Apple again flattens rivals in latest J.D. Power smartphone satisfaction survey

Social Networking and Gaming Applications Driving Smartphone Usage and Revenue

Apple Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Smartphone Manufacturers, While LG Ranks Highest Among Traditional Mobile Phone Manufacturers

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 06 September 2012 – As wireless phones continue to be integrated in every aspect of consumers’ lives, smartphones are quickly gaining a foothold as the centerpiece of mobile social media. The seamless connectivity offered by mobile social networking applications, such as Twitter and Facebook, play a critical role in overall smartphone satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study^SM–Volume 2 and the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study^SM–Volume 2, both released today.

The Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study finds that customers who regularly use mobile channels of social media and gaming applications are more satisfied with their device and spend more per month for wireless service than customers who do not. In 2012, 67 percent of smartphone customers indicate they have downloaded social networking applications on their device and report spending more than 100 minutes per week using those applications. Overall smartphone satisfaction among customers using social networking applications is 810 (on a 1,000-point scale), which is 55 points higher than among smartphone customers who do not. Additionally, 69 percent of smartphone customers indicate they have downloaded gaming applications and spend an average of 81 minutes per week playing games. Satisfaction among customers using gaming applications is 61 points higher than among those who do not (813 vs. 752, respectively).

“As the capabilities of wireless phones and their applications continue to expand, allowing customers to more often use their device, handset manufacturers have an opportunity to shape the customer experience and impact satisfaction with better application integration and social networking options,” said Uma Jha, senior director of mobile devices at J.D. Power and Associates.

The Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study also finds that customers who use gaming applications spend $13 more per month, on average, for their wireless service than those who do not use gaming applications. Likewise, mobile social media application users spend an average of $12 more per month on their service than do customers who do not use social media applications.

The two studies measure customer satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets andsmartphones among owners who have used their current mobile device for less than one year. Satisfaction is measured in several key factors. In order of importance, the key factors of overall satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets are: performance (29%); ease of operation (26%); physical design (24%); and features (21%). For smartphones, the key factors are: performance (33%); physical design (23%); features (22%); and ease of operation (22%).

For the eighth consecutive study, Apple ranks highest among manufacturers of smartphones in customer satisfaction. Apple achieves a score of 849 and performs well in all factors, particularly in physical design and ease of operation. HTC (790) follows Apple in smartphone rankings.

LG ranks highest in the Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study with a score of 726. LG performs well in all four factors.

The studies also find the following key wireless handset usage patterns and purchase trends:

The 2012 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study–Volume 2 and the 2012 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study–Volume 2 are based on experiences reported by 8,736 smartphone owners and 6,272 traditional mobile phone owners. Both studies were fielded between January and June 2012.