CFI Group consulting firm recently released a new report detailing customer satisfaction in the smartphone sector, ranking the iPhone at the top with Android and webOS-running Pre a close second. The survey of 1074 smartphone users and rated their satisfaction with their phones on a scale of 0 to 100. On that scale the iPhone scored an 83, while the Pre and Android tied for second with a score of 77. Research in Motion’s BlackBerry line rated with an aggregate 73, while old Palm OS Treo phones scored a solid 70, still topping Windows Mobile and Symbian satisfaction at 66. CFI says that a score above 80 is very good, while marks below 70 are considered “a cause for concern.”
What we want to look at is how CFI addressed Palm. For being the up-and-coming single-phone platform that it is (for now), webOS and the Pre scored surprisingly well. CFI said that the biggest drag on Palm’s score is the current dearth of apps in comparison to any other platform. Once Palm gets the app situation in order, the Pre will be “even more competitive,” which is would be a good thing considering the number of interesting and innovative Android devices around the corner. We have to agree with CFI; right now the biggest complaint with the Pre is the lack of apps. Hopefully that will be remedied soon, now that the App Catalog is ready to rock with paid applications.
CFI also looked at what consumers thought of the phone they had, with 92% of iPhone users calling their device “the ideal smartphone,” a sentiment that only 58% of Android users and 56% of Pre users shared (again, apps will help the Pre immensely). Bad news lurks here for other platforms, with 49% of BlackBerry users thinking their platform is the best, and only 19% of Windows Mobile and Symbian users and a measly 16% of Palm OS users thinking the same.
We all know somebody that has switched to AT&T to get the iPhone, and chances are that person loves their iPhone (as the figures above would indicate), but CFI found that they probably hate AT&T at the same time. Only half of iPhone users consider AT&T to be the ideal carrier, and 40% of iPhone users switched to AT&T from another network just to get the iPhone. Those on AT&T before getting the iPhone rated a 72 on the satisfaction scale, while iPhone switchers gave their new network a score of just 64. Maybe that’s because a 30% dropped call rate is considered acceptable on AT&T.
And just in case it wasn’t clear that Android and the Pre haven’t been the runaway success that the iPhone has been, only 12% of surveyed Android users switched to T-Mobile to get their phone, while just 9% of Pre owners switched to Sprint for the phone.
[via: Twice]
Comments
I agree totally about the dearth of apps.
I love the graphics that PreCentral comes up with. Top Notch!
Love the photo. Just hope the Android doesn't get pushy.
I am curious about the scale. The difference between "very good" and "a cause for concern.” is only ten points. I guess there are other levels that we probably aren't aware of?
Coming from WinMo and Palm OS and currently using a Blackberry for work, I'm glad to know my Pre satisfaction is felt by some other folk out there.
Nb
I'd like to see the individual phone sample sizes. It seems to me that it would take a long time to find enough of Pre and other small share phones to do an accuarate job.
Well, the question is, will those apps ever make it out?
if the new Android phone for sprint is better then the PRE, I will just have to say good bye to my PRE and get the BEST Sprint has to offer(HTC HERO) PALM PRE has to step it up big time, time is ticking for them, tick tock tick tock
Time is not clicking for them. Maybe time is clicking till YOU leave the Pre, but Palm is doing fine.
Hero is nice but I prefer the Pre both great phones and isn't significantly better than the other.
Only thing I see Palm needs to do is get more apps and Video recording. The rest is semi-minor things we want.
I just hate the "they need to step it up big time or i'm leaving" post. Relax they been doing fine.
how you are going to say all that Iam just being real, no video no fwd texting we need all that and some its not just about the apps. If I knew all the before I would have waited for a other phone, I luv my pre but come on and I will not leave sprint. you must work for PALM.
I don't work for Palm. I just don't think its that serious to be classifying it as STEP IT UP BIG TIME.
That's semi-minor issues but they are doing pretty damn good. I love how people jump to the "you must work for them" argument.
Hell every phone has issues and the hero has plenty also. IPhone is just now getting MMS. So really no matter what phone you go for, you will be saying the same damn thing.
Work for Palm, give me a break.
you give me a break MR. I don't need PALM to fix my PRE maybe ur PRE needs fixing but myPRE is just fine, I would just love for PALM to stop facking and add all that good stuff that we are talking about so we can keep the ball rolling if they even can
I dont know if this is premature appucation but the app site is now down.
Trying to figure out what word you meant to type there. Drawing a blank. Anticipation perhaps? :-)
Sorry its back up now no change..
I do believe palm has a good thing going with the Pre and Webos. Think a bit, phone and platform only out for almost 4 months and is running 3 points below the iphone, and neck and neck with android which is in its second offering and on multiple phones. Palm just need to fix a couple simple but needed issues. Video, Text forwarding, (flash,once adobe steps on the gas) to point out a few. My dumb phone "Samsung Instinct" did all that and I was able to reply to a text while on a call. I understand Palm has a lot on its plate but its those simple capabilities thats gonna be the deal breaker for some of the hold outs. Palm must remember that sprint is getting Hero (Android) so fix the small stuff ASAP. I am not likely to leave my pre no how, but i'm just saying.
Think a bit, phone and platform only out for almost 4 months and is running 3 points below the iphone, and neck and neck with android which is in its second offering and on multiple phones.
You may be right, but it's also possible that only rabid Palm fans have jumped on the Pre so far and are therefor very happy with it. Perhaps with time the satisfaction rate will drop. I hope not!
Judging by the large number of new users on PreCentral, there are a lot of non-ex-palm people who have jumped on the Pre. The number who jump on the Pixi around the holidays will probably double or triple the current crop of WebOS users. I think Palm and Sprint are doing things right with WebOS. Sprint is rightly so hedging their bets with the Hero, but they will likely appeal to different sets of people. Palm will end up winning a new crop of customers with the Pixi which they will upsell to better smartphones in two years.
Hi, non-rabid non-Palm-fan here. I had one Palm pilot model years and years ago. Didn't use it much, and hated the windows software for it. I hadn't touched a Palm since. I wanted a smartphone. The other options were the iPhone (but I hate iTunes which the thing is tied in a bit with, and used to be on AT&T and hated their customer service) or Android (I'm not a Google fan at all).
The Pre looked like a good option to get a kinda open-source phone that I could tinker with. I liked the card interface and slightly smaller phone format. The Sprint plan offered a lot more for a lower price than the other carriers, plus my company has a deal with them where I get another 15% off, so here I am.
I haven't had it long, but I love the phone so far. Most folks I've shown it to have liked it, but hadn't heard much about them before. I think once Verizon gets it and starts advertising it, you will see a lot more non-Palm-fans buying them.
+1 for not being Pollyanna, but keeping it in perspective.
if the new Android phone for sprint is better then the PRE, I will just have to say good bye to my PRE and get the BEST Sprint has to offer(HTC HERO) PALM PRE has to step it up big time, time is ticking for them, tick tock tick tock
I guess I should say you must work for HTC since you posted this 3 times :/
yeah !!!! I do and what
yeah he s right, you probably work for HTC, you should check their website, instead of this,,, loser
if the new Android phone for sprint is better then the PRE, I will just have to say good bye to my PRE and get the BEST Sprint has to offer(HTC HERO) PALM PRE has to step it up big time, time is ticking for them, tick tock tick tock
No, no post again. Your comment was so fresh and original I want nothing more than to read it again.
the PRE did that. Thank you , and not me GEEK
whoever said they couldn't text while on a call has something wrong with their phone. I can reply to texts on my pre and I don't think I'm the only one whose pre does this.
I can do it :/
Video recording, voice memo and Document editing are the holes I need filled. But webOS 1.2's browser improvements alone I'm up on my PalmOS experience.
I just want to say that I LOOOOVE my Pre. I've been a Tre user for around 4 years & while I was disappointed in lack of some functionality at first I've found that I really get along just fine w/ out it. I'd really like to see some uprades to speed things up a bit. 1.2 definitely in the right direction (calendar in particular) but still needs some improving. I've found that the advvancements this phone has broight far outweigh whatever it lacks right now (multitasking, cloud syncing). I wouldn't trade my pre for an iPhone even if someone gave it to me for free w/ a free plan & everything (mainly because I freakin hate the onscreen keyboard on those things) I think design & sleekness is better w/ Pre as well IMO. I love this phone! Thank you Palm for stepping it up w/ this one... Keep up the good work!
Running out of time?
First off, not many of us can afford to just drop a $200 phone for an unsubsidized $500 phone, spending $700 so I can do mostly the same things when $200 would have been sufficient.
It's a freaking phone. I have other segments of my life that I would prefer to spend $500.
Okay, so they're ranking the hardware and software combo, and not just the phone or the OS, right?
Because "Android" is an OS, not a phone. The iPhone is a phone, iPhoneOS is the OS. webOS is the OS, the Pre is the phone. What I'd be more curious to know is whether people are satisfied with their phone because of the hardware, or the OS. That said, it'd be even better to sit 20 people down who are just getting a smartphone for the first time, and put an iPhoneOS, Android, Windows Mobile, webOS, and Symbian powerd phones in front of them and ask them to do several basic smartphone tasks, then see how many of those tasks they can do with each phone just as a result of its innate intuitiveness. You can do the same thing with hardware and ask which one feels the best in your hand when doing those tasks. There's a actually useful study for you. This satisfaction survey seems pretty vague...this sort of stuff is really not too useful to drive smartphone design.
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