Surveys reveal what people want from new phones, and it's refreshingly boring

Almost every key phone launch these days includes a slot for new features that make devices stand out. A typical Google or Samsung phone launch stresses AI features, especially when there’s little hardware advantage to talk about. But all the talk about new features may not have lasting effects on users, especially those who do not switch phones every so often.

Rather, what we’ve learned is that many of our readers desire long-lasting reliability and value sustained experience over just glorified features.

What users want most from new phones

In a survey we recently conducted, we asked our readers about their priorities when buying a new phone. The responses we got are fairly in line with what we expected. Rather than being swayed by new tech trends, we see more people seeking reliability and a software experience they can use for several years.

Our recent survey shows that new phone buyers prioritize camera quality and clean software. That’s prudent because the camera and software are among the features users interact with most often.

Following closely in the survey is the preference for performance and reliability, which is sensible too, given that the underlying hardware determines how the phone runs, not only on day one, but also several years after it has been bought.

Interestingly, while most of the respondents say their choices are dominated by experience, far fewer say they want an ecosystem around devices, which is something brands often stress to sell more devices. Meanwhile, customization and better apps, which Android users often use as their first argument against iOS, get the fewest votes.

In another similar survey we conducted a few months ago, we saw a similar preference for experience. In this second survey, the biggest share of respondents said they wanted a clean software experience and would prefer a phone that “nails the everyday basics.”

We also saw some desire for smaller phones that make one-handed use easier, and I wouldn’t be lying if I said I’m not part of that crowd. A much smaller chunk of the respondents said they want top-tier specs, and that’s evident from Samsung’s low-end models dominating the list of top-selling Android phones.