Press Release of the Day – 20th January 2020

The Heavy Price of a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year: 1 in 10 Lost or Had Their Smartphone Stolen Over the Festive Period

• 1 in 5 people who received a smartphone for Christmas have already damaged it
• Already in 2020, almost 100 million smartphones will have been dropped on the ground

London, 20th January 2020 — More than one in 10 (11.5%) smartphone users lost or had their devices stolen over the Christmas and New Year period, according to a poll conducted by specialist gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble.

A poll of UK adults with smartphones, aged between 16-64 years, revealed that 5.5% had their phones stolen over the festive period, while 6% misplaced their devices.

Just over half (53%) of respondents who had been victims of theft, said their phones had been taken from their coat or bag while out socialising over Christmas. While one-in-ten had their devices stolen from their possessions while out celebrating New Year.

With just 39% of those users polled having phone or gadget insurance, many will be starting 2020 facing a hefty bill to replace their phone, particularly if they owned a premium model such as the iPhone 11, which can cost up to £1000.

Accidental damage

Thousands of people were given smartphones for Christmas but may wish they hadn’t. One in five of those polled, who received a phone for Christmas, admit they have already damaged or broken it by the middle of January – either by dropping onto a hard surface, dropping in water, or spilling liquids on the case. One in 10 said they actually damaged their new phone on Christmas Day.

The poll also revealed that we drop our smartphones on average once a week. With more than 32 million smartphone users in the UK, according to Ofcom figures, that means almost 100 million smartphones may have been dropped on the ground already, since the start of 2020.

James Brown, director of gadget insurance provider Protect Your Bubble comments:

“Millions of us now have smartphones, and while we’ve come to rely on them, they are also an expensive piece of kit that can hit us in the wallet if we lose or damage them, or they’re stolen.

“Thousands of people will have received gadgets at Christmas, including smartphones. And nothing is more annoying than having to shell out so soon for a new device, or having to pay for costly repairs, that could have been covered by insurance.

“Take the opportunity at the start of a new year, not just to get your finances in order, but to also take out specialist phone or gadget insurance, if you don’t already have it.”

– Ends –

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