While the biggest phone-makers of the world showed off the bells and whistles of new smartphones at MWC this week, it seems that users are more concerned with a more fundamental issue: battery life.

A survey conducted by comparison site finder.com.au reveals that longer battery life is the most desired feature for 89 per cent of Australians looking towards their next smartphone. 

The survey of 2,000 people asked people what feature people wanted in their next phone.

While battery life was the stand-out concern, full waterproofing came in second as desired by 62 per cent of users. Wireless charging placed third with 52 per cent.

Older users showed the most concern about the issue.

The ongoing concern begins to explain the hype surrounding the resurrection of the famed Nokia 3310 phone at MWC. The handset was coveted for its durability and 55-hour battery life. But the hype was quickly doused by the information that the 2G network it relies on is dead in the water almost everywhere except Europe.

Battery life is a known problem for users, with an LG survey finding that nine out of 10 users experience some form of anxiety when their battery is low.