Three out of four smartphone users in India suffer from a fear of not having their mobile phone to hand, even if it is due to the device running out of battery power. A survey conducted by mobile phone manufacturer Oppo and market research firm Counterpoint has found that 65% of users experienced negative emotional symptoms when their phones ran out of power, including worry, disconnectedness, helplessness and an overwhelming fear of missing out. The phobia is known as NoMoPhobia and the survey respondents were taken from Tier 1 and some Tier 2 cities.
Survey highlights battery anxiety
The study showed that around 60% of respondents claimed to be looking for new smartphones solely because their current devices didn’t perform, with battery life being a notable bugbear. More crucially, however, the research will help Oppo to tweak its future product lines to specifically help deal with problems like anxiety related to battery life. Damyant Singh Khanoria, chief marketing officer of Oppo India, said: “This is a foundational study and will be instrumental in the way we make our products. 60% of people are going to replace their smartphones because the battery is not performing. More importantly, we cue this to make our products’ battery.”
Male and female users differ
Males were found to suffer greater emotional distress caused by low battery life compared with female respondents – 82% of men suffered anxiety symptoms, versus 74% of female users. Other highlights from the study included the fact that almost 93% of users make use of power-saving mode on their devices, with 87% using their devices while they are being charged. Approximately 42% of respondents said they largely used their phones for entertainment, with social media the most likely destination. However, even though entertainment is the top use case for smartphones, almost two-thirds of users said they often had to limit social media use to ensure battery life was preserved. The 31 to 40-year-old demographic were most likely to suffer from anxiety due to low battery life, followed by those aged between 25 and 30.
| Survey highlights | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Users who experience negative emotions when phone battery life runs out | 65% |
| Users likely to limit social media to conserve battery life | 82% |
| Users who use power-saving mode | 92.5% |
Smartphone phobia epidemic
Explaining the phobia, Tarun Pathak, director of Counterpoint Research, said: “Our smartphones have become our personal universes that enable us to stay connected, personally and professionally, and also for entertainment. Consequently, many of us have developed a phobia of being without our phones… The feeling of low battery anxiety is higher among the working age group of 31 to 40 years followed by the age group of 25 to 30 years.”
- Three-quarters of all smartphone users surveyed in India are affected by NoMoPhobia – a fear of their devices not working due to battery life
- The study, based on research from Tier 1 and some Tier 2 cities, suggests that 65% of smartphone users experience negative emotions when their battery power runs out
- Almost two-thirds of users limit social media use to conserve battery life, according to the study, with 42% using their devices most for entertainment purposes
- The research could prove instrumental in Oppo’s plans to shape future products that can tackle issues such battery life which can trigger NoMoPhobia
