With major wireless companies focusing on their 4G networks we know sooner or later all the smartphones offered will be 4G. But are people happy with their current 4G devices? Maybe, maybe not. Hit the jump for details on the study.
+TatWZA
X
Shotta Dru on Google+
The lackluster battery life of 4G-capable phones is dragging them down in consumer ratings, according to data collected by J.D. Power and Associates. The company noted dissatisfaction with battery life “greatly impacted” customers’ satisfaction with their smartphones. Because of that, owners of first-generation 4G smartphones are some of the least happy customers out there.
The actual (self-reported) stats show the difference in customer happiness between 3G and 4G smartphones is not great: 4G smartphone owners rated the battery life of their devices an average of 6.1 out of 10, compared to 6.7 for 3G smartphones. Still, customers answered that even small satisfaction differences affected whether they were considering remaining loyal to a brand.
J.D. Power noted 25 percent of smartphone owners who reported a 10 out of 10 in satisfaction with their 4G smartphone’s battery would buy from the same manufacturer again. Of customers who rated their batteries better than average (7-9 points), only 13 percent would re-buy the brand next time.
It’s no secret that 4G networks are a big draw on battery life, especially when the phone is searching in vain for a 4G signal to connect to. But the survey showed owners of 4G smartphones also use their devices more frequently, compounding the short battery life problem. Companies may be increasingly aware of this issue, as evidenced by the recent release of the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, a version of the Droid Razr with a 21-hour battery life. Others, though, continue to skirt the limit of battery life adequacy, even as phones become unnecessarily slight in body.
In more general findings, Apple returned the highest smartphone customer satisfaction ratings with its iPhone at 839 out 1000 points, followed by HTC at 798. J.D. Power also noted that the average cost of smartphones declined to $66 (subsidized) in the period between July and December 2011, which is helping an increasingly large chunk of the US population get their hands on the devices.
