What do British consumers do when their phone screens crack?

People drop their phones – a lot. According to Corning, an industry-leading cell phone glass manufacturer, the average consumer drops their phones seven times a year. This means that for plenty of consumers it’s only a matter of time before they pick their phones back up to witness the dreaded spiderweb-like crack formation on the screen.

British consumers are aware of this tendency to drop phones, which is why seven in ten use phone cases or covers (71%). But, with or without cover, screen cracks are not entirely avoidable. So, what do consumers do when their screens do crack?

Four in ten Britons would simply continue using devices with cracked screens that were otherwise usable (40%). Just under a third say they would immediately seek professional services to fix the screen (31%). Another 12% say they would seek warranty or insurance options to get the screen repaired, while 4% would attempt DIY repair options. For 7% of Britons a cracked screen means time to switch over to a new device.

Filtering data by age shows that younger consumers – specifically, those aged 18-34 – are marginally likelier to continue using the device with the cracked screen (43% vs 40% of all Brits). The younger group is also more likely to take on DIY adventures to fix the screen (6% vs 4%). Those aged over 55 are the most likely to seek professional repair service (35% vs 31%). 

Men are markedly likelier than women to immediately consider purchasing a new device (9% vs 6%). Women are more inclined towards simply using the device with the cracked screen (42% vs 38%).

Overall, the shares of consumers that say they would explore warranty or insurance options is fairly low across all demographics. This could be because of the awareness that most cell phone manufacturers don’t cover cracked screens under their warranty schemes, coupled with low rates of adoption of phone insurance. For insurance companies, this could be an opportunity for growth in a relatively untapped vertical.

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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on 27-28 November, 2023 with a nationally representative sample of 1,990 adults (aged 16+ years) in GB, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade and to be representative of all adults in GB (16 years or older), and reflect the latest ONS population estimates. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.