Apple narrowly tops Samsung in J.D. Power satisfaction survey

According to the rankings, Apple received a score of 840 (out of 1,000) “in overall satisfaction in the full-service carrier segment.” Samsung ranked second with a score of 839 despite last year’s Galaxy Note 7 disaster.

A previous report indicated Samsung’s reputation had taken a significant hit following the Note 7 recall. Meanwhile, data from IHS Markit revealed Apple’s iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus were the top-selling phones around the world in 2016.

J.D. Power surveyed nearly 8,000 people between October and December of 2016.

The report notes all brands in the survey (Apple, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and LG), saw a big rise in overall satisfaction. In fact, Motorola and HTC saw the biggest gains, garnering 15 points and 12 points, respectively. Apple, meanwhile, saw a smaller gain of six points.

The study measures five factors

J.D. Power says the 2017 satisfaction study measured five different factors: performance, ease of operation, battery, physical design, and features. Apple ranked highest overall in performance and features, according to the data.

Even though the Note 7 was recalled, it appears Samsung owners were still very satisfied with its other devices, which included the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. It will be interesting to see how the rankings develop this year, with devices such as the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8 on the horizon.