With all the Apple-bashing lately, you'd think that iPhone users — typically a satisfied lot — might be a little less thrilled with their chosen smartphone. Not so, according to a new survey by RBC/IQ ChangeWave. The market researcher polled iPhone 3GS owners and found that an astounding 99 percent of 200 respondents were satisfied with the device. And 82 percent said they were "very satisfied" with the 3GS.
That's not a backlash, that's love fest.
The survey results, first reported by Apple Insider, show a disconnect between the average consumer's affection for the iPhone and the griping from industry insiders and some software developers about Apple's admittedly heavy-handed tactics, including its rejection of the Google Voice iPhone app, ostensibly to protect AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive U.S. carrier.
However, while iPhone 3GS owners may be crazy about their handsets, they're not thrilled with AT&T, which they've slammed for charging hefty fees while delivering mediocre-to-poor service.
When asked what they disliked about the iPhone, 55 percent of respondents said the AT&T network. Other turnoffs: 41 percent reported the iPhone 3GS's battery life was too short; and 8 percent complained that their employer's IT department doesn't support the device.
The 3GS did better than the last two versions of the iPhone, which earned favorable reviews from 73 percent of respondents.
Some industry analysts have opined that the Apple backlash has been blown out of proportion. The results of the RBC/IQ ChangeWave survey certainly lend credence to that argument.
Contact Jeff Bertolucci via Twitter (@jbertolucci) or at jbertolucci.blogspot.com.