J.D.Power: Apple is #1 in Customer Satisfaction

Many folks assume that iPhone is the most popular smartphone around due to its shiny looks and Apple’s brilliant marketing machine. Those have contributed to Apple’s success. But they are not the only reasons people keep buying more iPhones. In reality, Apple products have proven time and time again that they just work. As many media outlets have reported, the iPhone has come on top in customer satisfaction according to J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study:

Only Apple and HTC have fared above the industry average when it comes to customer satisfaction. Samsung and Motorola took the third and fourth positions respectively. Samsung did perform the best among traditional phones though. 6,898 smartphone owner were surveyed for this study. Here are the key customer satisfaction factors according to JD Power:

• performance (35%)
• ease of operation (24%)
• features (21%)
• physical design (20%)

This is the 6th time iPhone has come out on top in the past 3 years. As the study explains, in order for smartphone makers to be successful, they need to offer the right balance of hardware features, design innovations, and software enhancements. People prefer getting their hands on phones that perform without any hassles.

The costs of standard phones are dropping. This is mainly to the discounts offered by carriers. Mobile applications make a big difference in this market too. The study suggests that smart-phone owners are interested in all kinds of mobile apps, including entertainment and travel applications.

Designing a phone that exceeds consumers’ expectations in performance, ease of operation, and features is not easy. But they are not the only reasons Apple continues to dominate the smart-phone market. The company’s brand, innovative approach, and multiple layers of core competency have also contributed to its success. Apple has got the right ecosystem in place for its phone to continue to be successful in the long run. Let’s not forget that things can change quickly though.