Alistair Hill, CEO of On Device Research.
Our latest device satisfaction data shows that as iPhone users start to upgrade to Apple’s new and most advanced operating system the iOS 6, they are actually becoming less satisfied with their device.
The data, which we collected from 16,000 US iPhone users, shows a decline of (-0.10) giving an average device satisfaction score of 7.65 (out of 10).
While the decrease is small, it’s surprising because the general trend is for an increase in satisfaction, when users upgrade their mobile operating system and it shows the initial reaction to the new operating system is not as positive as it has been in the past.
Source: On Device Research
As a comparison we looked at the device satisfaction of Android users in the US, who reported a clear increase in satisfaction to the latest upgrade to their operating system - an increase of +1.06, giving an average device satisfaction score of 8.07 (out of 10). This increase in score means that Android users are actually now more satisfied with their device than iPhone users.
Source: On Device Research
What has led to this decrease in iPhone satisfaction?
Apple users have come to expect a high standard from their upgrades and the iOS 6 glitches have been well documented, with maps seeming to be the biggest bug bearer – something I agree with after using Apple Maps for navigation on my bike ride! As Google Maps is not available to download yet in the App Store, this is very frustrating for many iPhone users.
Previous upgraded iOS versions have always been super-polished and have a premium user experience feel. Apple users are not accustomed to glitches in their upgrades which adds fuel to the fire that now Steve Jobs is not here to maintain quality, cracks will start to appear at Apple.
While Android lagged behind in both design and features for a long time, the last few years have seen the two operating systems coming closer together, Android also has a good reputation for being very open to integrating services, offering more features and downloadable apps on their devices.
The future
The latest increase in device satisfaction by Android users shows how much Google has achieved in a relatively short period of time, and if you thought Apple’s iOS position as having the best functionality and overall look and feel was untouchable, Google might have some surprises for you.
For Android to now be ahead of Apple in terms of device satisfaction is a great achievement. We talk about Google and Apple’s achievements in terms of market share and profits, but really it should come down to how satisfied their users are with the devices they produce.
Methodology
On Device Research, uses the mobile internet to gain direct access to consumer opinions at any time, place or country.
