Mobile phones, like many important gadgets, sometimes end up lost, stolen or damaged beyond repair. It’s unfortunate, but it happens all the time, even if you are incredibly careful. Of course if you are like most people, you probably deem life is not worth living if you don’t have a fully functioning mobile phone somewhere on your person. But don’t panic because if even if you do lose your iPhone or something nasty happens to it, there are ways and means to ensure you are soon in possession of a working mobile phone once again.
Crazy Reasons Why Mobiles Phones are Damaged or Vanish
There are lots of reasons why an iPhone (or indeed any other mobile phone) could end up missing or broken beyond repair, but the most common are:
- Toilet Traumas – Carrying a mobile phone around in a trouser pocket is not uncommon, which is why it is so easy to nip to the loo and inadvertently drop the phone into the toilet bowl. If the toilet only contains water, the phone might recover once it dries out, but if it ends soaked in all kinds of unmentionable substances, forget it—you need a new one.
- Lost Weekend in Amsterdam – Alcohol and mobile phones are a fatal combination. If you are the kind of ditzy person who leaves their belongings in bars and clubs even when sober, it is only a matter of time before you lose a mobile phone on a drunken night out. But on balance, it could be worse—if all you lost was your mobile phone, thank your lucky stars.
- The Dog Ate My iPhone – Pets sometimes take a liking to small objects such as mobile phones. Just search on YouTube for ‘my dog ate my iPhone’ if you don’t believe me. But if your iPhone is a contract mobile covered by an insurance policy, you should be able to claim for a replacement.
- Stop! Thief! – Light fingered individuals prefer not to sign up for a two year mobile phone contract. They prefer to let someone else take the financial hit while they take advantage of your attention being elsewhere and lift your phone from your handbag or jacket pocket.
- The Stiletto Trick – Dropping a mobile phone is bad enough because there is a real chance that the glass will break upon impact, but if you are unlucky enough to step on it with a sharp stiletto heel, even if it survived the fall, it won’t survive the heel trick. The glass screen will shatter along with your hopes and dreams of enjoying another few months with your precious iPhone.
Also Read – Is Windows Smartphone Better than Android Phone?
What to Do if You Lose a Mobile Phone
Losing a mobile phone isn’t the end of the world, although it might feel like it at the time. The important thing is how you deal with your loss, so if you suspect (or know for sure) that your mobile has been stolen, report the theft to the police as soon as possible. You will need a crime number in order to make an insurance claim. If the phone has been damaged, take it to a repair shop and see if there is anything that can be done. And if the phone is merely AWOL, search everywhere it could be at least three times before buying a replacement.
Replacing a Mobile Phone
No mobile phone lasts forever, so eventually you will have to replace yours. If your mobile died a slow and painful death, you probably had another one lined up to jump into its shoes immediately, but if you lost it unexpectedly, you could be caught short, so to speak.
What you do next is dependent on your circumstances. If you are still locked into a contract and have no insurance, you’re a bit stuffed. One way or another you need a new phone, so the obvious answer is to buy a new handset and go for a SIM only deal. After all, there is little point in signing up for a new mobile phone contract if you are still paying for the old one. The other reason to go down this route is if you are eagerly waiting for a new model of handset to be released. Instead of locking yourself into a two year contract and ending up stuck with an older model, look for a SIM only deal expert and find a plan to use in the interim.
Life Goes On
Whatever you choose to do, always remember that life goes on and even if you are without a mobile phone for a few days, you won’t be forgotten. Good friends are those who call on the landline or come around to visit in person. The people who only ever get in touch via Facebook or text message are not your real friends, so take this opportunity to ditch your old telephone number—and them.