You told us: These are the phones you should totally avoid buying in February

The remaining half of February 2026 is a busy month for the smartphone industry, with so many launches lined up. Google has already confirmed the Pixel 10’s launch for later this week. The iPhone 17e is expected to follow it shortly after. The bigger, more exciting launch is the Galaxy S26 series that arrives around the end of the month. And then who knows, we might see additional surprises on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026.

With so many launches earmarked for February, it may be best to wait for an actually new phone to launch instead of splurging on a new old phone. My colleague Joe Maring recently listed eight phones you should absolutely avoid buying in February, and it appears that one struck a chord with many of our readers. Several thousand chimed in to help us decide the least desired phone this month, and you’ll find the results below.

The least favorite phones this year

We asked our readers to choose the phones they absolutely don’t wish to buy or plan to recommend this month, and two phones stood prominently, as you’ll find in the pie chart below.

Our readers vehemently oppose buying any of the Galaxy S25 phones this month. Even though the newer Galaxy S26 is only expected to offer minimal upgrades, some of them could prove to be meaningful or even life-changing for some. For instance, Privacy Display is a good defense against shoulder surfers, while the faster 60W charging on the Ultra should help the phone get topped up more quickly in times of need. We still despise Samsung for supposedly skipping out on magnets inside the body, now that even AirPods’ charging case comes with MagSafe support, or the lack of any sound camera upgrades, but the slimmer bodies across all devices should bring Samsung some respite.

Following right behind are the Google Pixel 9a and the Galaxy A56. The Pixel 10a is set to launch this week, while the Galaxy A57 is widely rumored to launch soon with design upgrades, a metal frame, and faster charging. These are valid reasons to avoid buying older phones now.

Interestingly, OnePlus’ latest top-tier phones also make it to our list for their disappointing features and downgrades in some areas, such as the cameras, rather than upgrades. These phones are still reasonable choices for gamers or those who desire pure performance over a balanced platter, but they fail to appeal to the wider audience, especially after the OnePlus 13 and 13R set high standards for the phones.

If you are on the fence for a new phone, we hope some consensus from the community helps you stay away from less favorable options.