Water damage is no longer a top five concern for smartphone owners

Water damage is no longer a top five concern for smartphone owners،

According to “Good Hands People,” liquid is no longer feared as much by smartphone owners as a potential “phone killer.” Yeah, I remember the good old days when I could have thrown on an extra shirt if it was raining outside so my Motorola DROID wouldn't get wet in my breast pocket where I kept it (and still put my phone when I'm outside). But the latest survey from Allstate Protection Plans shows that Americans fear eight specific water damage issues that didn't make the top five.

The number one fear according to American smartphone owners, and mentioned in 34% of responses, is a damaged screen. And this makes sense since the screen is the part of a smartphone that users interact with the most. 45% of Americans spend 5 hours or more using their phone screen each day, which is why 27% repair their screen in a day or less.

54% of Americans prefer to watch movies and TV shows on their phone

54% of Americans watch movies or TV shows on their phones instead of traditional TV, which is a big part of why $10.2 billion was spent last year to replace damaged screens. This is three times the amount spent in 2018 ($3.4 billion).

83% of Americans put a case on their phone

Somewhat surprisingly, Wi-Fi and connectivity issues came in second, having been mentioned in 19% of responses. Hey, if you don't have connectivity, your phone is a giant flashlight or paperweight.

Touchscreen issues came in third, listed in 13 percent of the survey responses Allstate received. If your phone doesn't register touch inputs correctly, it's almost impossible to use. Another surprise was that chipped corners and sides finished fourth after appearing in 11% of responses. This is a cosmetic problem, not a performance one, and can be solved, in large part, by using a holster.

Charging issues, which come in fifth place at 11%, should be ranked higher. If it's a damaged port, wireless charging might be the solution. If it's anything else, we're talking about a major problem because you didn't spend your hard-earned money on a disposable phone.

In sixth place, water damage is eliminated from the top five concerns with 10%. Most high-end phones have some type of water protection, although this protection fades over time. Most flagships can be submerged in nearly 5 feet of clear water for up to 30 minutes and still work. One major problem: If manufacturers are so quick to promote the IP ratings of their phones, why don't they include water damage in their warranties?

Phone repairs are more expensive than Americans think

Speaker issues (9%) and microphone issues (10%) came seventh and eighth, respectively, in the survey. Both are equally bad since the latter prevents you from using voice-activated services, including your digital assistants, and the former could prevent you from hearing your phone clearly. Other information from the insurer showed that 37% of Americans damaged a device in the past year, but only 15% permanently lost or had their device stolen.

Phone repairs are more expensive than most Americans think. The survey showed that 47% think phone repairs cost $150 or less. In fact, an uninsured iPhone 15 screen replacement costs $279, and a Galaxy S23 Ultra screen replacement will cost up to $209. Replacing the internal screen of an uninsured Pixel Fold could cost up to $900!

Unfortunately, simply putting a case on a phone may not be the answer. Last year, 83% of Americans put their phone in a case, but 50% of those phones were still damaged in a case, up from 21% in 2020. Either cases aren't as protective as they once were , or the damage gets worse. extensive.

According to Allstate, 90 million Americans damaged a phone last year and collectively spent $17.9 billion to repair and replace them. That might be the only statistic you need to know how much Americans love their smartphones.