Hold Your Phone! America’s Largest Tech Care Company Expects a Surge in Phone Mishaps This Summer

Summer has unofficially arrived, and that means lots of outdoor fun at the beach, boating on the lake and rollercoasters at the amusement park. However, all this summer action puts your phone at risk. Don’t let your phone fall victim to the Summer Surge – the time of year when phone drops, dunks and cracks skyrocket. As COVID restrictions loosen, tech care company Asurion expects the number of phone mishaps to jump even more than usual given Americans’ pent-up demand for vacations and summer activities. 

Last summer when many people were home-bound and more socially cautious, Asurion and tech repair retailer uBreakiFix saw a nearly 90% spike in liquid-related incidents, a 25% increase in cracked screens and a 65% jump in unrecoverable phones – those dropped where they cannot be retrieved. Not only were phones damaged, but lost and misplaced phone claims were up nearly 30%. Asurion Experts predict this summer will be even more dangerous for your phone.

“During a year that was shaped by sheltering in place and staying home, we were surprised at some of the spikes in damage to tech last year,” said Bettie Colombo, Asurion Senior Director of Corporate Communications. “This summer we are all clamoring to get outside, take that delayed trip, simply relax in new surroundings and our phones, last year’s lifeline that kept you connected to family and friends, could pay the price. Our 600+ uBreakiFix stores and Tech Experts are preparing for an onslaught of people needing help this summer.”

Asurion and uBreakiFix provide quick and convenient repair and replacement services available through protection plans and at more than 600 uBreakiFix stores across the country. The companies can also “Come to You” to expedite certain repairs, and customers enrolled in protection plans through their carrier can often take advantage of same-day delivery of replacement phones. 

That said, Asurion Tech Experts would rather you not have to experience the panic caused by a lost or damaged phone and offer their top tips to help keep your phone safe during the summer months:

1. Avoid water damage by using a floating waterproof phone case.
2. Don’t put your phone in direct sunlight as it may overheat.
3. Add alternate contact information on the front of your locked screen to increase the chances of getting your phone back if you misplace it.
4. If your phone gets waterlogged, turn it off and remove any protective case. That old “rice trick” isn’t very reliable. Instead, try using silica gel packets. Fill a plastic zip-top bag with silica gel beads and bury the phone in the bag, leave it in there for 24-48 hours.
5. Depending on the degree of water damage, silica gel packs may only be a temporary fix, as exposure to water may eventually corrode the insides of your device. If possible, take the device to your local uBreakiFix store where they can assess the device for any lingering moisture.
6. As an added precaution, always remember to back up your data regularly, so you can transfer your data to a replacement phone if yours becomes inaccessible due to loss, theft or breakage.

If your phone needs to be repaired or replaced, Asurion protection plans through many of the leading wireless carriers offer come-to-you repair or same-day replacement options. Don’t have a protection plan? More than 600 uBreakiFix stores across the country offer same-day repair options and provide free diagnostics on all repairs, including water damage. Customers can even book a ‘We Come to You’ repair appointment and a uBreakiFix professional repair technician will meet them at their home, office or any location convenient to them to complete the repair on site in two hours or less.

About uBreakiFix

Founded in 2009, uBreakiFix specializes in the repair of small electronics, ranging from smartphones, game consoles, tablets, computers, and everything in between. Cracked screens, software issues, camera issues, and most other problems can be repaired by visiting uBreakiFix stores across the U.S. and Canada. Since 2016, uBreakiFix has served as the exclusive walk-in repair partner for Google Pixel customers. In 2018, uBreakiFix became a Samsung Care authorized service provider offering same-day, in-person support for Samsung Galaxy customers across the U.S. In 2019, uBreakiFix joined the Asurion family and now operates as a subsidiary of the tech care company while still maintaining the franchise model. For more information, visit www.ubreakifix.com.