FixYa Study Finds Apple Smartphones to be the Most Reliable

FixYa, a site that provides consumer generated troubleshooting tips, today released a "Smartphone Reliability Report" that compares user complaints on smartphones from Apple (iPhone), Samsung (Galaxy), Nokia (Lumia), and Motorola (Droid).

Based on the reported problems, which come from a database of 30 million users, FixYa assigned a dependability score to each manufacturer. According to FixYa's rankings, Apple products were the most reliable, with the fewest reported problems.

Apple received a dependability score of 3.47, a good deal higher than the 1.21 that Samsung received. Nokia and Motorola received scores of 0.68 and 0.13, respectively. To get these scores, the site used 722,558 troubleshooting questions from smartphone owners, normalized the data for relative marketshare, and analyzed the data to determine reliability.

Fixya users lauded the reliability of the iPhone, stating that it is almost always working as intended in regards to core features and never hits a constant roadblock with one feature.

Of the complaints that were made about Apple's iPhones, battery life was the number one problem, making up 35 percent of user issues. A lack of new features was the second biggest complaint, while no customizability and WiFi problems were also brought up.


In the past, battery life has been a significant issue for iPhone owners. Most notably, iOS 5 had bugs that affected battery performance, which Apple later fixed. The iPhone 5 has also had battery issues, particularly when using the phone in areas with a weak signal.

As for Apple's competitors, FixYa users had complaints about Samsung's microphone and speaker issues, Motorola's touchscreen, and Nokia's load response times.

Watch Nearly Every Steve Jobs Video on New Blog Site and YouTube Channel [Mac Blog]

The Apple fan behind the Every Apple TV ad YouTube channel has created a new channel and blog with the self-explanatory title Every Steve Jobs video, offering a total of around 150 clips of varying lengths.


The site's creator told MacRumors that he wanted to get them online in time for Steve Jobs' birthday on February 24.

I'm a long time Apple enthusiast and throughout the years have gathered every single Steve Jobs video I could find … To commemorate Steve Jobs birthday (Feb. 24th) I decided to put all these videos online and make them easily available for all. I believe it's the most complete archive available.

Highlights include Steve's first TV appearance, where he told the crew he was about to throw up from nervousness; the launch of the Macintosh, including the famous 1984 video and Jobs making fun of IBM; and the launch of the Think Different campaign. It also includes some amusing compilations including Steve Jobs' Funniest Moments and Every 'One More Thing' Moment, all 31 of them.

Apple Hiring 'Maps Ground Truth Data Specialist' in Australia

Apple has posted a new job listing for a 'Maps Ground Truth Data Specialist' in Australia. The job listing, which was posted two days ago, comes several months after Apple came under fire for incorrect mapping data in central Australia.

The position will check "changes to map data, provide feedback on unique local map requirements, collect ground truth information, and evaluate competing products."

'Ground Truth' refers to information collected on location versus data collected remotely, such as satellite imagery. Wikipedia notes that the "collection of ground-truth data enables calibration of remote-sensing data, and aids in the interpretation and analysis of what is being sensed."

Job Summary

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, great ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish.

Key Qualifications

• Excellent attention to detail
• QA experience
• Familiarity with evaluating map quality
• Detailed knowledge of the unique features of your local area, including preferred driving routes, landmarks, and road names
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Strong written and spoken English skills

Description

The Maps team is looking for people with knowledge of mapping, great testing skills, and local expertise to help us build better and better maps. In this position, you will be responsible for the quality of map data for your region. You will test changes to map data, provide feedback on unique local map requirements, collect ground truth information, and evaluate competing products.

Apple did eventually fix the issue in central Australia, but the company has been slow to fix many mapping issues even through the app's official "Report a Problem" button.

Thanks Marc!