Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories?
X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Average phone is broken or lost in 15 months, survey says

You're probably going to break, lose or have your phone stolen before your contract ends, leaving you stuck with an inferior phone.

richard-trenholm-square.jpg
richard-trenholm-square.jpg
Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read
Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure
This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

You're probably going to break, lose or have your phone stolen -- and you'll still wind up paying for it while you're stuck with an inferior phone. That's the pessimistic message of new figures revealed today.

A survey of 1,185 Britons on pay-monthly contracts by gadget insurance firm Protect Your Bubble found that the average phone goes south in 15 months -- which is a problem as many of us are tied into contracts lasting 18 months or two years.

Roughly a third of phones get broken, usually as a result of being introduced to the floor or other hard surfaces at an unfriendly pace. Sadly, after the worst happens, the majority of phone fans have to make do with a cheaper phone or a hand-me-down from friends or family rather than a straight replacement.

One in seven phones is lost or stolen, which is why it's definitely a good idea to make friends with Find My iPhone, Android Device Manager or an equivalent phone-tracking app that sniffs out your device should it go walkies -- and don't forget to register it with Immobilise, the national property register used by police forces throughout the country.

Sure, an insurance company has a vested interest in highlighting the potential for disaster, but if we extrapolate these numbers it means as many as 3.3m phone owners could be lumbered paying for a phone that didn't survive the full length of their contract.

If your phone does a Tom Daly, a watery grave isn't a certainty: here's our handy guide to saving a wet or water-damaged mobile phone. If you have butter fingers, keep a bowl of rice or a product like Reviveaphone handy, or maybe only drink through a long straw.

What's the daftest way you've lost or damaged your phone? Are you stuck with a substandard phone because something bad happened to your shiny expensive mobile? What's the shortest time you've had a phone before disaster struck? Tell me about it in the comments or drop in to our Facebook page.