Poll: What are your smartphone dealbreakers?

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

Even the very best smartphones have their pros and cons. As consumers, we take great joy in outlining the positives and enjoying the improvements or novel smarts an updated model brings. However, it’s the negatives that ultimately make or break a device.

A phone could offer the best-in-class performance, but if limited battery life or overheating tampers the experience, it rather negates the feat. Similarly, there’s no point in boasting a crazy quintuple camera array if all five are ordinary. Some manufacturers nerf some features to cut costs or elevate other models in the lineup.

We’ve touched on this topic a few times before. In 2017, two of our primary dealbreakers were the lack of a headphone jack and no water resistance — how times have changed. We also polled readers in 2021, with the majority outing poor battery life and a lack of software updates as their bugbears — two problems that still rear their heads. A low-quality display was also among our readers’ top annoyances, but the issue is largely extinct in 2024.

My biggest dealbreaker is battery life, followed by camera performance and durability. If I forget to charge my phone, I want to ensure it’ll still wake me up in the morning. I’m still clinging onto my older phone because it’s built like a shiny tank, and the camera remains impressive. These might be small details, but they matter to me.

Unfortunately, the poll above allows you to pick only one dealbreaker. Ensure that you really give the topic some thought. However, be sure to leave a comment detailing your choice, or tertiary dealbreakers if you are so inclined.