From Dirty Toilets to Dumpster Dives, New Research Reveals the Extreme Lengths People Will Go to Save Their Phones.

• 56% would crawl under a bus in the rain to rescue a dropped phone.
• 54% would fish it out of a dirty festival toilet.
• 38% would skip food for a whole day if it meant keeping their phone safe.

How far would you go to save your phone? According to new research from D3O®, the global leader in impact protection materials, many people would go further than you might imagine, from crawling under buses in the rain to fishing devices out of festival toilets and running across busy roads.

The summer survey of consumers across the U.S and U.K paints a clear picture of the emotional bond we have with our smartphones and the drastic and sometimes disgusting and dangerous measures we’ll take to protect them.

Among the standout stats:

• 59% Would dive into a pool fully clothed at a wedding to save their phone
• 56% would climb into a dumpster to find their phone
• 51% Would miss an international flight if they’d left their phone at home
• One in five would even climb down onto subway or tube tracks if they dropped their phone

The survey also highlights our emotional attachment:

• 25% say breaking or losing their phone would be more upsetting than crashing their car or losing their child in a supermarket.
• Nearly one third admit to crying when their phone has broken.
• 38% would rather lose their wallet than their phone.

With over 60% admitting they drop their phone at least ten times a year and half having dropped it in a toilet, the risk of damage is real. And as the study shows, our attachment to our devices makes the consequences of a broken or lost phone are more than just inconvenient and financial. The research shows that the impact is deeply emotional. In fact, 74% say they’d feel frustrated and anxious if their phone broke.

“Your phone isn’t just a piece of technology it’s your connection to friends, family, work, entertainment, memories and your whole life,” said Stuart Sawyer at D3O. “Our research shows that people will go to astonishing lengths to rescue their devices.”
The research also found 62% of smartphone users now have a phone case and screen protector, but 12% still don’t use either a case or screen protection at all.

Simon Morris from South London who took part in the survey commented “My phone is how I stay in touch with my family, pay my bills, order my food and keep track of where I need to be. If it broke, it’d feel like my whole life was on pause, so I protect it like its gold. That’s why I always use a phone case and screen protector.”

It’s worth noting that not all protection is equal. Many cases are chosen for looks or price rather than performance. D3O-protected cases offer up to six times more protection than generic plastic cases, helping brands like Hama, SBS, AXS, EFM, and dbramante1928 give users the confidence to take their phones everywhere without risking life, limb, or dignity to save them.

About D3O

D3O® is the world’s leading impact protection company that develops and markets the most advanced impact protection materials and products for leading global brands that include Formula 1 teams, adidas, the US Department of Defence, and NASA. From body protection for professional athletes and motorcyclists to helmet liner systems that mitigate against traumatic brain injury, D3O is recognised as the authority on Impact Protection