Sony vs TCL:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony and TCL were level in searches among smartphone brands in the United States, with an estimated 18.1K branded searches each, at 0.42% of the total each. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about smartphone brands, neither Sony nor TCL appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Sony and TCL are searched for about as often as each other.
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
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Top smartphone brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Sony nor TCL showed up in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Samsung Galaxy1st
Apple iPhone2nd
Google Pixel3rd
Motorola4th
OnePlus5th
Nothing6th
Nokia–
Sony–
TCL–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Apple iPhone5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Google Pixel5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Samsung Galaxy5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Motorola4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Nothing1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
OnePlus1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Nokia0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Sony0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
TCL0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about smartphone brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which phone should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best smartphone brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the best phone for the money?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“smartphone”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best phone”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 26, 2026.
Is Sony or TCL more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Sony and TCL by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine smartphone brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Sony, TCL. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Apple iPhone | Google Pixel | Nothing | Samsung Galaxy | Nokia | OnePlus | Motorola | Sony | TCL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 61.1% | 14% | 5.5% | 7.9% | 3.7% | 5.1% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.74% |
| Nov 2025 | 64% | 12.2% | 3.9% | 6.9% | 3.2% | 7.7% | 0.95% | 0.63% | 0.63% |
| Dec 2025 | 65.1% | 11.9% | 4.8% | 7% | 2.6% | 6.4% | 0.96% | 0.64% | 0.64% |
| Jan 2026 | 64.6% | 9.9% | 5.8% | 7.3% | 3.2% | 6.5% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.78% |
| Feb 2026 | 66.3% | 10.2% | 6% | 7.2% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 0.98% | 0.8% | 0.66% |
| Mar 2026 | 62.6% | 11.4% | 8.5% | 6.8% | 3.1% | 5.1% | 1.1% | 0.76% | 0.62% |
| Apr 2026 | 66.1% | 10.1% | 6% | 7.2% | 3.3% | 4.5% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| May 2026 | 64.1% | 9.8% | 8.7% | 6.7% | 3.2% | 4.4% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.78% |
| Jun 2026 | 65.4% | 8.2% | 13.1% | 5.8% | 2.2% | 3.2% | 0.97% | 0.65% | 0.65% |
| Jul 2026 | 68.4% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 5.9% | 2.3% | 3.8% | 0.83% | 0.55% | 0.55% |
| Aug 2026 | 68.8% | 10.3% | 9.2% | 5.2% | 1.9% | 2.6% | 0.83% | 0.68% | 0.56% |
| Sep 2026 | 77.4% | 7.6% | 5.7% | 4.4% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.63% | 0.42% | 0.42% |
How has the Sony and TCL comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sony was ahead of TCL in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among smartphone brands in the United States moved from 0.91% to 0.42%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 18.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, TCL’s share of searches among smartphone brands in the United States moved from 0.74% to 0.42%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 18.1K.
How did search popularity change for United States smartphone brands in September 2026?
1 change

Estimated monthly branded searches for TCL in the United States rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 14.8K to 18.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sony’s and TCL’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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