iPhone 4S Users Satisfied with Phone, but Not its Battery Life

Users of Apple’s iPhone 4S are even more satisfied than iPhone 4 users last year, with 96 percent somewhat or very satisfied, according to a survey from ChangeWave Research. However, 38 percent of those surveyed said the phone’s battery life is too short.

ChangeWave spoke with 215 iPhone 4S users in early November. Of those surveyed, 77 percent said they were “very satisfied,” and 19 percent were “somewhat satisfied. By comparison, iPhone 4 satisfaction was at 93 percent in July 2010, with a 72 percent-21 percent split.

The bump in user satisfaction may be thanks to Siri, the virtual assistant that speaks in a computerized voice and responds to natural language. According to the survey, 49 percent of users listed Siri as their favorite feature. Ease of use was a second favorite with 39 percent, followed by the improved camera with 33 percent.

Battery life was a popular gripe, following reports of a power drain. Apple tried to fix the problem with a software update, but some users said battery issues persisted and that the update introduced new glitches. But although 38 percent of survey respondents listed battery life as their biggest complaint, only 8 percent said it was a “very big problem,” and 20 percents aid it was “somewhat of a problem.” I still say we need a breakthrough to make battery life a non-issue.

Lack of 4G capability was also a popular complaint among iPhone 4S, ranking as the biggest dislike for 30 percent of respondents. This is a bit surprising given that the AT&T version of the iPhone 4S uses HSPA+, which the carrier markets as 4G. Also worth noting: a survey from Retrevo this year found that 34 percent of iPhone 4 owners thought they had 4G already. (Ignorance is bliss, perhaps?)

Surprisingly, the iPhone 4S isn’t ChangeWave’s all-time high scorer. In 2009, all but 1 percent of iPhone 3GS owners told ChangeWave they were satisfied with their phones, with 82 percent saying they were “very satisfied.” Who says technology needs to improve?

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