For some users, life without a mobile is a more harrowing thought than having to live without their beloved pet, according to research published this week.
With the advent of the mobile web and an ever-increasing array of business and consumer-focused handsets, two-thirds of users said the loss of their mobile would make them 'upset' compared with 64 per cent who felt the same way about their pets, the YouGov study found.
Just over a quarter (27 per cent) of those surveyed described their mobile phone as being a 'treasured possession' with more than half (56 per cent) saying their little friend was very important to them.
"This research proves that people are seriously emotionally attached to their mobile phones and would really miss them if they were lost or damaged," said Anthony Caie from Lifeline, the Carphone Warehouse's insurance division, which commissioned the research.
"Mobiles don't just contain information it would be inconvenient or embarrassing to lose, such as people's phone numbers or personal text messages - increasingly they hold items of sentimental value, such as photos, videos and music. Phones nowadays are highly valuable and expensive items. What we find surprising is that more people don't take insurance against the risk of losing their phone. The most recent British Crime Survey found that 800,000 people had had their mobile stolen in a 12 month period. Our own research found that nearly a quarter of people have had a mobile stolen or lost for good, so there is unfortunately a pretty high chance that this will happen to you," he said.
The research also found interesting results by gender and geography.
Women have a slight edge on men in terms of how distressed they'd be if they lost their mobiles, with the 69 per cent of ladies saying they'd be upset compared with 62 per cent of men.
Users in the Midlands topped the poll of who'd be most upset about losing their mobile, with 73 per cent of respondents admitting their device dependence, closely followed by the North East with 70 per cent. Those in the South West were more concerned about the loss of a pet, with just under three quarters (73 per cent) of respondents admitting such a situation would upset them, compared with just 49 per cent who say they'd be sad if they lost their mobile.
