Internet has become a huge game-changer in our lives. Be it ordering food, groceries, booking a cab, booking flight tickets etc. every task is now available at our finger-tips !! Increased adoption of smart-phones (even in villages, Tier-II, Tier-III cities), growing penetration (along with affordability) of Mobile internet (2G, 3G) and Reliance Jio’s 4G offering is just an icing on the cake 🙂
Though smart-phones have become more affordable, it has reduced the real Social Interaction between people. Many years back, when I was in Mumbai there always used to be passengers who formed their own groups to pass time-time (by playing cards/discussing about various issues) but now, most of them are busy on their smart-phones. There is no major risk involved when phones when are used during the course of any journey (bus/train/car etc.). The scenario however changes when you use the phone while walking on the streets or boarding trains/buses. It might not only lead to breakage of your phones but can also pose a huge life-threat !! As per a study by Mid-Day, Chatting on mobiles while boarding trains and buses has emerged as the top reason behind mobile phone damage.
Hence, just like Life Insurance that is used to provide life-cover, many companies offer Gadget Insurance and also provide repair services at your door-step. Mobile phone screens are vulnerable to drops. While new technology advancements like gorilla glass and other screen protection methods like tempered glass have reduced screen damages they can’t ensure total protection.
It is therefore wise to opt for a damage protection plan during purchase which ensures you get your phone fixed without hassles in case of any such unfortunate event. Startups like OnsiteGO, India’s No. 1 gadget and electronic device protection company can be of huge help since they provide many complimentary services.
Coming back to breakage of phones, an analysis of over 4000+ repair requests over a period of one year revealed that using mobile phones while alighting or boarding crowed buses or trains is uncool and downright risky. A large majority of about 3000 [76%] people have dropped and broken their mobile phones while using them at such times. The data was revealed by OnsiteGo that offers gadget and electronic device protection.
Key highlights of OnsiteGo Study
- Women tend drop their phones more often than men (58%)
- Most people drop their phones while commuting. Talking on mobiles while alighting or boarding crowded trains, buses main reasons for dropping and breaking their phones (76%)
- Multitasking also cited as one of the reasons for dropping phones (55%)
- Selfie drops also account for a significant number of phone breakage. (15%)
- More than 50% of people tend to break their smart phone screens within 8 months of buying a new smart phone.
According to the data, taking selfies also accounted for a significant number of drops. About
600 phones (about 15%) were broken while the user was clicking a selfie. The data also showed that about 2400 people (about 60%) comprised female users out of which a majority (about 70%) were in the age bracket of 18 to 25 years.
According to OnsiteGo, about 4000+ requests were received by the company from across the country to repair mobile devices. The data was analyzed to spot trends in usage that could be used to spread awareness among people and help them reduce loss due to breakage.
It was also found that broken screens comprised the largest category to be grouped under repairs. About 1600 (37%) were attributed to broken screens. The other issues included speaker defects, microphone damage, camera, display problems, software issues and others which were fragmented across the remaining 63%.
Of these about 576 (36%) customers had broken screens within six months of purchase. Interestingly about 128 (8%) reported screen damage within the two months of ownership going up to 272 (17%) within 3 months of purchase. The numbers were found to increase exponentially after 3 months indicating that no matter how careful people are with their smartphones, breaking your smartphone screen is almost inevitable. The numbers drastically go up as high as 912 (57%) after 8 months of purchase.
Detailed Infographic of OnsiteGo Study
Looking at this trend, we are sure you would have made up your mind to have a Damage Protection plan for your phone. A damage protection pack on your phone can prove to be a big boon in emergencies. You can buy a damage protection pack online as well. OnsiteGo and a few others offer such services. There are options such as “no questions asked” program offering service whether the damage is accidental or not. And if your phone is beyond repair, some promise replacement for free, so you are sorted.
Reference Link – Mobile Phone Study