J.D. Power Reports: Satisfaction with Tablet Cost Increases Significantly as Prices Drop and More Value-Priced Brands Enter the Marketplace

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As more value-priced tablet brands enter the marketplace and the average purchase price of tablets declines, satisfaction with cost continues to rise, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study^SM—Volume 2 released today.

The study, now in its third year, measures customer satisfaction with tablets across five factors (in order of importance): performance (28%); ease of operation (22%); features (22%); styling and design (17%); and cost (11%). Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale.

The market for tablets has evolved during the past several years as a number of value-priced manufacturers have gained market share by offering fully featured devices at low prices. While overall customer satisfaction with tablet devices in 2014 Vol. 2 remains steady from 2013 Vol. 2 (820 vs. 821, respectively), cost satisfaction has increased significantly. In the 2014 Vol. 2 study, cost satisfaction is 783, up 11 points from 772 in the 2014 Vol. 1 study and 25 points higher than in 2013 Vol. 2 (758). Satisfaction with cost has improved in part due to reduced pricing as new manufacturers have entered the market.   Tablets have also become more powerful and optimally sized, which has allowed customers to replace other electronics, such as laptops.

"As value-priced tablet brands continue to flood the market, customer attention is turning away from just the price of the device to their perception of the combined value of price, features and performance," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power. "Tablet brands that continue to successfully convey more value and package more performance at a reasonable price are more likely to satisfy tablet owners and increase loyalty and advocacy for the brand."

KEY FINDINGS

• For the first time, Amazon ranks highest in overall satisfaction with a score of 827 and performs highest in the ease of operation and cost factors. Apple (824) and Samsung (821) closely follow Amazon in the rankings and perform particularly well in the performance and styling and design factors.
• Nearly one-third (32%) of tablet owners indicate that they selected their device primarily due to its lower price, a percentage that has remained steady over the last two study years.
• Overall satisfaction is 113 points higher among customers who are highly satisfied with the fairness of their tablet's price (providing a rating of 9 or 10 on 10-point scale for the attribute, fairness of the price paid for their tablet), compared to those with medium satisfaction (ratings of 6 to 8)—904 vs. 791, respectively.
• Among tablet owners who are highly satisfied with the cost of their device, 62 percent say they "definitely will" recommend their tablet manufacturer, compared to 29 percent of those with low satisfaction.
• On average, tablet customers spend $345 on their tablet device, which represents a decrease of $48 from the 2013 Vol. 1 study.

The 2014 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study—Volume 2 is based on experiences evaluated by 2,686 tablet owners who have owned their current device for less than one year. The study was fielded between March and August 2014.

Note: Included in the study average, but not ranked due to market share are Barnes & Noble (Nook), Microsoft, HP and Toshiba.

Media Relations Contacts
John Tews; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info
About McGraw Hill Financial www.mhfi.com 

SOURCE J.D. Power

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