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iPhone users have probably the most conflicted customer satisfactionrates of all smartphone customers. When it comes to the device itself,they are far and away the most satisfied, according to a new survey.But when it comes to their service provider? Not so much. The CFI Group Smartphone Satisfaction Survey, in which more than 1,000 smartphone users were questioned, scored the iPhone at 83 on a 100-point scale, eight full points above the Google Android and Palm Pre, which scored next best, at 77 out of 100. Research In Motion's BlackBerry scored 73 and the Palm Treo scored 66; "others," which include Symbian and Windows Mobile, only pulled in 66 points. Unlikethe original users of smartphones, more and more people are purchasingthe phones for personal use. Early adopters tended to use them for workand business, the survey showed. Interestingly, the newer, personalusers, are placing far more demands on the cellular and data networksthan the original business users. "Personal users, in contrast, aremore likely to engage in data-intensive activities that strain theperformance of the provider network," the survey said. The newersmartphones scored so well on customer satisfaction in large partbecause they provide a "better web browsing experience, easiermulti-media playback, and a wealth of applications." The more generic"other" smartphones "aren't even a part of the conversation," thesurvey showed because they're not as consumer-oriented and because thecustomer got them as part of a discount or plan from their serviceprovider. Peer pressure of a sort seems to figure into theequation, as 43 percent of iPhone users and 22 percent of non iPhoneusers got their phones because a friend or colleague recommended it. Afull 92 percent of iPhone owners reported they had their idealsmartphone and were satisfied with available applications. Androidusers came in second in app satisfaction, scoring at 83. Notsurprisingly, iPhone, Android and Pre owners download more applicationsthan other smartphone users. But this is where the iPhone satisfaction comes to a screeching halt. While the users seem to, overall, be quite pleased with their phones, they are far less satisfied with AT&T, the sole provider of cellular and data service for the device. T-Mobile scores the highest on provider satisfaction, with 79 percent giving them high marks. Verizoncame next, but its customers were the most loyal, with 86 percent ofthem saying it was their ideal provider. The survey noted that Verizonwas the most attractive alternative provider for any smartphonecustomer who doesn't already use the network - if they were to switch,Verizon is where they'd jump ship to, because the coverage is perceivedto be the strongest. They aren't very satisfied with their phones,however - only 38 percent said they were happy with them. Oh,and AT&T? Scored 69 on customer satisfaction. Scores were higheramong AT&T customers who did not switch to the network because ofthe iPhone. Those who'd made the switch from another carrier ratedAT&T a 64 while longer-term users gave the provider a 72. And 40percent of iPhone users made the jump to AT&T for the phone alone. CFIdid suggest that if Verizon's network were to be inundated with a floodof new customers - as happened to AT&T with iPhone users - thenperhaps its coverage would suffer as well. "The iPhone is the best thing to happen to the smartphone industry because it captured the imagination of a whole new set of consumers that might not have made the smartphone jump," said Doug Helmreich, program director with CFI Group. "The iPhone raised the bar not only for other smartphones, but for the networks as well. The new breed of smartphone consumers expect more from their phones, and the iPhone may represent only the tip of a data-intensive iceberg."