 | The 2005 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study measures customer satisfaction |
The study measures satisfaction among customers who have owned their mobile phones for less than two years. Overall satisfaction with wireless handsets is measured based on performance in five key factors. In order of importance, they are: physical design (24%); operation (22%); features (20%); handset durability (19%); and battery function (15%). Since 2003, there has been a major shift in importance from the customer’s perspective in the areas related to operation of the phone (up from 15% in 2003) and physical design of the handset (up from 19% in 2003).
Another trend the study tracks is the shift in the physical design of wireless handsets. Manufacturers are moving away from the candy bar-shape design and more toward the clamshell design. In 2002, 70 percent of wireless users owned a candy bar-type handset, compared to 45 percent in 2005. Over the same time period, clamshell-design phone ownership has risen from 7 percent to 52 percent.
LG and SANYO rank highest in a tie in overall customer satisfaction with wireless cell phones, each performing significantly above the industry average across all five factors. LG performs particularly well in areas related to physical design and battery functionality. SANYO, which ranked highest in the study in 2004, receives the highest ratings in the areas of operation, durability and features.
Following LG and SANYO in the rankings above the industry average are Samsung and UTStarcom (Audiovox), respectively.
The study also finds several key wireless handset usage patterns:
* The average reported handset purchase price in 2005 is $89—a decrease from $99 in 2004.
* The average replacement cycle for a typical handset is 18 months.
* The features on the handset used the most include the speakerphone (22%), send/receive SMS (short messaging services) messages (19%), gaming (15%) and camera capabilities (14%).
* One-half of all current wireless users compared other handset brands before selecting their current wireless phone. Those who do compare phones during the selection process are significantly more likely to be satisfied overall with their current handset than those who do not (56% vs. 45%).
2005 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation StudySM is by J.D. Power and Associates
