14 DAY TRIAL // ChangeWave has published the results of a July survey focusing on customer satisfaction among iPhone 4 owners, comparing the findings with those of last year, when the analytics firm surveyed iPhone 3GS adopters. The findings are not surprising, with many regarding iPhone 4 as an excellent device. ChangeWave actually reveals that iPhone 4 owners have reported fewer dropped calls than iPhone 3GS owners, while AT&T is mentioned as a factor.
“Despite this controversy, one of the biggest unknowns has been what actual iPhone 4 owners really think about their new smart phones,” ChangeWave reports. “To find out, a July ChangeWave survey has taken an in-depth look at the reactions and opinions of 213 Apple iPhone 4 owners.”
Looking at customer satisfaction among iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS owners, ChangeWave reveals that “The initial satisfaction ratings for the iPhone 4 show a high degree of customer approval – with 72% of owners saying they’re Very Satisfied and 21% Somewhat Satisfied with their new phone.” However, “the initial iPhone 4 ratings aren’t quite as extraordinary as the early iPhone 3GS satisfaction numbers seen in our August 2009 survey,” the research firm notes. ChangeWave then shows a chart which compares the two iPhone models in terms of customer satisfaction.
“Similarly, one-in-three iPhone 4 owners say the model Exceeds their expectations and 50% say it Meets expectations – which is also a bit less positive than the findings of our iPhone 3GS survey,” ChangeWave continues. The report acknowledges that the 3GS was not met with controversy upon its launch, suggesting iPhone 4 had a bit of a head start.
“The emerging pattern is that while the iPhone 4 has been very well received by new owners, the survey findings aren’t quite at the nosebleed levels seen at a similar point in time for the 3GS launch,” the report continues.
Those surveyed were also asked what they liked and disliked most with their new smartphone. According to ChangeWave, screen resolution (49%) ranked as the top aspect iPhone 4 owners like best, and by a wide margin at that. “Second is a new upgrade feature, the 5 Megapixel Camera with LED Flash (31%), followed by the Touch Screen Interface (30%),” says the report. As far as dislikes are concerned, customers suggest they hate being tied to AT&T.
“The biggest Achilles’ Heel for the iPhone 4 remains AT&T, with 27% of owners saying they don’t like the Requirement to Use AT&T's Network and 24% disliking the Coverage/ Speed/ Quality of AT&T's 3G Network,” ChangeWave reports. “We note that Antenna Issues (24%) is now tied for the number two dislike, followed by Excessive Dropped Calls (23%),” the research firm adds.
However, just like Apple, ChangeWave had a closer look at the reception issues surrounding iPhone 4 only to find “some surprising results.” The company asked participants how big of a problem did the iPhone 4 antenna pose. Their findings were: “Nearly two-thirds reported they Haven’t Experienced Any Problem and another 14% reported it Wasn’t Much of a Problem. However one-in-five did report it was Somewhat of a Problem (14%) or a Very Big Problem (7%).”
See the full report here.