SANYO Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction With Wireless Mobile Phones

SANYO Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction With Wireless Mobile Phones in a Tie According to 2007 Study by J.D. Power and Associates

SANYO has received the highest ranking for overall customer satisfaction in 5 out of the 6 years since J.D. Power and Associates began tracking the mobile phone market

The newly released J.D. Power and Associates 2007 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study (SM) – Volume 1 reports that SANYO ranked highest in customer satisfaction with wireless mobile phones in a tie in 2007. This represents the fifth time SANYO has received the highest ranking in the six years that J.D. Power and Associates has published the study, tying in 2005 and 2007 Volume 1. In the 2007 Volume 1 study, SANYO received a score of 726 on the customer satisfaction index, well above the industry average of 718.

The study measures overall satisfaction among customers who have owned their mobile phones for less than two years, based on performance in five key factors-physical design, operation, features, handset durability, and battery function. SANYO was the only brand to score higher than the industry average in all five of the factors and outperformed all other brands in the area of operation.

Known as “The Voice of the Customer”, J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information firm with an earned reputation for helping consumers make better purchasing decisions with its customer satisfaction research. Being recognized repeatedly with high rankings from J.D. Power and Associates demonstrates what differentiates SANYO from other manufacturers.

“It is a valued honor for everyone within our organization when customers say that SANYO handsets provide the highest level of satisfaction,” said Andy Kodera, senior vice president and general manager of SANYO Fisher Company’s Wireless Communications Division. “SANYO has enjoyed a proud history of providing customers with superior products and we are extremely pleased that this commitment has again been recognized through the J.D. Power and Associates study.”

The operation of the mobile phones, for which SANYO ranked considerably higher than any other manufacturer, has increasingly become more important to consumers. The study indicated that as more services are added to the phone, the ability to navigate around the handset in an easy and straightforward manner becomes paramount.

“As SANYO’s exclusive U.S. wireless carrier partner, Sprint is thrilled that SANYO continues to receive recognition for wireless phone customer satisfaction,” said Oliver Valente, Sprint’s senior vice president for product management and development. “We are proud of our strong partnership with SANYO and we look forward to continuing our tradition of bringing customers innovative devices that enrich lives and make instant communication simple.”

SANYO is known for producing industry-leading handsets. SANYO was first in the U.S. to introduce a mobile phone with a color LCD display (SCP-5000) and the first to introduce a mobile phone with an embedded camera (SCP-5300). In 2001, SANYO introduced America’s thinnest phone (SCP-6000). In 2006, SANYO introduced the M1 — the first Sprint phone with 1GB of internal memory. SANYO has also been at the forefront of supporting key technology initiatives from wireless carrier Sprint, including offering the first two phones to support Sprint’s Ready Link walkie-talkie service in 2003, and one of the first phones to operate on the Sprint Power Vision SM Network in 2005.

*SANYO received the highest numerical score in a tie among wireless users in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2007 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study (SM). Study based on responses from 21,520 consumers who have owned their current wireless phone for less than two years, measuring eight wireless handset manufacturers and measures opinions of consumers with their wireless handset. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in September through October 2006 and January through February 2007. Your experiences may vary. Visit http://www.jdpower.com/cc.

About SANYO

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., http://www.sanyowireless.com/., is a $20 billion manufacturer and distributor of consumer electronics and commercial equipment, including multimedia and telecommunication products. SANYO Fisher Company (a division of SANYO North America Corporation, a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.), based in Chatsworth, California markets mobile phones, audio systems, portable and mobile electronics, televisions, dictation devices, digital camera/camcorder combinations, home appliances, LCD projectors, and security video equipment.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit http://www.jdpower.com/. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.