Apple Watch Ranked Highest in Smartwatch Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power

Market research company J.D. Power has published the results of its 2016 Smartwatch Device Satisfaction Report, and Apple ranked highest among smartwatch manufacturers in customer satisfaction. Samsung finished in second place, although it was first in the related fitness band category.

The report measured overall satisfaction among 2,696 customers who purchased a smartwatch within the past year, including these factors listed in order of importance: ease of use, comfort, battery life, phone features, price, strength/durability, display size, styling/appearance, reliability, apps available, and customer service.

Apple earned a satisfaction score of 852 out of 1000, and a five-out-of-five Power Circle rating, compared to runner-up Samsung's score of 842 and two-out-of-five Power Circle rating. Sony, Fitbit, and LG rounded off the top five smartwatch manufacturers with scores of 840, 839, and 827 respectively.

In June 2015, research panel Wristly said overall customer satisfaction with the Apple Watch was 97%, a statistic that Apple CEO Tim Cook cited during the company's subsequent financial earnings call. Apple Watch's customer satisfaction has dropped slightly since then, but it has remained consistently high overall.

J.D. Power and Associates, a division of McGraw Hill Financial, has conducted highly-regarded customer satisfaction surveys for automakers, airlines, technology brands, and more since 1968. iPhones and iPads have consistently topped J.D. Power's smartphone and tablet customer satisfaction ratings in past years.