Samsung Tops Apple in Latest J.D. Power Tablet Customer Satisfaction Survey

[FirstNTenderbit]

I already posted a table above that shows the math is wacky. According to JD Power the survey:

"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%)."

So their methodology ranks cost last (the one category Samsung best Apple in) yet Samsung's overall score is better. How is that possible? I could maybe understand it if they raked cost as most important, but they didn't. If the overall score isn't based on the 5 factors what is it based on?

The problem stems from the fact that whomever created that table oversimplified AND incorrectly tallied how JD Power achieved their results. The math is wacky. Fact. That is not JD Power's math. Also fact. The creator of that chart assumed it was a straight 'add it up and divide by 5'.

The original Power Circle chart posted by the8thark and others clearly shows why your chart and the wacky math are invalid.

"*Please note that JDPower.com Ratings may not include all information used to determine J.D. Power awards."

If we don't know all the information we can't say their math (JDP) is wacky. It might turn out to be wacky, but that can't be determined by the chart you presented.

 

[freediverdude]

Someone posted this on the Verge. Seems JD's math doesn't add up.

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I want to know how they came up with their overall satisfaction scores. The little gold circles don't seem to mean anything, and their scores don't add up like in the table. How did they compute these 835 and 833 scores? Is the overall satisfaction a separate question, and they're just ranking based on that? The whole thing doesn't seem to add up.

 

[rGiskard]

Someone posted this on the Verge. Seems JD's math doesn't add up.

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Probably due to Apple's absurd prices setting unrealistic expectations. Especially with iDevices, they are often better than competitors, but not to the degree suggested by the price. "Value" is the missing category where Apple fails.

Imagine paying for an iPad Mini and then seeing the beautiful "retina" screen on a cheaper Nexus 7. The iPad mini owner will feel ripped off, even if the mini excells at everything else. So that customer will poll as being "unsatisfied" even if he will then buy a Retina iPad Mini, lol.

 

[Renzatic]

I already posted a table above that shows the math is wacky. According to JD Power the survey:

"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%)."

So their methodology ranks cost last (the one category Samsung best Apple in) yet Samsung's overall score is better. How is that possible? I could maybe understand it if they raked cost as most important, but they didn't. If the overall score isn't based on the 5 factors what is it based on?

The Illuminati. They want you to buy subpar devices because people angry about their favorite websites loading up 0.3 seconds slower are easier to control.

When you control the tech, you control the populace. When you control the populace, you control THE WORLD. MUAHHAHAHAHA!

 

[bpcookson]

I can't say I totally agree with you, but kudos for the answer

 

[FirstNTenderbit]

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So Apple has the max score for everything except price?
You can blame the public for that. They want everything for zero cost. They don't realise that the best technology in the world has a cost. And that the long term cost of use is pretty reasonable for what you get. So Apple win in all categories that matter and in the last one, uninformed consumers skew the results.

Apple has not fallen from the top. People just complain if they can't low prices always.
And the cost is compared here as an absolute value and not as a comparison to the usefulness of the product (or in other words value for money).

You have two choices.
1. Cheap garbage that can't do anything well.
2. A reasonable price for the best that can do everything pretty well.
That is the take away message there.

Minus cost Apple was rated the highest. True.

People want everything free. False. They want what they perceive as the best value.

Best technology in the world. Your opinion. May not be someone else's. Doesn't make your opinion more valid than theirs.

Apple wins all categories except the one that's not important. Not important to whom? You or the consumer. Your use case and valuation is not theirs.

Cheap garbage? That comment was beneath the rest of your commentary which was nicely articulated.

Choice 3: Get the best tablet that suits your use case. Sometimes that tablet is an iPad. Sometimes it's not. It was for me, but that doesn't mean someone not choosing an iPad is uninformed or cheap.

 

[flottenheimer]

With a "Study average" of 821, tablets in general seem to make people very happy.
And except for 'price' the iPad has the happiest, most satisfied users.

 

[Rogifan]

The problem stems from the fact that whomever created that table oversimplified AND incorrectly tallied how JD Power achieved their results. The math is wacky. Fact. That is not JD Power's math. Also fact. The creator of that chart assumed it was a straight 'add it up and divide by 5'.

The original Power Circle chart posted by the8thark and others clearly shows why your chart and the wacky math are invalid.

"*Please note that JDPower.com Ratings may not include all information used to determine J.D. Power awards."

If we don't know all the information we can't say their math (JDP) is wacky. It might turn out to be wacky, but that can't be determined by the chart you presented.

So what's the point of those individual scores if the overall score is something completely different? I have a hard time believing people would rate iPad higher in each category (except cost) but then overall rate Samsung higher. Unless they put a huge premium on cost, but JD says cost was ranked least in terms of importance.

 

[aloshka]

I wonder if people who buy iPads do more research on tablets, and whether those who buy Android devices do so mainly because they can't afford an iPad. Also, I wonder if those same people have ever used an iPad. If not, they'd have nothing with which to compare a tablet. They might assume all tablets are similar to the one they could afford, and assume that they've gotten a really good deal compared with the poor saps who bought iPads. That might explain why there's such a high overall satisfaction rating. ("Tablets suck, but so does the iPad and I paid a lot less!")

The few people I know that are on note 8 and 10 are saying exactly what you described here. When I let them use an iPad mini for a week , well let's just say I'm buying a new iPad because I sold the mini already

 

[Habakuk]

Price?! Really? Te-hee! People are so stupid!

"Tablet Customers measured by J.D. Power" simply can’t calculate the easiest things. They always forget the price you’re getting when you sell a two or three years old iOS device!!!

(In good condition of course and it’s easy to keep an iOS device in good condition. Build and material quality are of course excellent.)

I’ll buy my iOS device #9 tomorrow and have already sold three of them. It’s very easy. You don’t need even an account at eBay. Just tell it to your colleagues or other relationships and they will buy soon.

But look at eBay anyway and check the finished auctions. There you can see what you can get for a used iOS device! It’s almost incredible. Check out as well what you get for an used Samsung device (it’s MUCH less)…

So if you include the sale price (used) the Apple devices are cheaper than the plastic competition! Never forget that!

J.D. Power calls itself a "global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors", but they simply can’t calculate and sum up 2 + 2.

 

[PrayForDeath]

What about the latest tablet? Why is it always a game of comparing Samsung's latest model that came out a few weeks ago to Apple's year old model? Ease of use...is one thing but Amount of use should be another thing. People who buy Apple products use them. It isn't enough to check mark the tablet box on their list of things they are supposed to have. I'm satisfied with the device but I won't actually use it. HUH??? Surely amount of use should be factored in.

Have you used Apple's latest tablets? Why don't you share your experience with the Air?

 

[elgrecomac]

Apple has never been about cost

Apple is never going to beat Samsung on cost.

Apple believes in building superior products from the HW/construction to the software.

In 2008 I paid $3000 for a 17" MBP and now, five years later, it still works and remains as solid a piece of hardware as I have every had. Now the, OS, well that is a different story....

And I have an original iPad 2...not one issue with it. It has, and continues to, work flawlessly. $600 well spent.

 

[AdonisSMU]

Have you used Apple's latest tablets? Why don't you share your experience with the Air?

Thats the point I was making. People are comparing Apples to oranges.

 

[bpcookson]

Can't help but think of the guy who made up a fake restaurant with a deliberately terrible wine selection, submitted a $250 application to Wine Spectator, and won an Excellence Award over the phone.

http://blindtaste.com/2008/08/15/what-does-it-take-to-get-a-wine-spectator-award-of-excellence/

 

[TheHateMachine]

I wonder how the rankings go among people who have owned and used both Samsung and Apple?

I know Android users who shrug as their phone runs dead at 4pm and say how much they LOVE Samsung and HATE how Apple "won't let you" do things with your tablet.... and then they fire up their tablet to do the only three things they ever do with it (all things that are better an iOS), while I go off to run all kinds of tablet apps they'll never have, and do things they wouldn't know how to begin on Android. Then they re-buy a new phone or tablet every year, burning more money than an iOS device that lasts, chasing the next Android fad. I'm appalled at what they'll put up with, but they simply don't know (won't let themselves believe?) that iOS is better in a lot of ways that would matter hugely to most users--if they knew.

And these people would certainly give high satisfaction scores to Samsung. Their standards are that much lower.

Let's not let this huge anecdote about all the Android users you happen to know that are stupid, misled and consumer sheep get in the way of how ridiculous it is that you are getting defensive over this. Oh no my favorite company got outscored by one i hate for silly reasons!

You guys are pretty funny, I knew the comment section of this article was going to be full of rustled jimmies trying to poke holes in the math and claiming the "ilerminati" rigged this. Stay classy folks!

The results are completely false!

If JD Power doesn't reverse this immediately they have lost all credibility!

Even according to their own formula the math is wrong and Apple won. Apple got 5 stars and beat Samsung and everyone else in every category except cost, and somehow they don't win?

So Taurus > Ferrari because its cheaper? Why even have all the other categories that actually rank how good of a device it is then?

It is even worse if you compare it to the last version of this study they did where cost wasn't really an issue!

JD Power = Samsung's new co-conspirator!

I cannot tell if you are just a caricature of an extreme fanboy or not. I've seen some pretty crazy posters on MR.

 

[paul4339]

the power circles are deceiving.
The scale is out of 1000.
Samsung and Apple has 835,833.
Amazon and Asus has 826, 821.
and the avg is 821.

The diff between the best score and the avg is 14 (out of 1000)... that's only 1.4%

Apple has 5 circles and Amazon has 3 circles for scoring 7 pts out of 1000 less?

A better general interpretation is:

a) they are all pretty good, most tablets scored around 81-83%
b) they are mostly about the same (+/- 2% or so)

.

 

[KPOM]

Performance, Ease of Use, Physical Design, Features, Cost, Overall
Samsung 3/5, 3/5, 4/5, 4/5, 4/5, 5/5
Apple 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 2/5, 5/5

Samsung didn't get higher than 4/5 on anything specific but is overall 5/5 and Apple gets 5/5 on everything but cost. What in the world is this survey even measuring? Samsung is average in ease of use and average in performance and Apple is easy to use and fast, but people are more satisfied with Samsung?

IOW, Samsung is mediocre, but it's cheap, so people are satisfied with it.

 

[Renzatic]

IOW, Samsung is mediocre, but it's cheap, so people are satisfied with it.

I can't think of many cheap Samsung tablets. The only ones that cost significantly less than any of the iPad line are the Tab 7.0's, and they're not big enough sellers to account for any statistical advantages.

 

[MacVista]

16 gb ??

It is almost 4 years since iPad 1st Gen, and the entry level is still 16GB and each (minute) memory bump is $100. And no SD card slot.

 

[mytakeontech]

Sorry this is not ifanboy comment but can someone point me to Samsung tablet that is amazing and beating iPads? I am serious because I can easily ditch iPad for that.

 

[teknikal90]

I went to the zoo this morning! Then I had a cheeseburger and got the winter tires put on my car.

Any other stories unrelated to the thread you'd like to share?

dont be an ass. the note 3 is a tablet.

 

[roadbloc]

Of course they do. Because Samsung's tablets are quality and are cheaper than Apple's. And people are beginning to realise this.

 

[Glideslope]

dont be an ass. the note 3 is a tablet.

There ya goo usin that ass word again , eh?

----------

Of course they do. Because Samsung's tablets are quality and are cheaper than Apple's. And people are beginning to realise this.

Perhaps. This will all come to an end once the reunification begins!!!

 

[e-coli]

I went to the zoo this morning! Then I had a cheeseburger and got the winter tires put on my car.

Any other stories unrelated to the thread you'd like to share?

ROFL. Excellent.

On a thread-related note, I know exactly zero people with a Samsung tablet. And I'm in the tech / media industry. Who is using these things?

 

[tongxinshe]

Performance, Ease of Use, Physical Design, Features, Cost, Overall
Samsung 3/5, 3/5, 4/5, 4/5, 4/5, 5/5
Apple 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 2/5, 5/5

Samsung didn't get higher than 4/5 on anything specific but is overall 5/5 and Apple gets 5/5 on everything but cost. What in the world is this survey even measuring? Samsung is average in ease of use and average in performance and Apple is easy to use and fast, but people are more satisfied with Samsung?

Understandable, most people feel more satisfied with a $250 good-enough product, when comparing with a $500 very-good product. When the overall product quality reaches a certain level, most people no longer feel the needs to spend a ton more money for just better. That’s the basic concept of performance/price ratio.