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This is what everyone hates the most about their smartphones

Published Nov 26th, 2013 12:00PM EST
Smartphone Survey Worst Features

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Even though everyone has their favorite smartphone, no mobile device is perfect. Fixya, a self-described “community based trouble-shooting resource,” has issued a new report on what consumers dislike the most about their smartphones based on a large sample of more than 13,000 “problem impressions” submitted by its readers. The results show the biggest problems that many users have encountered with the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy S4, the HTC One and the Moto X.

Starting with the iPhone 5s, FixYa users’ two biggest complaints revolved around battery problems and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner that Apple has touted as a key differentiator from rival smartphones. Fixya notes that battery problems are common complaints about high-powered smartphones such as the iPhone 5s and Galaxy S4, although it says that concerns about the Touch ID system present a unique problem for iPhone users. Fixya says that complaints about Touch ID are mostly not about its functionality and are instead about general privacy and security concerns, so it seems that Apple has some work to do in selling some of its users on whether this new feature is safe to use.

The Galaxy S4, meanwhile, apparently suffers most from overheating issues that Fixya once again says are common to high-powered smartphones. As for the HTC One, users complained most about its battery life, followed by its camera quality and “audio issues.” The last two complaints are pretty surprising since HTC’s flagship smartphones are widely acclaimed as having the best speaker systems in the business and since HTC has put in “obvious time invested in screen quality and impeccable industrial design,” as Fixya puts it.

Finally, Moto X users have complained the most about the device’s lack of storage, which is further exacerbated because the Moto X doesn’t have a microSD card slot. Fixya comments that because of these limitations, “the only option is to expand storage through cloud services — which is a limiting option if you are ever roaming or off the grid, not to mention more expensive over time.”

Fixya’s full press release outlining all of users’ biggest smartphone problems follows below.

Looking to Upgrade? New Fixya Black Friday Smartphone Report Pits the iPhone 5s, HTC One, Galaxy S4, and Moto X Head to Head, Identifying Most Common Problems

Fixya’s Black Friday Smartphone Report details common issues across the newest mobile devices, with users opting out of the fingerprint functionality of the iPhone 5s, disappointed with the HTC One’s camera quality, worried about their overheating Samsung Galaxy S4, and frustrated with a lack of storage space on the Moto X

SAN MATEO, CALIF. (November 26, 2013) – Today Fixya, the leading product Q&A destination on the web and mobile, announces the release of a new report comparing the number of fix-it requests across top smartphones released this year – sifting through over 12,000 problem impressions to determine the most common issues with each device. The Fixya Black Friday Smartphone Report covers the Samsung Galaxy S4, Moto X, iPhone 5s, and the HTC One. By looking at the top issues with each device, the Fixya Black Friday Smartphone Report seeks to provide clarity to consumers before they make their big smartphone upgrades this Black Friday.

To see the full Fixya Black Friday Smartphone Report, please visit: http://blog.fixya.com/fixyareport/nov2013/smartphone-report.html

Fixya’s Black Friday Smartphone Report aggregates troubleshooting requests posted by consumers through its product Q&A site and iOS mobile app. The report is meant to lift the veil around smartphone reliability by identifying the most common problems. Below are the major trends found within the Fixya Black Friday Smartphone Report:

  • The Samsung Galaxy S4 has become wildly popular since its release in 2010, hitting 40 million sales in 2013, but as with most smartphones users experience overheating and battery issues – a common problem in phones with such powerful processing power.
  • Along with screen quality falling short of that expected of new smartphones, the number one complaint of the newly released Moto X is a lack of storage space for the native device. With low storage space, and no memory card option to upgrade on your own, the only option is to expand storage through cloud services — which is a limiting option if you are ever roaming or off the grid, not to mention more expensive over time.
  • Fixya users reported battery issues with the new iPhone 5s, but as stated earlier – this is a common problem in smartphones with powerful processing power. A unique concern for the future, although not pressing at the moment, is the fingerprint password feature – which with the recent NSA scandal seems an obvious concern for anyone new to the phone.
  • Being highly lauded for a beautiful and unique design, the HTC One has fallen short in camera quality – which seems slightly surprising considering the obvious time invested in screen quality and impeccable industrial design.

Below are the top five problems for each browser in the Fixya Black Friday Smartphone Report, and the percentage of troubleshooting requests that fall into each problem category:

Top 5 Samsung Galaxy S4 Issues:

1.    Overheating – 25%

2.    Battery Problems – 20%

3.    Screen Issues – 20%

4.    Phone & Text Issues – 15%

5.    Other – 20%

Top 5 Moto X Issues:

1.    Storage Space – 30%

2.    Screen Quality – 20%

3.    Camera Quality – 20%

4.    GPS Problems – 15%

5.    Other –15%

Top 5 iPhone 5s Issues:

1.    Battery Problems – 25%

2.    Fingerprint Password – 25%

3.    Display Size – 15%

4.    Apps Crashing – 15%

5.    Other – 20%

Top 5 HTC One Issues:

1.    Battery Life – 30%

2.    Audio Issues – 20%

3.    Camera Quality – 20%

4.    Blinkfeed Feature – 10%

5.    Other – 20%

Fixya has created this latest report by sourcing data from its 30 million users and 8 million product problems and solutions. Those interested in viewing the full report can do so here: http://blog.fixya.com/fixyareport/nov2013/smartphone-report.html

“With all of the most popular smartphone lines coming out with new models like the iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S4, it’s important for consumers to know both the strengths and weaknesses of each phone, to make the best purchase to suite their own needs,” said Fixya CEO and founder Yaniv Bensadon. “Our latest report takes an in-depth look at the most common problems with these top phones, allowing people to go into their upgrade decision informed, prepared, and knowing what to expect.”

Fixya brings consumers the most comprehensive solution database in the world. Fixya’s unique access to crowd-sourced product Q&A from consumers grants the company transparent data that no other service can claim to provide. Fixya’s troubleshooting data comes from real-life consumer experience with products and product problems.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.