Apple highest in smartphone customer satisfaction
According to the last J.D. Power study Apple ranks highest among smartphone consumers, while LG ranks highest among traditional mobile phone consumers.
The studies measure customer satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets and smartphones across several key factors. In order of importance, key factors in examining traditional wireless handsets are operation (30%); physical design (30%); features (20%); and battery function (20%). Among residential smartphone owners, key factors are ease of operation (30%); operating system (22%); features (21%); physical design (18%); and battery function (9%).
Apple ranks highest among smartphone manufacturers with a score of 791 on a 1,000-point scale, performing particularly well in ease of operation, operating system, features and physical design. LG (772) and Samsung (759) follow Apple in the rankings.
J.D. Power - Smartphone Satisfaction Index
Among smartphone users, overall satisfaction has increased considerably, compared with the U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study released in November 2008. Smartphone users report sending and receiving an average of 17 e-mails per day on their phone, and 82 percent of smartphone owners report regularly using their phone’s personal information management (PIM) capabilities—such as address books and to-do lists—to stay better organized.
Among traditional handsets, LG ranks highest in overall wireless customer satisfaction with a score of 733, performing well across all factors. Sony Ericsson follows with 712.
J.D. Power - Traditional Mobile Satisfaction Index
Overall satisfaction among traditional mobile phone owners has remained stable since November 2008, despite heightened awareness among traditional mobile phone owners of advanced features available on smartphones. On average, traditional handset owners pay $28 less per month for their wireless service, compared with smartphone owners. Traditional wireless users also pay $111 less when they initially purchase their mobile phone, compared with smartphone owners.
The study also finds several key wireless handset usage patterns:
- More than 40 percent of smartphone users report entirely replacing landline calling with mobile phone calling, while only 28 percent of traditional handset owners have done the same.
- One-third of traditional mobile phone owners indicate they would like to have some type of GPS software or capability on their next phone.
- Forty-two percent of traditional mobile phones owners received their phone for free after rebates and discounts, compared with just 32 percent in the 2008 Volume 2 study.
Source: J.D. Power and Associates Report
