Did your phone survive Mad Friday?

It is a sad gadgety fact that over a quarter of UK revellers aged 18-40 will have damaged their phone on a night out. If you live in London your chances of smashing your phone increases as it has been named the clumsiest region (29%), whereas Newcastle gets the most accident-prone city (23%). Add all that with the fact that only 1 in 10 have their phone covered by insurance – you could be looking at an even more expensive night out than you planned.

I managed to get through Mad Friday pretty much unscathed, as did my smartphone – but the same cannot be said for many of you out there.

With the average amount spent on repairs being £49 a protective case at half that suddenly looks like an attractive proposition doesn’t it?

With the Christmas party season now in full swing, the repeated mantra of “get into the spirit”, and festive tipples suddenly turning into seventeen “IT’S CHRIIIIIISTMAAAAS” Jagerbombs – before you know it, you’ve a smashed phone screen staring back at you, accompanied by a hollow feeling of regret.

‘Mad Friday’, the last Friday before Christmas, will have seen most of us out for our office parties but it has been revealed that 27% of lumbering UK revellers aged 18-40 have damaged their phone on a night out. There’s still a few pre-Christmas party nights to come so be warned!

In the survey of 2,000 British adults, conducted by Griffin Technology, Newcastle topped the list of clumsy cities, while London is the region reporting most mobile emergencies.

As only 12% of damages were covered by insurance, resident Griffin Gadgetologist, the brains behind the tough-as-nails Survivor phone cases, is on a mission to help the buttery-fingered amongst you.

So if you’re a ham-fisted Harry, or your BFF is a regular blundering Barbara, take note – here are some top tips to avoid having to fork out for a pricey repair, or even a new phone, come Christmas.

Resist the urge to take a bathroom selfie

Tiled flooring and all that running water (amongst other things) spells disaster for your phone, both inside and out. Research shows water damage comes second only to cracked screens as the cause of smartphone failure, so do your phone a favour and protect them from the elements.

Watch out for office geeks in YOLO party mode

If you must grab that group shot on the dance floor, stand well out of the way of errant dancers. Christmas does funny things to people – we tend to get overexcited and fling our arms in the air like we just don’t care, cue phones being knocked out of hands left, right and centre.

Keep it zipped

The more barriers there are to your phone, the less chance it has of falling to its demise. Whether it’s a zipped compartment in a handbag or buttoned pockets, something to stop you reaching for it every 10 seconds can work wonders.

Invest in a super-sturdy phone case

If you’ve been known to hit the deck after a few shandies, it could be worth taking a good hard look at your phone’s attire to decide if it’s up to the job. Even if you’re the type to dance on tables, Griffin’s new Survivor Summit and Journey cases survive drops of up to 3 metres!

Simplicity is key

Everyone knows that nothing says it better than an emoji, but the tinier the buttons and more intricate your conversation, the longer it takes to text and the more likely your phone is to slip from your hand. Do everyone a favour and stick to the classic … “by the bar”.