Monday, May 4, 2009

Survey: iPhone ranks highest among smartphone buyers

Apple is tops when it comes to consumer satisfaction among smartphone manufacturers, according to the latest J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Wireless Consumer Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study and the 2009 Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study. Apple managed to score a 791 on a 1,000 point scale, performing well in areas of ease of use, operating system, features, and physical design.

The two studies examined consumer satisfaction from a wide variety of categories, with all of the aforementioned categories (plus "battery function") holding particular importance to smartphone users. Apple managed to get the highest ranking among smartphone consumers, though LG and Samsung didn't fare too poorly either—they got scores of 772 and 759, respectively. When it came to traditional phones, LG ranked the highest with an overall score of 733.

"As consumers continuously upgrade to mobile phones that allow a full mobile-Web experience, advanced multimedia programs and 3G data downloads, overall handset satisfaction should continue to rise, as these devices tend to make our lives more convenient and prove entertaining," J.D. Power and Associates' Kirk Parsons said in a statement. "It is crucial, however, that manufacturers ensure these features are intuitive and that wireless carriers educate customers to maximize their wireless experience. While manufacturers continue to develop advanced features, they must also continue to provide a high-quality calling experience for their users."

Though some of us wouldn't exactly categorize the iPhone's calling experience as "high quality," the rest of the iPhone certainly delivers in ways that many other phones do not. Previous surveys have shown the iPhone rocking the satisfaction charts thanks to ease of use, expandability provided by the App Store, and Apple's responsiveness to fixing problems with frequent firmware updates. It's clear that—despite its problems—the iPhone has managed to win many fans among mobile buyers.

Source: Ars Technica

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