Apple Watch Tops Customer Satisfaction Survey of Smartwatches

The market research company famous for its power rankings, J.D. Power, has ranked the Apple Watch highest in its 2016 Smartwatch Device Satisfaction Report with a score of 852. Samsung’s smartwatch trailed behind Apple in second place with a score of 842. The smart devices made by Sony, Fitbit and LG (in that order) filled out the rest of the top 5 slots.

The ranking polled 2,696 users who had purchased smartwatches in the year between June 2015 and June 2016, quizzing them on factors such as ease of use, comfort, battery life, features, price, strength/durability, display size, styling/appearance, and reliability. The power rankings used the polls to determine satisfaction scores on a 1,000-point scale. With a score of 852, Apple vastly outperformed its competitors overall, though it led particularly in comfort, styling/appearance, and ease of use. Samsung’s smartwatch performed well in customer service, display size, and phone features.

J.D. Power noted on the other hand that Samsung had performed well in the fitness device segment, in a report entitled “Apple and Samsung rank highest in satisfaction with smartwatches and fitness bands.” Samsung took the top slot in J.D. Power’s 2016 Fitness Device Satisfaction Report, with a score of 859. It topped the customer satisfaction rankings and performed well in terms of comfort, reliability and ease of use. Apple does not compete in the fitness device category, which is far cheaper than the smartwatch. Garmin ranked second in the fitness device segment, with a score of 836, performing well in customer service, ease of use, strength/durability, and reliability.

J.D. Power compiled its fitness device rankings based on a survey of 2,949 respondents who had purchased fitness devices in the past year. Customers indicated that price, ease of use, brand reputation, and recommendations from friends and family were the most important factors they considered in selecting a fitness device.

Kirk Parsons, a senior director at J.D. Power, noted that the two rankings indicated the growth and continuing development of the smartwatch and fitness device market segments as manufacturers compete to offer newer features and services. He went on to caution, however, that “it is important that device manufacturers focus on offering a product that is reliable at a price that is perceived as good value based on its features. Those that do so early in the game may improve their opportunity to increase satisfaction, customer loyalty and repurchase intention.”

This seems to be credible advice that smartwatch makers ought to heed. Nearly one in five consumers reported encountering issues with their devices, most commonly with regard to user customization, charging, and defective charging apparatuses. J.D. Power noted in its report that customers who experienced such issues penalized manufacturers with a 21-point drop in satisfaction scores.

Are you satisfied with your Apple Watch? Let us know in the comments!

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