Least Reliable Smartphones and Laptops Revealed in Canadian Survey

A recent survey conducted in Canada by Leger Marketing on behalf of CBC Marketplace has revealed smartphone, laptop, and tablet brands that are most likely to break down and need repairs.

The online survey, conducted between August 6 and August 20, 2020, queried 3,201 Canadians about their smartphones, laptops, and tablets that have broken down and needed repairs in the past five years.

A staggering 75% of those surveyed reported at least one of their electronic devices needing repairs during the period of time covered by the survey.

Taking into account their respective market shares, the survey revealed that LG tops the list of smartphone brands whose devices break down most often, with HP taking the crown of the laptop brand that’s most prone to breakdowns and failures.

Bellhouse’s survey analysis showed Samsung smartphones experience more breakdowns relative to market share than Apple iPhones.

Between Apple and Samsung smartphones, the latter saw more devices break down compared to iPhones in the survey.

One Quebec resident received a free replacement iPhone 7 from Apple thanks to the province’s consumer protection laws.

As for tablets, Apple’s iPads are the least vulnerable to device failures and the least likely to require repairs despite holding 75% of the market.

Here are some key takeaways from the survey:

  • 96% of those surveyed had experienced and identified an issue with one of their devices.
  • 40% reported software slowdowns where their devices became “slow or buggy”.
  • 26% reported “a weak/dead battery”.
  • Another common issue was cracked or otherwise damaged displays.
  • 51% of all devices with identified issues that are taken to the maker end up not being repaired because the repairs are either too costly or even the manufacturer couldn’t fix the problem.

While the same size for the survey is not extraordinarily large, it is significant enough to paint a fairly accurate picture of the statistics.

With many tech manufacturers deliberately making it harder for users to get their devices repaired in order to encourage the purchase of next-generation devices instead, the ‘Right to Repair‘ movement is gaining traction across the globe.

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