5 Worst Smartphones I’ve Owned: Real Flaws
This article ranks the five worst smartphones I have personally owned, based on real, documented flaws in hardware, software, and battery life. The list is subjective but grounded in widely reported issues with each model, so you can avoid the same mistakes when buying a used or budget phone.
Why These Phones Made the List
The worst phones are not necessarily the cheapest or the oldest. They are the ones that fail at basic expectations: battery that dies by noon, software that lags after a year, screens that crack from a small drop, or updates that never arrive. I have owned over a dozen smartphones since 2010, and these five stand out for being genuinely frustrating to use daily. Each one had a specific, well-documented problem that was not just bad luck but a design or manufacturing flaw.
Number 5: Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014)
The Galaxy S5 had a removable battery and microSD slot, but its plastic back creaked and the fingerprint sensor was a swipe-based scanner that failed constantly. The bigger issue was the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chip in the US version, which ran hot and drained the 2,800 mAh battery quickly. After a year, the phone would shut down at 15% battery because the battery degraded faster than normal. The waterproof USB flap also broke off easily, and the rubber gasket tore, making the phone no longer water-resistant.
Number 4: LG G4 (2015)
The LG G4 had a beautiful curved design and a great camera, but it suffered from a notorious bootloop defect. Many units, including mine, would randomly restart and then freeze on the LG logo, becoming a brick. LG eventually acknowledged the issue and offered repairs, but the phone was unusable for weeks. The Snapdragon 808 also ran hot, and the leather back peeled after a few months. If you find a cheap G4 today, assume it has the bootloop risk and avoid it.
Number 3: HTC One M9 (2015)
The One M9 took the excellent M8 design and ruined it with the Snapdragon 810 chip, which was infamous for overheating. The metal body would get uncomfortably hot during normal use, and the phone throttled performance to cool down, making it feel slower than the older M8. The camera was a 20MP sensor that produced noisy, washed-out photos in low light, a huge downgrade from the M8’s UltraPixel. Battery life was poor, often ending the day at 20% with light use. HTC’s software skin also added little value and delayed updates.
Number 2: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (2016)
The Note 7 was recalled twice because of battery fires, and my unit was part of the first recall. The phone itself was excellent: big screen, S Pen, fast charging. But the battery design was flawed, with the positive and negative tabs in the pouch cell being too close, causing short circuits and fires. Samsung stopped selling it and issued a global recall. I returned mine and got a refund, but the experience was stressful and the phone was unsafe to keep. This is the only phone on this list that was a genuine safety hazard, not just a bad user experience.
Number 1: Essential Phone PH-1 (2017)
The Essential Phone had a great titanium and ceramic build and a near-stock Android experience, but its camera was terrible. The camera app was buggy, took blurry photos, and the rear camera had a monochrome sensor that was useless. The touchscreen also had a known issue where it would stop responding after a few months, requiring a restart. The battery was only 3,040 mAh, which was small for a 5.7-inch phone, and the phone often died by early evening. Essential promised updates but stopped supporting the phone after just one year. The phone was a pioneer in bezel-less design, but it failed at the basics of being a reliable daily driver.
How to Avoid Buying a Bad Phone
When buying any phone, especially used or budget models, check for these common issues:
- Battery health: Ask for the battery health percentage (iPhone) or use an app like AccuBattery (Android) to check capacity. A battery below 80% will drain fast.
- Overheating: Run a benchmark or play a game for 10 minutes. If the phone gets hot to the touch and lags, avoid it.
- Bootloop risk: Search the model name plus “bootloop” or “defect” to see if there are widespread reports.
- Update policy: Check how many years of OS updates the manufacturer promises. A phone that stops getting updates is a security risk.
- Return policy: Always buy from a seller that offers at least a 14-day return window, so you can test the phone.
What Makes a Phone “Worst” vs. “Bad”
A bad phone is just cheap or slow. A worst phone is one that fails in a way that affects safety, reliability, or core functions. The Note 7 was a fire hazard. The G4 and Essential Phone had hardware defects that made them unusable. The M9 and S5 had design choices that ruined the experience. These are not phones you can just live with; they force you to change your behavior, like carrying a charger or avoiding calls because the screen freezes.
Alternatives That Got It Right
If you want a phone that lasts, look at models with proven reliability. The iPhone 6s (2015) had a headphone jack and still gets updates for years. The Google Pixel 5 (2020) had great battery life and a clean OS. The Samsung Galaxy A52 (2021) was a budget phone with a headphone jack and microSD slot that did not overheat. These are not the fastest or most exciting, but they do not fail at the basics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these phones is the worst overall?
The Note 7 is the worst because it was a safety hazard. A phone that can catch fire is worse than one that is just slow or has a bad camera. The Essential Phone is a close second because it was expensive and failed at the camera, which is a primary function.
Can I still buy any of these phones today?
You can buy them used, but you should not. The Note 7 is not sold new and any used unit is a fire risk. The G4 and Essential Phone have known defects that will likely appear. The M9 and S5 are too old to get security updates, making them unsafe for banking or personal data.
What should I do if my current phone starts bootlooping?
If your phone reboots and freezes on the logo, first try wiping the cache partition in recovery mode. If that does not work, back up your data and do a factory reset. If the bootloop continues, it is likely a hardware failure, and you should contact the manufacturer or a repair shop. Do not try to fix it yourself unless you have experience with microsoldering.
Is a removable battery always better?
No. Removable batteries allow you to replace a dead battery, but they also mean the phone is less water-resistant and often has a plastic build. Many modern phones with sealed batteries last longer because they have larger batteries and better thermal management. The S5 had a removable battery but still failed because the battery degraded and the phone overheated.
How can I tell if a phone has a defective touchscreen?
Test the touchscreen by drawing a straight line across the screen with your finger. If the line breaks or jumps, there is a digitizer issue. Also, check if the screen responds to touch when the phone is slightly cold or warm. The Essential Phone’s touchscreen issue was intermittent, so test it over a few hours if possible.
Related
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