People can’t stop spilling liquids on their cell phones. It’s an international incident at this point yet, instead of keeping a better grip on their beverages, people now just want their phones to absorb the water torture. In fact, most people these days expect their cell phone to be capable of surviving a dousing, according to a new study by P2i, a manufacturer in liquid repellant nano-coating technology.
While it does sound like an obvious case of a confirmation bias at work here – a company specializing in water-proofing technology commissioning a study that shows people favor water-proofing technology? – the study did find that 51% of the people who participated in the study expect their phones to be able to fight off liquids.
Dr. Stephen Coulson, CTO of P2i said, “It’s no surprise that on average over half of all of those questioned expect water protection to be included as standard when buying a mobile phone. Without it, users not only need to avoid liquid coming into contact with their phones but have to consider the ‘hidden’ risk of moisture that can cause corrosion, damaging the phone, its components and, often more importantly, the content and data stored on it.”
So what are people so prone to spill onto their cell phones? The study, which was conducted earlier this month and included 2006 participants from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and the United States, found that 30% of people spill water on their phones, followed by 13% by coffee, 8% of tea. Men were more likely to have spilled coffee on their phone than women, and Americans are the most likely to get sloppy drunk and spill alcohol on their phones.
Coulson pointed out that it wasn’t just the beverage menace that people have to worry about, though. “Mobile phones are not just susceptible to accidental spillages in pubs or cafes,” he said. “Reflecting the increasing role that they play in our lives, this survey also found that on average phones are taken out in the rain (64 per cent); in the snow (59 per cent) and even into the shower (8 per cent) and sauna (3 per cent) – all posing a risk of the phone being exposed to moisture which can cause long term damage. There is a very real demand for these devices to be able to keep up with thriving lifestyles.”
For those of you whose lifestyles include using your cell phones while you’re in the shower – nearly 1 in 10 of you! – you need to choose a lifestyle a little less glamorous and more mindful of the fact that electronics don’t play well with aquatic environments.