Author: Dan Gendro

The massive ratings organization has assigned a rank to the leading smartphones and carriers.

J.D. Power and Associations has now released the tenth version of its annual customer satisfaction rankings, making technology news for gadgets manufacturers and providers, alike.

The company has reported that once again, Apple is holding the top smartphone spot for all U.S. carriers.

That said, when it comes to the carriers themselves, iPhone is still being seen as a better performer for some than it is for others. When it comes to the overall level of satisfaction as reported in this technology news, the highest satisfaction with smartphone devices is from customers of AT&T. In second place is Sprint, followed by T-Mobile, then Verizon Wireless.

The technology news also gave a specific type of applause for Apple and Samsung for achievement.

What it determined was that Samsung and Apple were the only two brands of cell phone that were capable of achieving scores in overall satisfaction that met or that were higher than the study average in each of the four different performance factors that were taken into consideration. This, according to the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study.

The report indicated that the smartphone models that were among the best across each of the four wireless carriers in the Tier 1 level included: Apple iPhone 5; BlackBerry Z10; Nokia Lumia 920; and Samsung Galaxy Note II. This list was presented in alphabetical order and was not arranged in any type of preference or performance level according to the data from the study.

This information is highly useful to the industry and allows companies and consumers, alike, to compare the satisfaction levels that have been achieved by various carriers and device manufacturers in order to make their decisions for the future, and to be able to compare the current data with that collected in previous years in order to better identify trends. This can give the opportunity to view the direction that these brands and carriers may be taking in the future so that more informed choices can be made in the upcoming months and predictions can be made for the next few years.

Executives envision a promising future for mobile commerce

The future of mobile commerce is beginning to become a prominent subject around the world. People everywhere are beginning to rely more heavily on mobile technology in the daily lives, which is leading to a growing demand for comprehensive mobile commerce services. Executives from some of the leading companies in the mobile commerce sector have begun offering some insight into what the future may hold for the mobile space and for commerce in general.

Retailers are beginning to develop their own technology

Richard H Harris, CEO of payment technology pioneer Ensygnia, claims that retailers and vendors will play a major role in determining how individuals interact with the world around them. Retailers have begun to take matters into their own hands by developing their own technology and software as a way to engage consumers that are becoming increasingly mobile. Much of this technology is taking the form of mobile commerce platforms, which allow consumers to pay for products with their mobile devices. These platforms are also being equipped with social networking tools as well in an attempt to increase dynamic interact between consumers and businesses.

Mobile commerce could change the way consumers interact with businesses

Sam Shrauger, head of digital for developed markets at Visa, claims that mobile commerce and technology will become a more integrated part of daily life. Shrauger envisions a not-too-distant future wherein consumers can walk into a restaurant and their meal is waiting for them at their table, having ordered the meal from their mobile device in advance. Similar occurrences may be seen in the retail sector as companies work more closely together to take advantage of mobile commerce.

Technology is becoming more mobile-centric

Carey Kolaja, vice president of global solutions management with PayPal, notes that loyalty programs and point-of-sale systems targeting mobile technology have advanced more in the past year than they have in the past decade. The momentum growing behind the mobile space is likely to propel mobile commerce to new heights, especially as more consumers gain access to smartphones and tablets and wearable technology moves from science fiction to reality.