Put your hand up if you have ever smashed a phone screen? I have, in fact I did two in short succession a few years back.
New research conducted by Vodafone in partnership with Pureprofile reveals Australians would rather live with smashed phone screens than pay skyrocketing repair fees as the cost-of-living crunches hip-pockets.
Yep, I did leave the two screens broken until it was time to change my phones.
The survey from Vodafone, which included over 1,000 Australian participants who had broken their phone screen, has uncovered almost 1 in 5 Australians (19.1%) are living with smashed screens rather than fork out the cash to fix them. Tasmanian residents are most likely to have a smashed phone screen with more than a quarter (27.8%) reporting they don’t repair their phone because it is too expensive. No Tasmanian jokes here ok?
More than half of Australians (54.9%) have shattered their phone screens up to five times in the past year. Apple users are copping it the hardest when it comes to repair costs, with more than a third (35.2%) spending up to $250, and almost 12 per cent of respondents forking out as much as $500 to fix their smashed phone screens.
In the lead up to the launch of the highly anticipated Apple iPhone 16, Vodafone is helping customers avoid costly repairs with the introduction of $0 first screen replacement for those who sign up to Vodafone Device Care at a cost of $14.99/mth plus service fees. So, if you smash your screen, we will repair your first screen for $0 instead of the standard fee of $45.
“For chronic screen smashers or those experiencing this phone-omenon for the first time, Vodafone Device Care will be $0 for your first screen replacement, so those looking to protect their phone can experience even greater peace of mind.
“With Vodafone Device Care, customers can leave the stress and exorbitant screen repair costs behind with access to phone screen replacements, and mobile phone exchanges for any reason,” said a Vodafone spokesperson.
When it comes to accidently smashing phones, Australians are a creative lot. While some reported “throwing it into a wall when it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to,” another responded, “it was in my hand when I tried to catch a falling tin of peaches.”
Here is a list of the top ways Aussies are smashing their phone screens:
- Pocket Plummeter: 70% dropped their phone while taking it out of their pocket or bag
- Social Stumbler: 17% were texting or scrolling on social media when it slipped out of their hand
- Selfie Smasher: 13% were snapping a pic when their phone slipped out of their hands
- Screen Stomper: 6% had their phone screen stepped on or crushed
- Run Club Fumbler: 6% dropped their phone while going for a run
- Baby Bumbler: 5% had their kid drop and smash their phone
Other data includes:
- Tasmania (27.8%), South Australia (22.5%), Australian Capital Territory (21.7%) and New South Wales (21.6%) are the states most likely to not repair smashed phone screen because it is too expensive.
- Australian Capital Territory residents broke their phone screen the least in the last 12 months with only 35% reporting they’d broken it in the last 12 months, compared to over half of Queensland (55%) and the Northern Territory (78%) residents.
Moral of the story? Invest in a case that provides a solid protection and consider taking out Vodafone Device Care.
