iPhone 5 Cedes Top Place to the Galaxy S3 in Consumer Satisfaction Survey

Although Apple’s iPhone 5 scored above 80% once again, it has apparently lost its magic in the eyes of American consumers, according to the most recent American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) [via CNET].

The survey, conducted before the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4, reveals that the South Korean manufacturer’s Galaxy S3 topped the consumer satisfaction survey by 2 percentage points: the S3 and Note II scored 84%, while the iPhone 5 scored 82%.

Its older models, however, are right behind the iPhone 5, with the iPhone 4S reaching the same 82% consumer satisfaction score as the latest model. The iPhone 4 scored 81%.

“Not only does Samsung edge ahead of all iPhones, Apple customers themselves don’t see much difference between the iPhone 4, 4S or 5,” says ACSI Director David VanAmburg. “The latest earnings report from Apple was better than expected, but the name of the game for Apple has always been innovation. Samsung, on the other hand, shows a strong upward ACSI trend from the Galaxy S II to the Galaxy S III. If the S4 performs as well—or even better—in the eyes of customers, Samsung could threaten Apple’s dominance in overall customer satisfaction.”

What’s interesting is that while Americans gave top scores to Samsung high-end devices, South Koreans prefer the Apple handset.

According to an earlier ASCI index, Apple topped consumer satisfaction for the broader segment of smartphone OEMs in the US for the second year in the row. However, its score fell to 81% from the previous 83%, recorded a year ago, while Samsung was on the rise, reaching 76% compared to 71% the year before.

Apple is ramping up for a very busy fall, which will include the launch of the iPhone 5S and apparently a lower-cost version dubbed iPhone 5C.