• by Aaron Baar , April 30, 2009

With ease of navigation and a simple interface, Apple's iPhone earns top marks for customer satisfaction when it comes to smartphones, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates.

With its intuitive touchscreen and easy-to-understand AppStore, the iPhone landed a score of 791 (on a 1,000-point scale) in J.D. Power's Wireless Consumer Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study. LG received a score of 772, and Samsung had a score of 759. The consumer average of customer satisfaction for smartphones was 751, with companies such as HTC, RIM and Motorola falling below that average.

According to the study, factors such as operation, operating system and features were the top three factors for consumer satisfaction for smartphones. Those factors are "clearly where [Apple] shines," says Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power. "The only place they are below the industry scores in is the battery function area."

Battery function was the least cited factor in judging customer satisfaction, cited by only 9% of those surveyed. Apple's battery issues are generally well-known among smartphone consumers, and may just be considered the cost of ownership, Parsons says.

With ease of use topping the list of factors that lead to customer satisfaction (cited by 30% of the consumers), it would behoove manufacturers and the service providers to ensure that future phones have simple interfaces and that customers are briefed on all of the phone's capabilities before leaving a store, Parsons says.

"As consumers upgrade to mobile phones that allow a full mobile-Web experience, advanced multimedia programs and 3G data downloads, overall handset satisfaction should continue to rise," he says. "It is crucial, however, that manufacturers ensure that these features are intuitive and that wireless carriers educate customers to maximize their wireless experience."

Also, as smartphones continue to proliferate, consumers' expectations will continue to rise and manufacturers will have to work harder to meet those expectations. "Consumers are willing to pay more, but they expect more -- and you'd better deliver," Parsons says. "While manufacturers continue to develop advanced features, they must also continue to provide a high-quality calling experience for their users."