I have seen some terrible things happening to mobile phones, including one getting run over by a bus. The screen was badly cracked, but the phone still worked! One of my own phones, an Xperia Mini Pro, once took the full force of a car door being closed on it, and survived with only a small dent on the side. The most common cause of accidents happening to mobile phones is negligence of users, suggests popular experience. That means, you are often the biggest enemy of your mobile phone! Common causes of damage include liquid spills, falls from great heights, getting run over by vehicles, getting stepped on, and general negligent use. Children still continue to be the most effective testers for the durability of any gadget. The extent, and kind of damage which your phone can survive depends a lot on the build quality associated with the brand, the kind of accident it is involved in, and the design (form) of the phone. While a simple drop from an average person’s height can cause some phones to stop working altogether, some others can take a lot more shock and still continue to work Some early models of Nokia were known for their extreme robustness. In fact, it was rumoured that the Nokia 3310 was discontinued because it was so robust that there was no demand for spare parts or even other phones of the same range. The design of the phone was also an important factor because compactly shaped candy bar phones tend to be more robust. Clamshells and sliding models are not as rugged, and may have weaker joints connecting its various parts. However, these offered more protection to the screen from scratches and breakage. Keep in mind, however, that those were the days were mobile phones with cracks across the screen were considered perfectly usable, since the keypad was more important. Nowadays, since most of the smartphones depend on their touchscreens to gather user input, the amount of damage you can tolerate on the screen has also decreased a lot. Damage isn’t restricted to what is visible on the outside. After a great fall, your phone may not have a visible scratch but some of the internal parts may have sustained damage. You never know until you use it for a while after the accident. How much protection is adequate? That varies with the kind of phone you use. As soon as you get a phone, you should also purchase a good quality screen guard for it. The screen tends to be very expensive to replace and also susceptible to daily wear and tear if not protected. Lamination does not seem to be as popular these days, but a good quality cover or case would protect your phone .Tabs generally tend to be unwieldy. Invest in some good protective gear for these. Also make sure that the protective gear you buy is made for the specific model you use and not just the brand. Remember that ‘damage’ isn’t always due to a fall. A chemical spill can cause serious physical scars. Try to get protective gear which protects your phone from all these. Prevention is better than cure, to cite a cliche. But in a mobile phone, you might want to ensure that the prevention doesn’t spoil the beauty of a device. (aravind.r@newindianexpress. com)