Consumers Like Wireless Phone Charging, Fingerprint Scanning

We’ve become so accustomed to the basic functionality of our smartphones, it’s the extra things that now make the difference in customer satisfaction.

According to J.D. Power’s latest Smartphone Satisfaction Study, the extras that offer more convenience, such as wireless charging and fingerprint scanning, lead to higher device satisfaction and lead to more repeat purchases. 

“It’s not like the difference between actual performance is better” with those features, says Kirk Parsons, senior director and technology, media & telecom practice leader at J.D. Power. “But it does make [functionality] easier. If you’re going to provide a functionality that makes it more convenient for people to do something, they’re going to use it.”

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For instance, nearly two-thirds of smartphone owners have a device with fingerprint-scanning capability, and their satisfaction is significantly higher (42 points on a 1,000-point scale) than those without the capability largely because it simplifies the process of securely accessing the devices, leading customers to use them more frequently, Parsons says.

Though less common, wireless charging is another convenience that makes a difference. According to the study, consumers who are able to wirelessly charge their phones have significantly higher satisfaction levels (28 points) than those without wireless charging capabilities. Additionally, consumers who own phones with wireless charging spend more on apps, and pay more for monthly service, than those without wireless charging capabilities. Wireless charging is also the feature customers say they want most in their next smartphone. 

“Even those people that don’t have it would like to have it,” Parsons tells Marketing Daily. “That is a world waiting to happen.”

According to the study, Apple devices ranked highest among Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile customers, while Samsung was the highest among AT&T customers. Broken down by carrier, smartphone satisfaction was highest among Sprint customers, followed by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. 

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