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Tech & Innovation

There’s a good chance you’re reading this on a damaged mobile device

Your smartphone probably isn’t bent, but it very well may be damaged in other ways. Join the club.

By Adam Epstein·1 min read·Updated July 21, 2022
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Your smartphone probably isn’t bent, but it very well may be damaged in other ways. Join the club.

According to the 2014 ZAGG Device Damage Study (pdf), 48% of smartphone users report that they are currently using a damaged device. Maybe we should stop dropping our phones.

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Here are some of the other highlights from the report:

  • Scratches are clearly the most prevalent form of damage—54% of users have scratched the bodies of their smartphones at least once and 52% have scratched the screen.
  • Scratches, however, are among the least concerning forms of damage. Smartphone users are most afraid of a lost or stolen phone (at 23%).
  • Tablet users are much less concerned with damaging their devices—and for good reason. Only 27% of tablet users say they have damaged their device.
  • An intrepid 49% of smartphone users have not repaired or replaced their damaged devices (among this group is the author of this story, who for two years has been using an iPhone 5 with a broken lock button—the result of numerous drops).
  • 69% of tablet users have not repaired or replaced their damaged device.
  • The average cost of repairing or replacing a smartphone is $143.81, while the cost of repairing or replacing a tablet is $117.78. That’s probably because more smartphone users are opting to just replace their devices, while tablet users prefer to get them repaired.

“Putting it in a blender” was not among the most common reasons for a damaged phone. But in case you’re ready to inflict some serious damage, here’s a how-to: