Apple Ranked Highest in Overall Satisfaction in J.D. Power's 2014 Tablet Study

Apple ranked highest in overall satisfaction in J.D. Power's 2014 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study. The study found that as more value-priced brands enter the marketplace and the average purchase price of tablets declines, overall tablet satisfaction declines.

The 2014 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study—Volume 1 is based on experiences evaluated by 2,513 tablet owners who have owned their current device for less than one year. The study was fielded between September 2013 and February 2014. The study measures satisfaction across five factors (in order of importance): performance (28%); ease of operation (22%); features (22%); styling and design (17%); and cost (11%).

Apple ranks highest in overall satisfaction with a score of 830 and performs highest in all study factors except cost. Samsung ranks second with a score of 822 and achieves above-average scores in the features, styling and design, and cost factors.


Key Findings:
● Lower price is the No.1 reason for tablet choice in 2014, with 25 percent of current tablet owners citing price as the main reason for selecting their current brand, compared with 21 percent in 2013. Features offered and brand reputation are the next most-frequently cited reasons for selecting a tablet device (22% and 21%, respectively).
● Since 2012, the average purchase price of a tablet has decreased by $53 ($337 in 2014 vs. $390 in 2012).
● Overall satisfaction has decreased by 18 points to 835 on a 1,000-point scale in 2014 from 853 in 2012. The largest decline in satisfaction is in the ease of operation factor, with substantial decreases in two attributes over the three-year time frame: navigation (8.30 vs. 8.52, respectively, on a 10-point scale) and adjusting tablet settings (8.30 vs. 8.50, respectively).
● It’s taking longer for tablet owners to perform the initial set-up on their devices in 2014 than three years ago, as more features and pre-loaded apps are included with the device. In 2014, the average time for initial tablet set-up is 64 minutes, compared with 55 minutes in 2012.
● Prior to purchasing a tablet, 50 percent of consumers rely on brand reputation to help drive their brand purchase decision—an increase from 42 percent just six months ago. Manufacturer websites (47%) and recommendations from friends, family members or colleagues (46%) are key drivers of brand purchase choice.

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