For a fifth consecutive time, Apple ranks highest among manufacturers of smartphones in customer satisfaction with a score of 795 (out of 1,000) and performs particularly well in ease of operation, operating system, features and physical design, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study, Volume 1 and the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study, Volume 1. Apple performs particularly well in ease of operation, operating system, features and physical design; and Motorola (763) and HTC (762) follow Apple in the smartphone rankings.
Sanyo Number One among Feature Phone OEMs
Sanyo ranks highest in overall wireless customer satisfaction with traditional feature phone handsets with a score of 715. J.D. Power analysis indicates Sanyo performs well in three factors: physical design, battery functionality and operation. LG (711) and Samsung (703) follow Sanyo in the traditional handset rankings.
Operation, Design Most Important to Satisfaction
These two studies measure customer satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets and smartphones among owners who have used their current mobile phone for less than two years, by examining several key factors. In order of importance, the key factors of overall satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets are: operation (30%); physical design (30%); features (20%); and battery function (20%). For smartphones, the key factors are: ease of operation (26%); operating system (24%); physical design (23%); features (19%); and battery function (8%).
Mobile SocNet Usage Boosts Satisfaction
Among smartphone owners who use their device to access social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, satisfaction averages 783 on a 1,000-point scale, nearly 22 points higher than among those smartphone owners who do not often use social media sites on their device.
Currently, J.D. Power data shows that more than 50% of smartphone owners report having used their device to access social media sites via the mobile Web or mobile applications. While rates of mobile social media site usage are not nearly as high among owners of traditional mobile phones (9%, on average), satisfaction among traditional handset owners who use their device for social media is notably higher than that of traditional handset owners who don’t access social media (754 compared to 696, a significant 58-point differential).
The study finds that wireless users who engage in mobile social media activity on their mobile device also tend to use it more often for calls, texts and data; are more likely to purchase additional wireless services in the future; and are also more likely to provide positive recommendations for their handset brand and service provider, compared with users who don’t use social media on their device.
Nielsen: Android Takes Lead in Smartphone OS Share
When it comes to US consumer marketshare by operating system, Android (29%) appears to be pulling ahead of RIM Blackberry (27%) and Apple iOS (27%), according to new Nielsen Company analysis of January 2011 data. But an analysis by manufacturer shows RIM and Apple to be the winners compared to other device makers, since they are the only ones creating and selling smartphones with their respective operating systems.
About the Data: The 2011 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study, Volume 1 and the 2011 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study, Volume 1, both published by J.D. Power and Associates, are based on experiences reported by 7,275 smartphone owners and 11,347 traditional mobile phone owners. The studies were fielded between July and December 2010 and are the source of the enclosed charts.
