A study revealed that 3 out of 4 Indians are afraid of being separated from their smartphones
A joint study by mobile phone maker Oppo and market research firm Counterpoint said on Friday that three out of four people surveyed in India have ‘NoMoPhobia’ – the fear of being separated from their smartphone due to low battery or other reasons.
According to the report, 65 percent of smartphone users surveyed experience emotional discomfort—worried or anxious, detached, helpless, afraid of missing out, nervous, insecure—when their battery dies.
NoMoPhobia, short for no cell phone phobia, refers to the fear or anxiety caused by not having a working cell phone.
Oppo India has teamed up with Counterpoint to understand the battery concern levels of modern smartphone users. The survey included more than 1,500 respondents in Tier 1 and some Tier 2 cities.
“This is a foundational study and it will be instrumental in the way we make our products. 60 per cent of people will replace their smartphones because the battery is not working. Most importantly, we are calling it to make our product battery,” said Oppo India Chief Marketing Officer Damiant Singh Khanoria.
The study found that 82 percent of male users feel more anxious compared to 74 percent of female users.
92.5 percent of users use the power saving mode on their phones and 87 percent use their phones while charging.
About 42 percent of the respondents use smartphones mostly for entertainment, with social media ranking first. About 65 percent of users sacrifice phone use to conserve battery while 82 percent limit their use of social media.
“Our smartphones have become our personal worlds that enable us to stay connected, personally and professionally, and also for entertainment. As a result, many of us have developed a phobia of not having our phones.
“As a result, people often get anxious at the idea of a dead battery and not being able to use their phone. Feelings of low battery anxiety are highest among the 31- to 40-year-old working age group followed by the 25- to 30-year-olds,” said Tarun Pathak, Counterpoint Research Director, Director.