Five mobile phones are lost daily on the South Western Railway network since last year, according to recent stats.

The grounding revelation follows the release of Apple’s latest gadget, the iPhone 16.

Valued at approximately £1 million, lost iPhones make up a significant chunk of phones misplaced on the network based on the firm's evaluation.

In addition to phones, over 600 earphones and AirPods have gone missing since last year's iPhone 15 introduction.

South Western Railway (SWR) mapped over 1,750 lost phones and more than 600 detached earphones into its lost property archive.

This expansive collection started following the introduction of the iPhone 15 on September 22, 2023.

It's also estimated that since 2007, when the first iPhone was launched, about 30,000 phones have been lost.

This news happens as 'nomophobia' (NO MObile PHone PhoBIA), the fear of losing one's phone, continues to induce anxiety among customers.

Ahead of the iPhone 16 release on September 20, expected to retail from £799, South Western Railway reminds customers to safeguard their belongings and promptly retrieve any lost items.

Nevertheless, the actual number of lost items is expected to be far higher than logged as not all lost items are turned in and not all customers report missing items.

In the period following iPhone 15's release, SWR logged almost 22,000 various lost property items.

The most common lost objects include phones, clothing, bags, wallets, and glasses.

Jerome Pacatte, Head of Stations and Revenue Protection for South Western Railway, said: "Losing a phone or any other personal belonging during a journey can cause stress and anxiety, but our lost property team works incredibly hard to reunite customers with the hundreds of items lost on our network every week."

Pacatte urged customers to take time before reaching their destination to double-check they have their belongings.

He added: "To end every journey on a positive note, we advise customers to ensure they have all their belongings."

Of the phones handed into lost property, fewer than 1,000 were successfully returned to their owners, indicating that a considerable number remain unclaimed.

Should customers lose any items, they can register them via the SWR website.

They can then collect the item in person for free or pay for postage if the item is handed in.

Misplaced property is kept for three months at the SWR lost property office in London Waterloo station before it can be recycled, sold, or donated to charity.