JD Power: iPhone Gives Rivals the Business

October 9, 2009 at 4:00 am PT

ballmerWphone Customer satisfaction with the iPhone continues to run high–among both casual and business users. Apple’s smart phone scored highest in both the consumer and business categories of JD Power’s Smartphone Satisfaction Study, besting rivals like Research in Motion (RIMM) and LG.

In the consumer market, Apple (AAPL) scored 811 points out of a possible 1000, exceeding the industry average of 765. Its closest rival, LG–the only other company to beat that average, scored 776.

Apple’s performance in the enterprise market was equally impressive. The company scored 803 points out of a possible 1000. That was 79 points more than RIM, whose BlackBerry took second place with a score of 724 points, the industry average.

And what of Palm (PALM) devices and smart phones running Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows Mobile OS? Neither had a particularly remarkable showing. Among consumer smart phone users, Palm devices scored 731, while WinMo devices from Samsung and HTC both scored 739. And among business users, Palm devices scored 688, while WinMo devices from Samsung and HTC scored 697 and 692, respectively. The study, it should be noted, was fielded between January and June 2009, so it does not account for Palm’s new Pre handset. (See charts below; click to enlarge.)

Clearly, the iPhone has gained a fair bit of traction in enterprise in a relatively short time. Who was it again who said the iPhone “doesn’t appeal to business because it doesn’t have a keyboard”?

[Image credits: MacDailyNews, J.D. Power and Associates ]

Tagged with: Apple, Blackberry, business, consumer, customer satisfaction, digital, hardware, HTC, innovation, iPhone, iPhone 3 Feature, J.D. Power, John Paczkowski, LG, market, Microsoft, Motorola, Palm, Research In Motion, RIM, Samsung, smart phone, Smartphone Satisfaction Survey, telecom, users, Windows Mobile, WinMo

comments so far. Add yours.

rama nadella

Remember the survey was done from Jan2009 to June 2009 Before PRE was introduced to consumers and enterprise
http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com John Paczkowski

You’re right, Rama. I’ve noted that in the post.
Russell Lee

About the Studies
The 2009 Wireless Consumer Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study—Volume 2 and the 2009 Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Evaluation Study—Volume 2 are based on experiences reported by 12,595 traditional mobile phone and 3,221 smartphone owners who have used their current mobile phone for less than two years. The 2009 Wireless Business Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study is based on experiences reported by 1,148 smartphone owners who use their smartphone for primarily business purposes. All three studies were fielded between January and June 2009.
http://allthingsd.com/ Eric Welch

Also note, it does not include iPhone 3Gs phones, which have been selling quite briskly, unlike the Pre, which is selling below expectations (of Palm).

One has to wonder about Win Mobile numbers, because another survey showed that a large number of users of those phones are not even aware of the OS they’re using.

The iPhone now has 23 percent of the market for smart phones, which is more than 22 percent higher than Ballmer claimed it would reach. And people continue to listen to him. Why?
darius arya

“The study, it should be noted, was fielded between January and June 2009, so it does not account for Palm’s new Pre handset.”

In all fairness this should have been the CAVEAT at the beginning of your blog.

IMHO this survey compares an entrenched device that was introduced close to three years ago against a competition that had not matured. From what I have seen in the latter month Apple will have its hands full competing against the impending army of Androids that are slated to be introduced from Samsung, HTC etc. These phones have better hardware: AM-OLED screens, better cameras with Flash (5Mp), camcorders, better batteries, faster processors (800Mhz), expandable memory (32G), removable batteries, and plenty more. Yes, they also have thousands of applications which will soon exceed the iPhone’s App. Store. Remember the iPhone has been around for three years while the competition has just begun. I have to admit this time the competion has crossed their Ts and dotted their i’s. They have answered the iPhone in every aspect.
Fred Hamranhansenhansen

The stupid part of the “iPhone is not for business because it doesn’t have a keyboard” meme is the phones with keyboards don’t have Web browsers.

> the impending army of Androids
> that are slated to be
> introduced from Samsung,
> HTC etc

The future doesn’t count when you’re measuring user satisfaction. You can’t measure the user satisfaction of devices with zero (0) users, which is all future devices.

> These phones have better
> hardware:

Better hardware doesn’t count. The whole device counts. This is user satisfaction that is being measured. The tap-to-focus feature of the iPhone 3GS camera THRILLS USERS and leads to better photographs than a 5 megapixel that doesn’t have that feature.

> AM-OLED screens

OLED is a new and unproven technology, it is not inherently better than the screens that have proven themselves for almost 3 years on iPhone/iPod. OLED has many, many drawbacks.

> camcorders

iPhone already has this.

> better batteries

A better battery is not enough. You need software that can manage the battery life. The Palm Pre has the same size battery as iPhone 3GS but the iPhone gets double the battery life because OS X is optimized for 10 years now to run on batteries.

> faster processors (800Mhz)

Future devices always feature faster processors. So will the 2010 iPhone that is due in 8 or 9 months.

> expandable memory (32G),

I’ve had 32GB in my iPhone for almost 6 months.

> Remember the iPhone has been
> around for three years while
> the competition has just begun

No no no no no no no no no.

- Blackberry: over 10 years old.

- Palm: over 10 years old.

- Windows Mobile: over 10 years old.

- Android: Google bought them in 2005, so even just as a Google subsidiary, they are 4 years old

- iPhone: 2.5 years old.

It’s the iPhone that is just getting started. Apple is the new kid on the block. Palm mocked Apple publicly in 2006 saying “PC guys aren’t just going to walk in and make a great mobile device.”

The fact that iPhone makes the other platforms look like they’re just getting started is a problem for everyone but Apple. It’s a big part of why this survey found people like their iPhones better.

So you are just excusifying for everyone but Apple. Not sure why you are doing that, but you’re clearly doing it.

> They have answered the iPhone
> in every aspect.

Another “here come the iPhone killers” rant that has absolutely nothing behind it but wind.

JD Power: iPhone Gives Rivals the Business

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