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But despite customers being satisfied overall with their iPhone 3G Ses and Palm Pres, there is still room for improvement, according to Paul Carton, director of research at Rockville, Md.-based ChangeWave Research.
For example, 41 percent of Apple iPhone 3G S users and 45 percent of Palm Pre users dislike the short battery life of the smartphones, ChangeWave's research found.
In addition, 32 percent of iPhone 3G S users dislike that they are forced to use AT&T as their carrier and 23 percent dislike the coverage, speed and quality of AT&T's 3G network. For the Palm Pre, 24 percent said the third-party applications are their strongest dislike, while 11 percent said the multimedia player was the weakest element.
Regardless, Carton said the results show that the iPhone 3G S has an overall satisfaction rating of 99 percent -- 82 percent very satisfied and 17 percent somewhat satisfied. That 99 percent rating is the highest satisfaction result ChangeWave has ever recorded, Carton said.
"These are results that have never been seen before," he said, later adding, "The results strongly suggest that Apple has done it."
Apple will continue the momentum it built with early generations of the iPhone with the new iPhone 3G S, Carton said. ChangeWave's research found that 45 percent of iPhone 3G S users said the touch-screen interface is their biggest like, while ease of use and fast Web browsing rounded out the top three most-liked features.
And while Apple is breaking the satisfaction rating mold with the iPhone 3G S, the Palm Pre is also performing well, Carton said, racking up an overall satisfaction rating of 87 percent -- 45 percent very satisfied and 42 percent somewhat satisfied.
"The Pre is off to a great start," Carton said, saying its strong early satisfaction rating shows Palm can hang with Apple and BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion atop the smartphone mountain. Early results show that 47 percent of Palm Pre users like the touch-screen interface the best, while others are most pleased with the smartphone's multitasking capabilities and ease of use.
The Palm Pre also edged out the Apple iPhone 3G S when it comes to carrier satisfaction. While ChangeWave's research found that 32 percent of iPhone 3G S buyers were disappointed with the requirement to use AT&T's network, only 11 percent of Palm Pre users said their biggest dislike was having to use Sprint's network. In addition, while 23 percent of iPhone 3G S users said their biggest dislike is the coverage, speed and quality of AT&T's 3G network, 24 percent of Palm Pre users said the coverage, speed and quality of Sprint's 3G network was one of the things they like best about the Pre smartphone.
Carton added, however, that for Palm to continue the momentum and satisfaction it's built with the Pre, the company needs strong marketing and budget to compete in the long term.
ChangeWave's survey results also show both Apple and Palm made vast improvements in user statisfaction since the release of the iPhone 3G S and the Pre. In a June 2009 survey, Apple had a 73 percent satisfaction rating for all models, while Palm had a 30 percent rating. RIM and BlackBerry had a satisfaction rating of 48 percent across smartphone models.
"With billions of potential customers out there, the smartphone market is big enough to fit Apple, RIM and Palm several times over," Carton said, noting that currently the Apple iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre are "two big winners" in the smartphone market and the satisfaction ratings they've generated "bodes well for both of their products."
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