Apple's iPhone SE, iPhone 7 Plus take top spots in customer satisfaction index

ACSI's survey polled 36,194 customers randomly selected between May 2016 and April 2017. The iPhone SE hit the top spot with 87 points, with the iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S6 edge+ tying for second at 86 percent.

Both the iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone 7 tied with 83 points. The iPhone 5, 5s and 6s all scored 80 points, with the iPhone 6 hitting 79.

"Over the past few years, the general trend for smartphones has been toward larger screens," said ACSI Managing Director David VanAmburg about the results. "Apparently, consumers were craving a new iteration of a smaller, less expensive phone as the iPhone SE - Apple's first update to a 4-inch phone since 2013 - comes in first in ACSI this year."

The iPhone SE features the A9 processor, and has not been significantly upgraded since it's release in March 2016, beyond a doubling of storage in March. Apple has started manufacturing the device in India, and the phone is a popular lower-cost option to the iPhone 7 family.

AppleInsider called the iPhone SE "a capable, modern smartphone in a compact, ultraportable, proven chassis" in an in-depth examination shortly after original launch.