Sanyo and LG topped consumer satisfaction ratings among cell phone owners according to a J.D. Power and Associates Evaluation Study released today.

Photo: Overall Wireless Mobile Phone Rankings Photo 1

Measuring satisfaction of customers who have owned their mobile phones for less than two years, the study looks at five key factors (in order of importance): physical design (24 percent), operation (22 percent), features (20 percent), handset durability (19 percent) and battery function (15 percent).

Since 2005, the study found that customer satisfaction increased most significantly in phone operation (increasing 5 percent) - specifically in areas related to ease of use, such as ease of phone navigation, clarity of text on the display screen and understanding how to operate the handset when purchased.

Satisfaction with the features included with the phone has also risen significantly (5 percent), mainly based on higher ratings from customers for Internet features and the variety of services/features offered.

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 clamshell designs. In 2002, nearly 70 percent of wireless users owned a candy bar-type handset, compared to 39 percent in 2006. Over the same time period, the percentage of wireless customers owning a clamshell-design phone has risen from 7 percent to 58 percent.

Sanyo ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction with wireless cell phones, performing significantly above the industry average in four of five factors - physical design, operation, features and battery function. Following Sanyo in rankings above the industry average are LG, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, respectively.

Overall Wireless Mobile Phone Rankings:

1. Sanyo - 108
2. LG - 107
3. Samsung - 104
4. Sony Ericsson - 102
5. Motorola - 100
5. UTStarcom (Audiovox) - 100
7. Nokia - 96
8. Kyocera - 92
- Industry Average - 101

The study also finds several key wireless handset usage patterns:

- The average reported handset purchase price in 2006 is $86 - a decrease from $99 in 2004
- The average replacement cycle for a typical handset is 17.6 months - a slight decrease from 18 months in 2005
- The most-used features on the handset include the speakerphone (26 percent), send/receive short messaging services (SMS) (22 percent), camera capabilities (19 percent) and gaming (16 percent)
- More than 40 percent 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

The 2006 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study was based on experiences reported by 18,740 wireless users who have owned their current cell phone for less than two years. The results are based on the two most recent reporting waves, which were conducted in October 2005 and February 2006.

1. Posted by mgoblue	Fri May 26, 2006 10:08 am
Sanyo?!? Seriously? Well I guess I've never known anyone with a Sanyo...
2. Posted by stargrl357	Fri May 26, 2006 10:16 am
all my friends with sanyo are pretty happy... but theyre only available on sprint. what surprises me is nokias next to last ranking! i didnt know so many people had problems.
3. Posted by Sal510	Sat May 27, 2006 8:29 pm
omg and i heard LG was cheap well that proves me wrong
4. Posted by GSMDude	Mon May 29, 2006 2:42 pm
i was never a bit fan of Nokia, their phones look boring and they're made with cheap plastic.
5. Posted by fragility	Mon May 29, 2006 6:50 pm
i am so in love with sanyo phones. it's too bad they're only on sprint. if verizon would carry them, they could truly be an amazing company. with their incredible network and the quality of a sanyo phone, i know a lot of people who's cell problems could be solved easily.
6. Posted by peryus88	Tue May 30, 2006 6:33 am
wtf, LG?!!!
7. Posted by booboy	Tue May 30, 2006 6:47 pm
wtf, LG?!!! wtf, Nokia!?
8. Posted by peryus88	Tue May 30, 2006 8:32 pm
wtf, LG?!!! wtf, Nokia!? wtf?!
9. Posted by mgoblue	Tue May 30, 2006 9:14 pm
i think these surveys arent very accurate. granted its jdpower, but people have a tendency to complain and remember when something goes wrong and stay quiet and forget when things are ok. nokia sells more phones than lg, so naturally they'd have more complaints. sure they have more satisfied customers, but they dont bother to take surveys
10. Posted by booboy	Wed May 31, 2006 12:39 pm
Id think JD Power takes this into account. They've been doing research studies forever.

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