• Germany: 34 percent have had damage repaired, 7 percent repaired it themselves
• Damage is usually caused by carelessness

Shattered screen, damaged casing, dropped the whole device in water: Around two-thirds of Germans (64 percent) believe that reducing VAT on mobile phone and smartphone repairs is a sensible measure to enable devices to be used for as long as possible. 82 percent are in favour of a seal that provides information about the reparability of a smartphone – and just as many (82 percent) are in favour of a seal that provides information about durability and robustness. These are the results of a representative survey of 1,005 people in Germany aged 16 and over, including 949 smartphone or mobile phone users. According to the survey, 34 percent of those who have had damage to a smartphone or mobile phone at least once have had it repaired, for example by the retailer, manufacturer or a repair shop. Seven percent repaired it themselves. ‘The longer a smartphone is used, the more resources and the environment are conserved,’ says Bitkom sustainability expert Niklas Meyer-Breitkreutz. ’The new federal government should create low-threshold incentives to promote repairs. A reduction in VAT on spare parts and repair services for IT devices such as smartphones and laptops can make a real contribution to greater sustainability.’

Those who did not have a defect or damage to a smartphone repaired at least once usually found the costs too high. 67 percent said the repair was too expensive. 47 percent wanted a new device anyway, and 43 percent found repairs too complicated. For 28 percent, the repair would have taken too long, and for another 28 percent, the damage was irreparable. A total of 88 percent have had damage to one or more smartphones or mobile phones, with most cases (77 percent) involving damage caused primarily by carelessness: 67 percent had damage to the display, 35 percent had damage to the casing and 9 percent had water damage. Furthermore, 45 percent had already experienced a defective battery, 36 percent had speaker or microphone damage, and 20 percent had camera damage. 17 percent are familiar with the problem of a defective charging socket. Meyer-Breitkreutz: ‘Users should protect their devices as well as possible to prevent defects from occurring in the first place. Good cases and screen protectors are available at low prices in stores. With a few simple methods, you can also significantly increase the battery life and thus reduce wear and tear.’ These include adaptive charging, which many newer smartphones already have integrated automatically.

The Digital Sustainability Summit on 15 May 2025 in Berlin will also focus on digital solutions for greater sustainability and resource conservation. For the third time, Bitkom is bringing together innovators from the digital industry, the sustainability community, academia and political decision-makers to talk about sustainable solutions for businesses and governments and discuss how digitalisation can contribute to achieving climate targets. Journalists are welcome to attend. Please register by emailing n.paulsen@bitkom.org

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 1,005 people in Germany aged 16 and above were surveyed by telephone, including 949 people who use a smartphone or mobile phone. The survey took place between calendar weeks 37 and 41 of 2024. The overall survey is representative. The questions were: ‘Have you ever had a defect in a mobile phone or smartphone?’, ‘Which of the following defects have you ever experienced with a mobile phone or smartphone?’, ‘How did you deal with the damage?’, ‘Why did you not repair the damage or have it repaired?’ and ‘I will now read out some measures that are already offered in Germany and other countries to ensure that IT devices such as smartphones or laptops can be used for as long as possible. How useful do you think these measures are?’