A record-high 98 percent of new iPad owners are satisfied with the product, according to survey results released today by research firm ChangeWave. The survey of 200 new iPad owners, conducted between March 22 and 28, focused on three key topics: overall satisfaction, key features, and the controversial heat issue.
Overall satisfaction with the device is the highest yet recorded of the three iPad models to date, with 82 percent responding “very satisfied” and 16 percent responding “somewhat satisfied,” for a staggering total of 98 percent classifying themselves as “satisfied” with the device. Two percent were “somewhat unsatisfied,” and, in a number that perhaps speaks louder than those who are “satisfied,” there were zero users who were “very unsatisfied.”
Chart by The Mac Observer from ChangeWave data.
Compared to a February 2012 ChangeWave survey of previous iPad owners, new iPad owners report an eight percent increase in “very satisfied” and a seven percent decrease in “somewhat satisfied.”
Chart by The Mac Observer from ChangeWave data.
When asked to list the top three “best liked” features of the new iPad, a majority of consumers identified the “Retina” display as one of their favorites, followed by the iPad’s 10-plus hours of battery life and the new 4G LTE data capability.
Chart by The Mac Observer from ChangeWave data.
Conversely, top “dislikes” included the price of the device, which has remained unchanged for current models since the introduction of the original iPad in 2010, the cost of the optional wireless data plan, and the weight, which increased slightly for the 2012 model.
Chart by The Mac Observer from ChangeWave data.
The “excessive heat issue,” identified by users last month and the center of controversial discussion in the media, is not a major problem for users, according to the survey. 89 percent report no problems with heat at all, while 7 and 4 percent report “not much” and “somewhat” of a problem, respectively.
For those anticipating that the iPad heat issue would become the next “antennagate,” ChangeWave compared consumer feedback from July 2010 regarding the iPhone 4 with the recent iPad heat issue results and found noticeable differences.
Chart by The Mac Observer from ChangeWave data.
While those iPad users experiencing genuine “excessive heat” issues have cause to be upset, it appears that only a small minority are having any trouble at all.