3 Out of 4 Indians Fear Being Detached From Their Smartphones, Reveals Study

92.5 percent of users use power saving mode on their phone, while 87 percent use their phone while charging.

Advertisement
By Press Trust of India | Updated: 6 May 2023 11:03 IST
Highlights
  • Survey covered over 1,500 respondents in tier 1 and some tier 2 cities
  • NoMoPhobia refers to the fear of not having a working mobile phone
  • 92.5 percent of users use power saving mode on their phone

About 42 percent of respondents use smartphones most for entertainment, where social media is at the top

Photo Credit: Oppo

Three out of every four people surveyed in India have 'NoMoPhobia' — the fear of being detached from their smartphones due to low battery or other reasons, a joint study by mobile phone maker Oppo and market research firm Counterpoint said on Friday.

According to the report, 65 percent of smartphone users surveyed experience emotional discomfort—worried or anxious, disconnected, helpless, fear of missing out, nervous, unsafe—when their battery drains.

NoMoPhobia, short for no mobile phobia, refers to the fear of, or anxiety caused by, not having a working mobile phone.

Advertisement

Oppo India collaborated with Counterpoint to understand modern smartphone users' battery anxiety levels. The survey covered over 1,500 respondents in tier 1 and some tier 2 cities.

Advertisement

"This is a foundational study and will be instrumental in the way we make our products. 60 percent of people are going to replace their smartphones because the battery is not performing. More importantly, we cue this to make our products battery," Oppo India Chief Marketing Officer Damyant Singh Khanoria said.

The study found that 82 percent of male users feel more anxious compared to 74 percent of female users.

Advertisement

92.5 percent of users use power saving mode on their phone and 87 percent use their phone while it's getting charged.

About 42 percent of respondents use smartphones most for entertainment, where social media is at the top. Around 65 percent of users sacrifice phone usage to conserve battery while 82 percent limit their social media usage.

Advertisement

"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.

"As a result, people often feel anxious at the thought of running out of battery and being unable to use their 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," Counterpoint Research Director, Tarun Pathak said.


OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that's dominated by Apple's iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub.

Further reading: NoMoPhobia, Counterpoint, Oppo
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. WhatsApp Plus Could Soon Let You Pay to Access These Features
  2. Realme Narzo Power 5G With 10,001mAh Battery Launched in India: Price, Specifications
  3. Moto Watch Review: The Best Smartwatch Under Rs. 6,000 in 2026?
  4. OnePlus 15T Confirmed to Launch With a Larger Battery, Faster Charging
  5. Nothing Phone 4a, Phone 4a Pro Launched in India at This Price
  1. ISS Crew Prepares to Send Japan’s HTV-X1 Cargo Spacecraft Back to Earth After Four Months
  2. OpenAI’s Codex App Is Now Available on Windows, Can Be Downloaded via Microsoft Store
  3. OpenAI Teases GPT-5.4 AI Model Launch Just a Day After Releasing GPT-5.3 Instant
  4. Nothing Headphone (a) Launched With Adaptive ANC, Customisable Controls: Price, Specifications
  5. Granny OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch the Village Mystery Thriller Online?
  6. Andhaka OTT Release: Where to Watch the Telugu Drama-Thriller Online?
  7. Pookie OTT Release: When and Where to Watch Vijay Antony’s Romantic Drama Online?
  8. WhatsApp Plus Paid Subscription Reportedly in Development With Additional Customisation Options, Up to 20 Pinned Chats
  9. Samsung Patent Hints at Potential Clamshell-Style Foldable With Two Cover Displays
  10. Google Introduces Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite as Its Fastest and Most Cost-Efficient AI Model
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.