IDC said that as many as 100,000 smartphones get damaged by liquids every day in Western Europe and that is a factor in an increase in the sales volume of devices offering resistance against water damage (and other liquids) have grown 45.2% over the first nine months of the year. Water resistant smartphones reached 22.5 million units in the period to represent 23% of the total number of smartphones shipped in 2016 to date. The strong growth in this segment was supported by the success of Samsung and Huawei devices offering this feature and by the recently launched iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, both offering IP67.
Liquid damage is the second-largest cause of damaged smartphones in the world, representing 35% of all devices repaired. This results in significant costs to end users, phone manufacturers, carriers, retailers, and the environment in general. IDC estimates that over 100,000 smartphones get damaged by water or other liquids every day in Western Europe. The impact of liquids is estimated to be worth in excess of $10.7 billion a year in the region.
“Accidental damage is responsible for 95% of smartphone failures. While many manufacturers try to compete through lower price points, others differentiate by improving the user experience with screen durability and resistance to liquids, the two most common causes for smartphone damage,” said Francisco Jeronimo, European mobile devices research director at IDC. “Nowadays, smartphones are used throughout the day, but with increasing usage comes a greater risk of accidents, such as dropping the device on the floor or into water. With the advance of nano-technology and better industrial design, liquid damage is a problem that should no longer exist.”
Analyst Comment
We queried the number with IDC as it seemed unrealistically large to us. If accurate, the 100K per day would mean 27.3 million over nine months. Add a number for screen repairs (say 35% of the market (as liquid damage is 30%), that would mean two thirds. Jeronimo got back to us quickly to confirm that damage doesn’t mean replacement. Most damage is repaired, or users may continue to use a phone that is missing some functionality because of the damage (I can think of a few people I know that have damaged displays on their phones). Jeronimo confirmed that the number of people buying a phone due to an accident is ‘much lower’ than the two thirds I had calculated. (BR)
