When choosing on which mobile phone you are going to pick up next, a lot of factors will go into the decision making process. However, among the highest priority is probably the reliability of the handheld.
After all, you don’t want to fork out for a new phone (or sign up for a new contract deal) only to find that your device breaks down after a year or two. Which? pulled together a survey based on the ownership of over 15,000 smartphones purchased in the last seven years, reveals which phone brands develop the most faults and how quickly these can happen.
Samsung, Apple and Google are the most popular brands on the market, but they are middle of the road among their competitors for the number of faults they develop, with around 1 in 10 developing in six years. However, only 9% of faults affect smartphones overall within three years of owning one, so there's not too much to worry about when it comes to a phone's hardware if you want to keep it for longer.
But which popular brands are the worst for developing faults? See the six with the highest likelihood of developing a fault after just 12 years in the gallery below.

5. Alcatel
In the survey by Which?, it was found that 7% of Alcatel owners (with a sample size of 59) reported a fault developing within the first year. By year three 12% reported a fault developing and the same percentage after six years. Photo: JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images | JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images Photo: JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images

6. LG
Which?’s survey, with a sample size of 50, found that 10% of users reported a fault developing within the first year. While 18% reported a fault after three years and the same after six years. Photo: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images | JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images Photo: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images

7. Nokia
Based on a sample size of 117, Which?’s survey found that 13% of users reported a fault developing within the first year, 21% after three years and 23% after six years. It was the highest percentage of faults in the first year in the survey. | JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images Photo: JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images