The PC Brand With The Highest Customer Satisfaction Rating Isn't Apple

Apple recently shook up its computer strategy by introducing the MacBook Neo, discontinuing the Mac Pro, and updating both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lineups with its new M5 chip. While the iPhone maker's recent lineup has been praised for its Apple silicon processors offering improved battery life and performance over the Intel chips of Macs past, the company no longer has the highest customer satisfaction rating among PC brands. According to a study released after Apple updated several of its Macs with the M4 chip, the PC brand with the best customer rating is actually HP.

The study was conducted by American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which said that consumers have been expecting more from their home electronics and appliances in recent years. "Manufacturers are discovering that the true test isn't just in delivering the latest tech, but in providing reliable, high-quality service that meets rising consumer expectations," said Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at ACSI. "In this competitive market, value and support matter as much, if not more, than innovation," Morgeson added. It seems brands can no longer rely on reputation if rivals are offering a better overall experience.

According to ACSI, Apple lost the spot as the computer brand with the highest customer satisfaction rating to HP as it tumbled 4% year over year. Apple went from an 85 out of 100 satisfaction rating in 2024 to 82 out of 100 by the end of 2025. HP, on the other hand, dropped a point from 84 out of 100 in 2024 to 83 out of 100 in 2025. ACSI says HP has been combining high-quality products with "a strong value proposition to lead all competitors in overall satisfaction."

Interestingly enough, Dell, which had an 80 out of 100 satisfaction rating in 2024, got to the same level as Apple with a score of 82 out of 100 in 2025. The main reason, according to the study, was that Dell's rebranded AI PC lineup paid out in 2025. It's worth noting that ACSI puts computers and tablets in the same "Personal Computers" category, and that Apple saw a big drop in iPad satisfaction in 2025 (from 81 down to 77), which might help explain the company's overall drop in satisfaction scores. 

The study was based on 16,205 surveys, and it was conducted between July 2024 and June 2025. Customers were asked to rate their satisfaction with design, software, graphics, websites, accessories, processor speed, and other features.

While we'll still have to wait a few more months for the next study to be completed, it's entirely possible that Apple gets a different rating in 2026 — not only because the company recently updated its Mac lineup, but also because it continues to tweak its iPad models. In the past few months, Apple updated both the iPad Air and iPad Pro with more capable chips, and iPadOS 26 has added a host of new laptop-like functionality since the last survey was conducted.

With improved iPad software and the addition of the MacBook Neo, Apple's cheapest laptop to date, it's possible that the company's moves in 2026 could greatly impact customer satisfaction ratings. We'll have to wait even longer to see how a potentially redesigned MacBook Pro could impact customers' view on the Mac lineup, but it's clear that Apple has been gearing up for a strong year with its Mac and iPad products.

With their full rollout not expected until after this year's survey is complete, the upcoming iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 updates won't play a big part in what customers have to say about these devices' software. But the next survey should give us a clearer picture of how people have been enjoying Liquid Glass and the upgraded multitasking features on iPadOS 26.