6 in 10 adults can’t cope longer than a day without phone

Six in 10 adults ‘couldn’t cope’ longer than a day without their mobile phone, a new study has found. A survey of 2,000 smartphone users found three in 10 never leave their house without their phone.

More than one in 10 (13 per cent) use their device to help them find their way to work while 16 per cent use it as a mirror.

Others rely on their smartphones for taking photos (68 per cent), checking the time (64 per cent) and looking at the weather (62 per cent).

It also emerged 27 per cent are completely reliant on their device to get to their destination, with 35 per cent admitting they have never used a printed map.

The study, commissioned by HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, to launch the Nokia G11 and G21 smartphones, found more than one in 10 (12 per cent) admitted their phone battery dying would give them ‘anxiety’.

As a result, 55 per cent claim running out of battery is a ‘nightmare scenario’, with the average adult charging their phone at least twice a day to avoid being caught out.

The study found 48 per cent of those polled would be upset if they lost their mobile phone – more than if they lost their bank card (46 per cent), car keys (40 per cent) or wedding ring (25 per cent).

It emerged people typically check their mobile phones 20 times a day – spending a total of two hours looking at their screens over a 24-hour period. Of those who venture outside with their smartphone, 77 per cent use online maps or an app to plan their journey.

While 28 per cent use their devices to book their travel and holiday trips.

But four in 10 of those polled via OnePoll would be stressed if they run out of battery during a long journey, while 16 per cent would struggle if they ran out of juice during a meeting.

Overall, smartphone users blame video calls and emails as key contributors for draining a phone’s battery.

Says Petri Hayrynen, from HMD Global, home of Nokia phones:

“Smartphones offer so much, it’s unsurprising that we’re dependent, making the common complaints around battery life a real issue.

“That’s why we launched these smartphones that also uniquely offer a 3-day battery life.”

TOP 20 THINGS TO USE PHONES FOR

1.         Taking photos

2.         Checking the time

3.         Checking the weather

4.         Sending emails

5.         Reading news

6.         As an alarm clock/ timer/ stopwatch

7.         Banking

8.         Shopping

9.         Keeping appointments

10.       Looking up recipes

11.       Tracking exercise

12.       Booking travel (coach, train etc)

13.       Booking holidays/ trips

14.       Gaming

15.       As a payment card – using Apple or Google Pay

16.       Work

17.       When using public transport

18.       As a mirror

19.       Monitoring sleep

20.       Finding your way to work