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J.D. Power today announced (via BGR) the latest results of its semi-annual reports on consumer satisfaction among U.S. smartphone and traditional mobile phone manufacturers. Apple once again topped the list in the smartphone category, marking its sixth consecutive victory in the survey.
For smartphones, the key factors are: performance (35%); ease of operation (24%); features (21%); and physical design (20%).
For a sixth consecutive time, Apple ranks highest among manufacturers of smartphones in customer satisfaction. Apple achieves a score of 838 and performs well in all factors, particularly in ease of operation and features. HTC (801) follows Apple in the smartphone rankings.
The survey also measured mobile app usage among smartphone users, finding social networking apps and games to be most popular with over two-thirds of users having downloaded such apps. Over half of smartphone users have also downloaded entertainment apps and travel apps such as for mapping and weather.
Top Rated Comments
I'm an AV tech and I have been working with our General Contractor (he is in his 60s) on a new buildout. A few months ago he expressed his frustrations with his Blackberry and trying to attach photos to an email. I showed him how to do it in about 10 seconds on my iPhone 4.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, he comes up to me with his new iPhone 4. He explained how much he liked it by saying
'It's like a pretty girl, that likes me!"
Enough said.
Hard to quantify (it has very little to do with raw specs) but easy to recognize. Hence, the general consumer response to Apple products. Ask anyone what this means exactly, and they will probably find it difficult to articulate. But they are nonetheless drawn to it. It's recognizable.
The closest approximation is what results from the synergy between hardware and software. Apple's nailed it.
Not true for HTC, Moto, and RIM.
I've had half a dozen smartphones before. Nokia, Sony, Palm, Samsung.. I'm from the Philippines. Believe it or not, before North America was using smartphones, we already had smartphones available to every pedestrian.
My point-- after experiencing iPhone I saw how clumsy and totally crappy all the others were. Confusing interface, sluggish response, button chaos. Yes they had some more functions but the ones you like on paper but never get to use them or need them anyway.
iPhone made it easier and smarter. Look at the design of its predecessors and it's hard to deny that iPhone changed smartphones forever. The 5 stars are truly deserve and beyond challenge.
It seems that Apple devices provide an extra element of pleasure and comfort while an action is being executed on them - and it doesn't come from one single element, but rather, the unit as a whole (which points to the strength of the overall platform/ecosystem.) Yes, you get the results that an effective tool would give you, but there's that extra element that makes you want to keep using it.
Again, tough to articulate. Your colleague used what comes naturally - a metaphor (or more specifically, a simile.) This is probably far more expressive than shooting for an exact definition.