Mobile phone users risk losing treasured data in the ‘upgrade crunch’

Expansion memory overlooked when transferring to new handsets, 61.4% of users do not back up their data warns Kingston Technology

April 12th 2010 -- Nearly half of all mobile phone users ditch their handsets after just one year, placing thousands of valuable files at risk, according to Kingston Digital Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of Kingston Technology Corporation, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced

A study carried out by the memory product manufacturer found that 43% of mobile phone users trade in their handsets every 12 to 18 months, with a further 12 per cent revealing that they upgrade after just six months.

This ‘upgrade crunch’ is placing increased importance on expansion memory, which can offer a simple transition between old and new phones. Over a third of respondents revealed that they already use memory cards, but Kingston Technology is warning that this number must rise if prized data is to be kept safe. Furthermore, with convergence accelerating, many phones now offer high quality cameras, as well as MP3 and video download capabilities. As such, expansion memory is more relevant than ever, allowing mobile phone users to back up files simply and reliably.

Key findings uncovered by the research include:

- 61.4% of mobile phone users do not back up data
- 41.9% have been forced to delete photos, music and other media
- 67.2% use mobile phones to take pictures
- 33.9% use mobiles to store and listen to music