CrowdTrust Research · 2026 Edition
The 2026 Electronics & Technology report
Consumer electronics is the rare category where the unboxing experience and the two-year repair experience live in the same review. In 2026, brands that obsessed over the first one and neglected the second saw their average ratings slide steadily as right-to-repair legislation made warranty failures more visible. The companies at the top of this year's ranking are the ones whose customers got an answer — and a working device back — when something went wrong.
CrowdTrust's 2026 ranking spans six sub-categories: computer and software, mobile phones, consumer electronics, tech support, gaming, and internet service providers. We weighted post-purchase events (warranty claims, RMAs, ISP installation, support escalations) more heavily than purchase-day sentiment, because that is where the long-term trust signal lives. ISPs in particular drag the category average down: even strong device makers can't fully insulate themselves from frustration when broadband is the single most-complained-about line item in the American household budget.
The headline shift for 2026: capability parity is now the norm at every price tier, so warranty length, repair turnaround, and the existence of a non-chatbot support path are the new differentiators. Reviewers no longer reward thinner laptops or sharper screens at the top end — they reward brands that ship parts inside 72 hours.
