Samsung Edges Out Apple as the Best Smartphone Company of 2014: Consumer poll

By Shawn Schuster
Samsung Store
Samsung Store

A big surprise came to the ears of Apple fans this week as a recent poll shows that Samsung is a more favored company over rival Apple.

In fact, most Samsung fans were probably just as surprised by the results as the Korean company has already said that the market performance of the Galaxy S5 didn't meet expectations with sales hitting a three-year-low for Samsung smartphones. But the poll, conducted by the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index, asked 70,000 U.S.-based customers their preferences on a wide range of products and services.

The results saw a respectable rating of 81 points out of a possible 100 for Samsung, which is not only five points and 6.6% higher than last year, but two points higher than Apple. This places Samsung at the top of the list for smartphone makers in the United States, according to the opinions of those polled.

The 2014 study covered 230 different brand names, including much more than just those who make smartphones. At the bottom of the list, Time Warner and Comcast remained the most hated brands in the country with scores of 54 and 57, respectively.

But Apple's release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as several new variants of the popular iPad, should have warranted a few extra points for the Cupertino, California tech giant. Regardless, Apple's approval rating dropped 2.5% from where it ranked last year, giving Samsung the top sport in the smartphone market.

This may be perfect timing for Samsung as it gets ready to unveil the rumored Galaxy S6 flagship smartphone. Traditionally, the Galaxy S series of smartphones has been announced around February or March each year with a release date in the month of April, but nothing has been confirmed yet by the company.

Samsung's Galaxy S6 is rumored to feature a 5.2-inch or 5.6-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display with a powerful Snapdragon 810 processor, 3 or 4 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage standard. Recent leaked photos show what appears to be several color choices on a new metal frame, and a curved screen is even speculated to arrive in the style of the Galaxy Note Edge.

Samsung's head of investor relations, Robert Yi, admitted that the company has been dragging its feet in response to market conditions over the past year, while senior vice president Kim Hyun-joon promised a renewed energy and improved strategy for 2015. The company's product portfolio is set to enjoy vast reform as the handset side looks to move forward from an embarrassing 2014.

As for Apple's declining consumer approval, many believe it has to do with the botched launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in September, but the upcoming Apple Watch and spread of Apple Pay to more retailers and financial institutions may turn things around for the company in 2015.

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