The iPhone ranked highest in customer satisfaction among smartphone
manufacturers, while LG ranked highest among traditional mobile phone
users, according to the J.D. Power and Associates.
Apple (iPhone) scored
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 smartphone rankings. It received their Award.
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 for traditional mobile phones.
Among
smartphone users, overall satisfaction has increased considerably since the November 2008 study. 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.
"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," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services
at J.D. Power and Associates. "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."
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.
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%).
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.
"Many owners of traditional handsets do not believe that the service
cost associated with owning a smartphone is justified, as they indicate
they would not take full advantage of the advanced features," said
Parsons. "Given the current economic climate, consumers are very aware
of the extra cost associated with owning a smartphone that they may not
use for more than basic calling and texting."
The 2009 Wireless Consumer Smartphone Customer Satisfaction
Study-Volume 1 and the 2009 Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone
Evaluation Study-Volume 1 are based on experiences reported by 15,270
traditional mobile phone and 2,648 smartphone users who have owned
their current mobile phone for less than two years. The studies were
fielded between July and December 2008. Visit JDPower.com to read an article or view customer satisfaction ratings for wireless service and carrier performance, call quality, customer care, retail sales and mobile phone handsets.