According to uSwitch.com, as well as the age old issue of short battery life (48%), frozen screens (23%) and software faults (14%) are also winding smartphone users up.

Users are also being left without the main benefits of having a smartphone – getting online while on the go. Instead, they are being left frustrated by a lack of internet or 3G signal (31%) and slow browsing speeds (27%).

But there are even problems with the basics like sending (12%) or receiving (7%) texts, as well as calls cutting out (13%).

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com, said: “As phones have got smarter, they have also got more temperamental.

“And, while manufacturers continue to push the boundaries with new designs, consumers shelling out for top of the range devices will be frustrated that they aren’t getting the most out of them.

“To reduce the irritation of patchy coverage, make sure that before signing up for a new phone deal you compare the expected quality of coverage with the networks – both for calls and internet – where you live.

“If service for one provider is no good in your area, be sure to switch to one that has you covered.”

uSwitch says that it is important to consider a ‘4G-ready’ handset if you are on the market for buying a new smartphone, as 4G is being rolled out to many major cities, and networks selling 4G enabled devices, it is important that smartphones users invest in technology that will allow them to take advantages of advances in superfast network speeds.