iPad Edges Kindle Fire to Top J.D. Power Tablet-Satisfaction Rankings Again

Apple’s iPad tablet has once again claimed top honors in J.D. Power and Associates’ U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study, besting rival tablets from Amazon, Samsung and others. But its victory was hardly a rout.

Conducted during February, the J.D. Power and Associates’ survey asked 1,857 tablet owners to rate their devices on performance, ease of operation, design, features and cost. Respondents rated the iPad highest, giving it a score of 836 points out of a possible 1,000. That was enough for the device to nab the research house’s top tablet rank for the second consecutive time, though not by much of a lead. With a score of 829 out of 1,000, Amazon’s Kindle Fire came close to tying it. Samsung came reasonably close, as well, with a score of 822, though that came in lower than the industry average of 828.

So, another customer-satisfaction win for Apple, and one we’ll almost certainly see shown off at the company’s next tablet event. Apple’s last tablet award from J.D. Power and Associates is currently front and center on the company’s new “Why iPad” page. That said, it’s worth noting that while the iPad scored better than its rivals, it didn’t score that much better. Apple, Amazon and Samsung are all close enough to the study average that they’re more or less tied.