Apple Way Ahead of Competition in Smartphone Satisfaction Survey
Are iPhone users more satisfied with their smartphone of choice than, say, Galaxy S III or Lumia 920 owners? That's up for debate, though it's worth pointing out that Apple topped the J.D. Power 2013 Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study, landing ahead of the competition for the ninth consecutive time. It wasn't a slim victory, either.
The study pinged 9,767 customers who used their smartphones for less than a year. Satisfaction is measured in several key areas, including performance, ease of operation, physical design, and features, and then ranked on a 1,000-point scale. Apple's score of 855 was well ahead of both the industry average (796) and Nokia (795), which ranked No. 2 on the list.
Perhaps this is splitting hairs. Smartphones are becoming increasingly capable and more advanced with each new generation, and as a result, satisfaction among smartphone owners on a whole is rising. The average rating of 796 represents an increase of 22 points from 2012, with the performance category receiving the biggest bump (up 26 points from last year).
"As the capabilities of wireless phones and their applications continue to expand, and as customers grow more reliant on their device, handset manufacturers have an opportunity to further shape the customer experience and impact satisfaction with better integration of services and more communication options, such as video chat," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power and Associates. "It is important, however, that manufacturers meet the expectations of those customers who take advantage of such offers by ensuring the features are intuitive and, ultimately, rewarding to them. Providing an easy-to-use, yet powerful operating system with the ability to customize applications to suit individual needs is essential to providing a high-quality and rewarding wireless experience."
Outside of Apple, it's a pretty close race among the top smartphone makers. After Nokia, it was Samsung (793), Motorola (792), HTC (790), LG (744), and BlackBerry (732).
The study pinged 9,767 customers who used their smartphones for less than a year. Satisfaction is measured in several key areas, including performance, ease of operation, physical design, and features, and then ranked on a 1,000-point scale. Apple's score of 855 was well ahead of both the industry average (796) and Nokia (795), which ranked No. 2 on the list.
Perhaps this is splitting hairs. Smartphones are becoming increasingly capable and more advanced with each new generation, and as a result, satisfaction among smartphone owners on a whole is rising. The average rating of 796 represents an increase of 22 points from 2012, with the performance category receiving the biggest bump (up 26 points from last year).
"As the capabilities of wireless phones and their applications continue to expand, and as customers grow more reliant on their device, handset manufacturers have an opportunity to further shape the customer experience and impact satisfaction with better integration of services and more communication options, such as video chat," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power and Associates. "It is important, however, that manufacturers meet the expectations of those customers who take advantage of such offers by ensuring the features are intuitive and, ultimately, rewarding to them. Providing an easy-to-use, yet powerful operating system with the ability to customize applications to suit individual needs is essential to providing a high-quality and rewarding wireless experience."
Outside of Apple, it's a pretty close race among the top smartphone makers. After Nokia, it was Samsung (793), Motorola (792), HTC (790), LG (744), and BlackBerry (732).
