Note this: Samsung tablets rank highest in J.D. Power's owner satisfaction study

Apple's incredibly popular handset, the iPhone, has earned it multiple awards from J.D. Power, but the tablet market may not be playing out the same for the iPad maker. According to a recent study conducted by J.D. Power, which took place between the months of March and August, Samsung tablets are topping owner satisfaction ratings in 2013, with Apple and Amazon coming in second and third place, respectively. The market researcher takes into account five key factors: performance, ease of use, styling/design, features and price; based on a 1,000 point-scale, Samsung's overall score was 850, while Apple's offerings netted 833, and 826 for Amazon. J.D. Power's recent findings also note that 50 percent of consumers rely on recommendations from friends and/or family, so think very hard about the suggestions you'll be making come holiday shopping season.

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Purchase Experience Greatly Impacts Overall Tablet Customer Satisfaction

Samsung Ranks Highest in Owner Satisfaction with Tablet Devices

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 31 October 2013 --Whether a tablet is purchased online or from a retail store, price, device information, brand and model selection greatly influence overall customer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction StudySM--Volume 2 released today.

KEY FINDINGS

- More than one-half (59%) of tablet owners purchase their device in a store, while 41 percent purchase online. Tablet owners who purchase their device online rate their purchase experience 8.5 (on a 10-point scale), compared with 8.3 among those who purchase at a store, and also provide a slightly higher satisfaction rating for the price of the tablet (7.8 vs. 7.5, respectively).

- Overall customer satisfaction with tablet devices is 821 (on a 1,000-point scale). Customer satisfaction among tablet owners who rate their purchase experience high (9 or 10) is 114 points higher (879) than those who rate their purchase experience lower (8 or below).

- Prior to purchasing their tablet, 50 percent of consumers rely on recommendations from friends, family members or colleagues, while 49 percent gather information from the manufacturer's website. These sources are followed by brand reputation (42%) and past experience with the brand (32%).

- Samsung ranks highest with a score of 835 and is the only manufacturer to improve across all five factors since the previous reporting period in April 2013. Samsung showed particularly strong improvement in the cost factor (25-point increase). Apple ranks second scoring 833 and performs particularly well in performance and ease of operation.

"Whether consumers prefer the online channel for competitive pricing compared with the tactile retail store experience, effectively matching owner needs with the appropriate tablet model during the purchase process goes a long way in positively influencing overall satisfaction," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power.

The 2013 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study--Volume 2 is based on experiences evaluated by 3,375 tablet owners who have owned their current device for less than one year. The study was fielded between March and August 2013. The study measures satisfaction across five key factors (in order of importance): performance (26%); ease of operation (22%); styling and design (19%); features (17%); and cost (16%).

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