A quarter of Brits admit to suffering a mobile mishap at musical festivals – from dropping their phone down a Portaloo to cracking their screen.
New research from uSwitch.com has shown that despite these stats, just 8% would consider taking a cheaper phone to a festival instead of their day-to-day smartphone.
A whopping 400,000 18 to 34-year-olds have dropped their phone down a Portaloo, 14% have dropped their phone and one in 10 have cracked their phone screens.
The most popular use for a mobile phone at a festival was for recording video and taking photos, closely followed by phoning and texting pals who couldn’t make it. Over a third of survey respondents admitted to checking social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram while they were at a festival – and over half would take their regular phone even if it wasn’t insured.
It seems we definitely can’t leave the mobile world behind for a weekend when it comes to festival season – 1.5 million Brits would choose paying to charge their phone over buying food, drink or taking a hot shower.
We may be hungry and smelly, but we’ll always have charge…
To help us put things into perspective, uSwitch have come up with some top tips to help you keep your phone safe this festival season.
Top 10 Festival Phone Tips
- If you’re clumsy, it might be worth bringing a spare phone. Spare doesn’t necessarily mean unstylish, if you’re happy to sacrifice social media, the new Nokia 3310 is both nostalgic and nifty. And with retro very en-vogue, you can always double-up on the throwback tech with a disposable camera if you’re that snap-happy!
- Have a ‘safe’ location to meet if technology fails. Battery life can be a huge issue at festivals, so if you note a festival landmark – whether it’s your favourite food truck at Bestival or the fairground rides at Reading – at least your friends will know where to find you.
- If you’re an avid ‘grammer’, portable charges can be social lifesavers. Having extra battery life on you can also help you out in other ‘insta-nces’ such as wanting to find friends or find out who’s playing on secret stages.
- Use protection – make sure your phone has a passcode! It protects your device, your data, and maybe even your reputation.
- Bring something to protect your phone from that infamous festival rain and mud. Whether it’s a nifty waterproof case or even just a re-sealable bag – your phone and wallet will thank you later.
- Be prepared for the worst. You could drop your phone in a portaloo, in mud, lose it at a bar, or someone might take it – be smart about your smart phone, insurance is never an unsafe option for festivals. Don’t look back in anger, I heard you say!
- Plan your festival in advance. If you know which bands you want to watch, make a paper timetable in case technology fails you. We all started on pen and paper at some point.
- Know where the emergency tents are. If your phone fails you, you might not be able to contact your friends. However, there are people there to help you and health and safety has come on leaps and bounds since Woodstock.
- Make a note of important numbers. That way, if you’re in a sticky (or rather, muddy) situation, you can always borrow someone’s phone to call your mates.
- Last but not least – enjoy yourself! Sometimes going to festivals is not just about sharing the moment, but living in it. Economise your phone usage and your battery life will last you for the moments you need it. Some bands should take snap priority.
