Smart phones aren’t just for business anymore.

That’s the one-line, bottom-line synopsis of a very detailed new report by J.D. Power and associates, on Canadian smart phone use.

The J.D. Power 2008 Canadian Wireless Customer Satisfaction Study, released today, probed the customer satisfaction perceptions of wireless phone users with respect to their service, equipment and retail experiences.

“Customer satisfaction with contract postpaid service and prepaid service is measured in five factors: call quality; billing; service plan options; cost of service; and customer service. Mobile phone satisfaction is measured based on customer ratings of five factors: features; physical design; durability; battery; and operation,” the official Study press release noted.

Some highlights:

• Twenty-five per cent of wireless users in Canada currently own a smartphone and more than two-thirds of those users indicate they will purchase another smartphone device as their next mobile phone.
• Smartphone users also report being somewhat more satisfied with their device compared with traditional mobile phone users.
• Smartphone users spend nearly twice as much, on average, for their monthly wireless service compared with traditional mobile phone users.
• Apple, which launched the iPhone in Canada just this past summer, ranks highest in customer satisfaction among mobile phone brands.
• Twenty-four per cent of wireless users in Canada report having a data package, a majority of wireless users do not intend to subscribe to a data package in the near future. Key reasons cited for customer reluctance include not having a need for Internet access (57 per cent) and the service is too expensive (31 per cent).

The 2008 Canadian Wireless Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from nearly 15,000 Canadian mobile phone users in October, 2008.