Six in ten adults “couldn’t cope” longer than a day without their mobile phone, a 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%) use their device to help them find their way to work, while 16% use it as a mirror.
Others rely on their smartphones for taking photos (68%), checking the time (64%) and looking at the weather (62%).
It also emerged more than one in four (27%) are completely reliant on their device to get to their destination – with 35% 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 ten (12%) admitted their phone battery dying would give them “anxiety”.
As a result, over half (55%) 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.
And 48 percent of those polled would be upset if they lost their mobile phone – more than if they lost their bank card (46%), car keys (40%) or even wedding ring (25%).
Petri Hayrynen, from HMD Global, home of Nokia phones, said: “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.”
The research, via OnePoll, revealed 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% use online maps or an app to plan their journey.
While over one in four (28%) use their devices to book their travel and holiday trips.
But four in ten would be stressed if they run out of battery during a long journey, while 16 percent would struggle if they ran out of juice during a meeting.
Overall, smartphone users blame video calls and emails as key contributors to draining a phone’s battery.
Petri Hayrymen added: “There are other ways we can preserve our phone battery and offset that angst.
“From using network connections selectively to muting unnecessary sounds and stopping apps from running in the background, these all help the cause and keep you switched on for longer.”
TOP 20 THINGS TO USE PHONES FOR:
- Taking photos
- Checking the time
- Checking the weather
- Sending emails
- Reading news
- As an alarm clock/timer/stopwatch
- Banking
- Shopping
- Keeping appointments
- Looking up recipes
- Tracking exercise
- Booking travel (coach, train etc.)
- Booking holidays/trips
- Gaming
- As a payment card – using Apple or Google Pay
- Work
- When using public transport
- As a mirror
- Monitoring sleep
- Finding your way to work
