Users with a 4G subscription are more likely to give their handset a higher satisfaction rating than users of the same handset who do not have access to the faster network. According to data gathered by On Device Research, the top 5 handsets were rated an average 0.48 points higher (on a scale of 1 to 10) when used on a 4G network than those same handsets on older networks.

The results, shared when I met Sarah Quinn of On Device at MWC today, would seem to confirm one of the conclusions of the September 2012 MEX: customers measure speed across the whole of the user experience and will mistake gains in network performance for gains in handset performance and vice versa.

Speed is an intangible concept and one which is relative to the user’s previous experiences and external factors, ranging from environment to how tight a schedule they are on. However, it is increasingly obvious designers cannot absent themselves from discussions of network speed, processor performance and interface latency if they are to achieve satisfying experiences for customers.

See also the video of James Alexander’s MEX Session on this topic.