Two In Three Brits Can’t Leave Their Mobiles At Home

Research finds that 66 percent of the UK population suffers from “nomaphobia”, the fear of leaving your mobile at home

Two out of three Brits cannot face leaving their house without their mobile phone, according to new research.

A survey carried out by SecurEnvoy found that 66 percent of respondents suffered from nomaphobia, the fear of being without their mobile phone, and that the figure is rising.

It’s a real condition…

Nomaphobia was first identified in 2008, when it was revealed that 53 percent of the UK population suffered from the condition. This latest survey found that 41 percent of people in the UK have two or more mobiles. Recent predictions for the tech industry by Deloitte found that an increasing number of people that own tablets will look to buy a second device in 2012.

It was also discovered that women are more concerned about losing their mobile than men, with 70 percent of female respondents saying that it worried them, compared to 61 percent of males.

“What this study does highlight though, is the extent that people now rely on their mobile phones,” commented Andy Kemshall, chief technology officer of SecurEnvoy.

Almost half of the UK owns a smartphone, which account for 70 percent of all mobiles sold. Apple remains the biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world, but trails BlackBerry and Android in the UK, where half of all smartphones sold are shipped with Google’s mobile operating system.

Android remains the most popular operating system for first time buyers of smartphones, which shipments of such devices now outselling PCs.