Apple and Samsung Rank Highest in U.S. Smartphone Customer Satisfaction [Chart]

J.D. Power has released the results of its Smartphone Satisfaction Study which finds that Apple ranks highest in overall smartphone customer satisfaction among Verizon and T-Mobile customers while Samsung ranks highest among AT&T and Sprint customers.

Now in its 10th year, the 2016 Full-Service Smartphone Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction based on five factors (in order of importance): performance (25%); ease of operation (21%); battery (20%); physical design (19%); and features (16%). Volume 2 of the study is based on experiences evaluated by 12,248 smartphone customers who have owned their current smartphone for less than one year and who are customers of one of the four Tier 1 carriers. The study was fielded between March and August 2016.

The inaugural Non-Contract Smartphone Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction based on six factors (in order of importance): performance (24%); physical design (18%); ease of operation (17%); features (16%); battery (13%); and cost (13%). The study is based on experiences evaluated by 2,762 smartphone customers who have owned their current smartphone for less than one year and who are customers of non-contract providers. The study was fielded between September 2015 and August 2016.


Full-Service Segment
Apple ranks highest in overall satisfaction among T-Mobile (843) and Verizon Wireless (834) wireless customers, while Samsung ranks highest among AT&T (842) and Sprint (834) customers.

Non-Contract Segment
Apple ranks highest overall among non-contract brands, with a score of 811. Other brands that rank above segment average are Microsoft (796), Samsung (790) and LG (782).

Key Findings:
● Carrier-Level Satisfaction Differs: Among carriers, overall satisfaction with smartphones is highest among AT&T customers (832), followed by Verizon Wireless (825), Sprint(824) and T-Mobile (821) customers.
● Smartphone Loyalty Stronger for Full-Service Carriers: More than one-third (35%) of full-service customers say they “definitely will” repurchase a phone made by their current manufacturer vs. 20% of non-contract customers who say the same.
● Customer Interest in Wireless Charging Is High: In both the full-service and non-contract segments, the highest percentages of customers cite “wireless charging” when asked to select the top three features they would like on their next smartphone (51% and 49%, respectively).
● Shifting Away from Subsidized Phones: The shift away from phone subsidies in the full-service segment contributes to the rise in the average smartphone price to $361 from $318 in 2016 Volume 1 and $239 in 2015 Volume 1.

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