For the ninth consecutive time, Apple (AAPL -1.22%) has topped J.D. Power and Associates' smartphone customer satisfactions rankings as overall scores improved.

Apple's iPhone scored  855 out of possible 1,000 to lead the field. Nokia (NOK 2.03%) ranked second at 795 followed by Samsung at 793 and Google's (GOOGL -1.23%) Motorola handsets at 792. BlackBerry (BB -1.43%) ranked last in the field of seven at 732.

"As the capabilities of wireless phones and their applications continue to expand, and as customers grow more reliant on their device, handset manufacturers have an opportunity to further shape the customer experience and impact satisfaction with better integration of services and more communication options, such as video chat," Kirk Parsons , senior director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power and Associates, said in a press release issued today.

Overall consumer satisfaction with smart handsets improved to 796, a 22-point jump from the last measurement taken in 2012, the study said.  LG led among feature phone manufacturers with an overall score of 718 versus a study average of 703.

Among its "key fnidings," J.D. Power noted that:

  • 17% of smartphone customers experience a software or device malfunction.
  • Smartphone customers spend an average of 115 minutes per week using social networking applications on their device.
  • Smartphone customers spending more than 100 minutes per week on social apps are 14% more likely to recommend their smartphone model than those that spend 100 minutes or less on social apps.

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