1 in 4 Oz men 'secretly store phone numbers to hide them from partners'

Melbourne, Oct 13 (ANI): One in four Australian men secretly store phone numbers on their mobiles to hide them from their partners, a new research has revealed.

The Microsoft survey of 1125 Australian mobile phone users also found that just 8 per cent of women owned up to the sneaky practice.

The survey also found that users were so addicted to their phones, they'd prefer to lose keys than their mobile.

Respondents in the survey rated it twice as bad to lose a phone than house keys, with singles rating it twice as bad to lose a phone compared with those in a relationship.

The research also showed that 77 per cent of Australians regularly misplace their phone and have to call it to locate it.

And almost 60 per cent of respondents said they regularly swear at their mobiles to release frustration.

According to Microsoft, love them or hate them, mobiles have become "back-up brains" for most users.

"Twenty years ago, most Australians could tell you not only their office number, but the numbers of ten of their closest friends," News.com.au quoted as Grace Kerrison, director of Microsoft's mobile communications business, as saying.

"Technology is certainly making things easier for us, but all mobile phone users need to be diligent about how they secure their important information," Kerrison added. (ANI)