Not 5G or AI, this is what's forcing Indians to buy new phones early

People believe that newer models and tech upgrades are the reasons why most people buy new smartphones. However, a survey by Corning revealed that broken cover glass pushed 53% of those surveyed in India to buy a new smartphone earlier than planned.

In Short

• Eighty-seven per cent of respondents dropped their smartphone last year
• One in five users needed professional repair or replacement after glass damage
• Nearly half spent over Rs 2,000 fixing damaged phone glass, survey found

A faster processor, an AI assistant or the promise of uninterrupted 5G might make the idea of a new smartphone tempting. But for a majority of Indian users who replaced their phones earlier than planned, broken glass was the reason.

A survey of 1,509 smartphone users found that 53% of Indians said broken glass had caused them to buy a new phone earlier than planned. And dropping a phone is hardly an occasional mishap. As many as 87% of respondents said they had dropped their smartphone in the previous year, while 56% said they felt anxious about drops because of concerns over the durability of the cover glass, revealed an online survey commissioned by Corning, the US company behind Gorilla Glass.

The survey conducted across India in November and December 2025 was released in July 2026. The sample, according to the company, included 1,509 smartphone users, with representation across age groups, regions, operating systems, price segments and user profiles, including gamers, professionals, power users and camera-centric users.

"Durability is no longer a secondary specification. It's central to the overall device experience," Andrew Beck, Vice President and General Manager, Corning Gorilla Glass, said in a statement.

BROKEN GLASS IS SHORTENING THE LIFE OF PHONES

We've all experienced that a cracked screen doesn't stop a phone from working. But we know that repairing it can be costly enough to make users buy a new phone instead.

When a drop resulted in cover-glass breakage, one in five consumers said their phone required professional repair or replacement. Nearly half reported spending more than Rs 2,000 on repairs, revealed the survey.

That helps explain why broken glass can trigger an unexpected smartphone purchase. The effect isn't limited to people buying expensive flagship phones either.

In additional findings shared exclusively with India Today Digital, Corning said premium smartphone users were more likely to replace their devices because of broken glass, with 61% saying they would do so. But the gap between premium and budget users wasn't as wide as one might expect. More than four in 10 budget smartphone users, or 42%, said broken glass would lead them to replace their phone, according to the additional data shared.

Broken glass, therefore, isn't just a problem for expensive phones. Across price segments, a shattered screen can push users to replace an otherwise usable phone earlier than they had planned.

DURABILITY IS NOW A SMARTPHONE BUYING FACTOR

According to the survey, 61% of Indian consumers said durability claims influenced their smartphone purchase decisions. Drop protection was valued by 52% of respondents, scratch resistance by 48%, while 52% valued equal protection for the front and back of a device.

Additional findings of the survey shared with India Today Digital provide a bigger picture. Asked which smartphone features they valued most, 63% of the respondents cited battery life and overall device durability, 52% valued glass that could withstand drops, 48% prioritised scratch-resistant screens, and 44% preferred premium design combined with toughness.

Durability isn't limited to surviving accidental drops. Consumers also value features that protect the screen from everyday scratches, glare and fingerprints while maintaining display clarity, Corning told India Today Digital.

Display clarity was a top priority for 58% of respondents, while 53% also valued the durability of the phone's camera lens.

INDIANS ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR TOUGHER PHONES

Perhaps the clearest indication of how important durability is that consumers say they are willing to pay for tougher phones, revealed the Corning survey.

Nearly three-fourths of respondents (74%) said they would pay more for enhanced cover-material features, including greater durability and improved optical performance.

That willingness becomes more understandable when viewed alongside the cost of repairing broken phones.

Corning told India Today Digital that the survey was based on a "geographically diverse urban sample". In other words, the findings shouldn't be read as establishing how rural smartphone users behave or whether their reasons for replacing phones differ from those of urban consumers.

Still, the numbers point towards an interesting change in how smartphones are being evaluated. Perception-wise, the smartphone upgrade is pitched around the next big thing — a faster chip, more cameras, 5G and, more recently, artificial intelligence. But sometimes the 'news-phone decision' is made in a fraction of a second, sometimes because of broken glass.

- Ends