on how to resolve these issues.

How long will my mobile phone last?

Which? data has calculated the average time it takes for each brand of phone to develop its first fault. This tells you how long you might be able to keep a working phone for, if it was still supported by important security updates. It's longer than you might think.

The best brand in our survey lasted six and a half years on average before developing its first fault. The worst was a year less.

Should I switch mobile phone brands?

Our survey revealed huge differences between brand loyalty for smartphone brands. One brand had practically a perfect score, with 94% of its customers sticking to it when upgrading; one of the worst only managed to keep 14% of its customers.

How do I recycle my old phone?

Our survey revealed how many people really recycle their phones or give them away, and how many phones are still lying around at home.

Head to our smartphone reviews

We independently test more than 65 smartphones a year at all prices from £100 to nearly £2,000. Our extensive scientific tests mean each phone is tested under identical conditions so they are directly comparable. Our scores take into account what’s important to consumers. We will take away Best Buy status if a phone is going to run out of security updates within one year.

Know which smartphone you want? Use the links to go straight to our reviews and find the model that works best for you: