It's been a few years since smartphones (iPhones in particular) were such hot commodities that people upgraded the instant new phones arrived and even lined up on release day to buy them. In the last five years, though, American's went from upgrading a smartphone every 23 months to every 33 months. The reasons vary—higher prices, fewer new features to get excited about, and changes in how people interact with their mobile carriers have all led to holding onto phones longer.
All that extra time in our hands means more time to slip out of our grip; keeping phones longer means more people break them. So the Right to Repair movement's burgeoning strength—state laws, a federal bill, and a presidential executive order are all in the works—comes at the right time. (Or maybe a little late, if you own a John Deere tractor or have a long-cracked phone screen.)
How all the damage impacts the phone market and your life is quantified nicely in a new infographic from uBreakiFix, a brand owned by Asurion (provider of tech insurance and extended warranties), and put together by NowSourcing.
Among the startling nuggets pulled from sources across the web:
- 44% of people didn't even have a case on their phones when they broke it.
- If you broke your phone once, you're twice as likely to break it again as someone else is.
- Most breaks involve a cracked screen (29%) or scratched screen (27%).
- While 59% of people would rather upgrade a device after a break, 45% will upgrade after even minor aesthetic damage.
- Women are more likely to use a damaged phone (62%) than men are (55%).
The graphic also shows the benefits we'll see if we can start to repair our devices—or at least have fewer roadblocks to a professional repair. And it has tips on how to extend the life of your phone device (use a case, people, c'mon).
You can read it all in full at uBreakiFix's site.