SOURCE SquareTrade
SAN FRANCISCO/PRNewswire/ -- SquareTrade, a leading technology protection plan provider, released a new study showing that damaged iPhones have cost Americans $5.9 billion
since their introduction in 2007. Based on a survey of more than 2,000
iPhone users, the results combined the cost of repairs, replacements and
insurance deductibles for cracked, dropped, pummeled, kicked, and
water-damaged iPhones. The study also found that in the last 12 months
alone, 30% of iPhone users damaged their device.[1]
As iPhones become an increasingly central
part of our daily lives, accidental damage is 10 times more common than
loss or theft. The study also shows that younger consumers are clumsiest
with their iPhones: half of iPhone users under 35 have had an accident.
The top five iPhone accident scenarios according to the study are:
- Phone dropped from my hand
- Phone fell into a toilet, sink, hot tub, swimming pool, lake, etc.
- Phone dropped from a lap
- Phone knocked off a table
- Phone drenched by some liquid
"As smart phones continue to improve, they
become more tightly integrated into our busy lives leaving them
vulnerable to accidents around the clock," commented Ty Shay,
CMO at SquareTrade. "We were astonished at how many people drop their
phones in the toilet as well as how frequently an innocuous drop from
the hand actually killed the device. We look forward to seeing what the
new iPhone 5 users report with regard to durability."
SquareTrade's recent study indicates that due
to the often-costly expenses associated with repairing damaged iPhones,
many consumers often resort to "desperate" measures. For example, 11%
of iPhone owners surveyed are currently using a device that is cracked
and 6% have taped up their iPhone as a solution.
SquareTrade works with leading online and
in-store retailers to offer uniquely customer-friendly warranties to
protect thousands of consumer electronics products and appliances
including smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions, video game
consoles and digital cameras. SquareTrade consistently receives high
rankings for superior customer service and its 5-day service guarantee.
The survey responses for SquareTrade's 2012
Smartphone Accident Survey were collected using the world's largest
panel provider, Survey Sampling International. Demographic quotas were
used to collect a representative sample of smartphone users. Overall
cost estimates were created using survey data and smartphone market size
estimates released by comScore in May 2012.
Americans have spent $5.9 billion on damaged iPhones. (PRNewsFoto/SquareTrade)
