JD Power still has Apple above HTC in satisfaction

Apple has managed to keep its significant lead in smartphone satisfaction in spite of improving performance from its Android counterparts. JD Power in a new study saw end users give Apple a score of 838, over 40 points past its spring results and its sixth consecutive spot at the top of the ranks. HTC also improved, but at 801 had garnered at a slightly slower rate.

The shift by the two raised the bar and put many other companies, even those that had improved, below the fold. These included the nearly tied Samsung (777) and Motorola (775). RIM managed to escape the bottom of the list but was still at a relatively low 762. Nokia sat at the bottom of the ranks this period at 721 with the now-exiting HP/Palm close by at 733.

Among basic feature phones, scores were overall lower and tightly grouped together. Samsung, LG, and Sanyo were virtually identical, while only Nokia and Kyocera were significantly under the average.

The factors once more tended to play into Apple's hands. Although performance was the most important factor at 35 percent and applied to both the iPhone and Android, ease of use was second at 24 percent. Overall feature sets (21 percent) and the slimness, weight, and overall feel of the design (20 percent) were next.

Some hardware features didn't matter, JD Power said. Having a five-megapixel camera, like the iPhone 4, often led to a score as high as for a phone with eight megapixels. Resolution mattered, but only to a certain point.

By Electronista Staff