No trouble is found with almost 75% of mobile devices returned to mobile network operators and manufacturers in Europe and North America, according to Blancco Technology Group – a provider of mobile device diagnostic and secure data erasure solutions.
Based on data collected from ‘millions’ of Android and iOS smartphones using the SmartChk platform, Blancco releases its ‘State of Mobile Device Performance and Health’ reports quarterly. User behaviour is to blame for a ‘substantial number’ of device performance problems, failures and ‘No Trouble Found’ (NTF) returns, rather than hardware, the data suggests.
The number and type of apps used, notification settings and other personalised functions are some examples of how user behaviour affects day-to-day performance and long-term device health, said CEO Pat Clawson. Failing to close multiple apps, for instance, damages the performance, memory and battery life of a phone, which can cause users to blame the hardware.
Blancco found that Android devices had by far the highest number of reported issues: 85%, versus 15% on iOS. Samsung topped the list of Android vendors with the highest failure rate (27%), followed by Lenovo (21%), Motorola (18%), Xiaomi (11%) and Asus (8%).
Device failures soared in Europe in particular in the second half of the year – from 14% in Q3 to 29% in Q4.
The top culprits for failure were the camera, touch, battery charging and microphone components, as well as general performance issues.
