15 Apr 2024

Which mobile phone brand to buy in 2024

Exclusive 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 AxworthySenior researcher & writer

In this article

Smartphone brands rated
The most common smartphone faults
Which smartphone brand is seen as the best value for money?
Which smartphone manufacturers are the best at repairs?
How we calculate the best and worst smartphone brands
Head to our smartphone reviews

In our unique customer survey, we've asked more than 15,000 Which? members and members of the public to tell us whether they're happy with their smartphone and if they've experienced problems, so you can see which brands are worth investing in.

Performance and reliability of a range of popular smartphone brands, including Apple, Google, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Samsung, Sony and Xiaomi, were put to the test, revealing how satisfied customers are, how they rate value for money and more.

One key finding from our survey was brands that experienced the most faults. Within the first six years of ownership, HTC and Nokia phones fared worst here, with the most common problem being battery life getting significantly worse over a short period of time, or the phone quickly losing charge. Some owners also reported their devices becoming slow or sluggish or phones freezing or crashing unexpectedly – more often than with other brands.

Other issues included software update problems and the odd camera failure. Read on for the full results of our faults analysis and the other findings from our survey.

See our pick of the best mobile phone and Sim-only deals, and best iPhone deals for 2024.
Or check our guide to the best smartphones to discover which models aced our lab tests.

Smartphone brands rated

The table below summarises this year’s results, based on phones bought in the past six years.

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 score	Proportion faulty in the first six years	Proportion repaired or replaced due to a fault	Number of Best Buys	Average test score
81%	10%	2%	9	76%
79%	9%	3%	4	69%
77%	11%	3%	5	72%
77%	11%	2%	15	67%
73%	6%	1%	0	54%
73%	11%	2%	4	67%
69%	13%	3%	0	65%

Table notes The customer score, proportion faulty and proportion repaired or replaced are based on a survey of 15,614 people who own products, conducted in March 2023. Phone brands are ranked by customer score. Where n/a is reported, there is not enough data. The proportion faulty and proportion repaired or replaced is based on products bought in the past six years. Customer score rates how happy the respondent is with their smartphone brand and how likely they would be to recommend it to a friend.

Smartphones can last a long time, 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 years.

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 receive security updates.

The most common smartphone faults

Which? members can log in to unlock the results of our survey to read the full results below. 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.

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

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

An antivirus app for an Apple or Android phone can offer significant extra protection – we explain the benefits in our guide to the best mobile antivirus software.

Which smartphone brand is seen as the best value for money?

Which? data has calculated which phone brands are seen as the best value for money, and the results might surprise you. Some smartphones brands sell cheaper phones without the fanciest camera features or high-resolution screens, but they might be considered better value.

Which smartphone manufacturers are the best at repairs?

When something goes wrong with your phone, getting it repaired by the manufacturer can be a quick and convenient option. In our survey, we asked smartphone customers who went back to their manufacturer for a repair how satisfied they were with the process - whether this was done under warranty or they paid for it.

How we calculate the best and worst smartphone brands

Which? has a wealth of information on Britain's favourite brands. Every year we ask Which? members to tell us about the tech they own – from how likely they'd be to recommend a brand, to how reliable the products are once they get them home.

This year, 15,614 Which? members and members of the public told us about more than 54,500 individual products. We calculate our customer score based on whether customers would recommend each brand and their level of satisfaction. We also calculate which brand developed the most faults, based on products up to six years old.

Our surveys, combined with our extensive lab tests, mean we can recommend the best smartphones to buy. Find out more about how we test smartphones.

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're directly comparable. Our scores take into account what’s important to consumers. We remove Best Buy recommendations from phones that will 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: