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For the first time in 20 years, Apple didn't beat Samsung for prestigious award
- The ACSI 2023 award for personal computing is a tie between Samsung and Apple.
- This is the first time in 20 years that Apple hasn’t been the sole winner.
- Samsung’s tablets are likely the main reason for gaining steam against Apple for this award.
Each year, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) issues a report on how Americans are feeling about specific products and companies. For the past 20 years, the company with the highest score in the personal computing category has been Apple. In 2023, that streak ends.
In the ACSI 2023 report, Samsung tied Apple. Both companies earned a score of 83. That’s a jump of one point for Apple and two points for Samsung compared to last year.
The personal computing category includes laptops, tablets, and desktop computers. For Apple, this would consist of MacBooks, iPads, and desktop PCs such as the Mac Mini. For Samsung, this would include its line of Galaxy Book laptops, Galaxy Chromebooks, and the Galaxy Tab series. The company does not make desktop PCs.
According to the ACSI, Samsung’s tie with Apple is likely due to growing customer satisfaction with the Galaxy Tab series, specifically. This is because tablet satisfaction in America decreased this year, but Samsung’s score improved by 6%. In other words, Samsung is beating the overall trend.
This ACSI 2023 report is based on over 14,000 responses from a random selection of Americans.
ACSI 2023: Have Samsung tablets gotten better?
The most recent tablet release from Samsung is the Galaxy Tab S9 series. These are notable for pulling out all the stops regarding hardware. The whole family having OLED screens and full IP68 ratings, for example, are things you don’t see often on tablets.
Likewise, Samsung’s budget offerings continue to be a good value. The Galaxy Tab A series has always been an affordable way to get a good-enough tablet. They are perfect for families with young kids or people who need a thin and light media consumption machine.
However, the big downfall for Samsung tablets has always been Android itself, not hardware or pricing. It’s only been in the past few years that we’ve finally started to see Google take large-screen Android devices seriously. This mostly has to do with Google’s own ambitions in this category with the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, both launched this year.
It’s likely Samsung’s increased hardware/value ambitions and Google finally bringing Android up to speed with larger displays have made customers more satisfied with their purchases. Obviously, Apple is still earning praise for the iPad, as this ACSI 2023 report proves. But maybe the gap between iPadOS and Android isn’t as wide as it once was.