Think your mobile device is faulty? You're probably not using it right
A new report shows that almost three-quarters of mobile devices returned with problems to mobile network operators and manufacturers in Europe and North America have 'No Trouble Found'.
The quarterly trend report from Blancco Technology Group also finds that in Europe device failures soared during the second half of 2015 -- rising from 14 percent during the third quarter to 29 percent during the fourth quarter.
The company has used data collected from millions of iOS and Android smartphones and tablets that underwent testing on its SmartChk diagnostic platform. The report argues that user behavior is the cause of a substantial number of device performance problems, failures and 'NTF' returns, rather than hardware.
"The quantity and types of apps being used, app notification settings, location services settings and battery charging habits are just some examples of how user behavior impacts the day-to-day performance and long-term health of devices," says Pat Clawson, CEO of Blancco Technology Group. "Take Asia, for example, where app adoption is high and the most frequently used apps are in the social networking and messaging categories. When these users fail to close the 40+ apps installed on their devices, it eats into the performance, memory and battery life. And all the while, users presume hardware is to blame when behavior is actually the culprit. It's a paradoxical situation and it happens very often".
Among other findings are that of issues found during the fourth quarter of 2015, 85 percent were on Android devices, compared to just 15 percent for iOS devices. Samsung tops the list of Android device manufacturers with the highest failure rate (27 percent), followed by Lenovo (21 percent), Motorola (18 percent), Xiaomi (11 percent) and Asus (8 percent). The most common causes of device failures worldwide are camera, touch, battery charging, microphone and performance. In Asia, frequent use of social networking apps and messaging applications, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat and Line, affected device performance in the region. The increasing usage of emoji and productivity apps in Europe played a contributing role in the increase in device failure rates during the second half of 2015.
Clawson adds, "Being able to detect with certainty the causes and types of device problems to determine if they are fixable is important. For mobile network operators and manufacturers, it allows them to automate and scale the device diagnostics and repair process to deliver a consistent customer experience. It also helps enterprise businesses support the needs and increase the productivity of their mobile workforce".
More information on SmartChck and Blancco's other mobile solutions can be found on the company's website -- where you can also download the report -- or at its booth at MWC in Barcelona this week.
Image Credit: Bevan Goldswain / Shutterstock