Customer reviews of smartphones are different than media reviews. Market Intelligence Reporter from Amplified Analytics analyzed customer reviews on Amazon, CNET, AT&T and other social media websites. The reviews revealed higher ratings for BlackBerry than for iPhone and also excellent ratings for Palm.
In a feature-by-feature comparison, the BlackBerry Torch is more highly rated than some of iPhone's features. Many aspects of the BlackBerry Torch exceeded owners' expectations, while some aspects of the iPhone fell short of what users expect. The most beloved aspect of the BlackBerry Torch is its exceptional keyboard, and the support was also appreciated (click on chart to view each feature).
Our survey of reviews showed that the average review for the BlackBerry Torch was 4 out of 5, and the average review for the iPhone 4 was 4.25 out of 5.
Here's what Market Intelligence Reporter found (based on a rating scale from 0 to 5):
- Owners of BlackBerry Torch are most satisfied with
reliability (39%). The customers of the iPhone 4 are universally
disappointed with their reliability experiences (0.91). - Apple iPhone 4 battery life (1.17) exceeded expectations of its customers by 17%, while the BlackBerry Torch battery life (1.07) exceeded expectations of its customers only by 7%.
- 86% of BlackBerry Torch customers, who commented on Operating
System, have expressed disappointment attributing "freeze" experiences,
"software bugs" and "broken software features" to the OS. - The keyboard of the BlackBerry Torch exceeded their
customers' expectations (1.19) as they commented about "intuitive",
"easy to use" and "easy to learn" experiences. While the iPhone does not
have a physical keyboard, a small number of customer reviews (2%) rated
its absence as a negative experience (.94). - Customer Support is the weakest point of iPhone 4 customer experiences (0.61) that is reported by 31% of reviewers. BlackBerry Torch customers experienced Support above their expectations (1.10).
- The size of the BlackBerry Torch drew some very negative comments from its customers as 9% of the reviewers described it as "bulky."
- Customer Satisfaction Index (aggregate) indicates that the most BlackBerry Torch customers are delighted with their decision (1.43), while the iPhone customers are slightly disappointed (.98) with theirs.
Source Amplified Analytics
The price you will pay for the BlackBerry Torch is lower than the iPhone 4. iPhones are seldom discounted. Amazon Wireless has been selling the BlackBerry Torch 9800 for as low as a penny with a contract. Wirefly has also been having heavily discounted, scorching Torch sales.