Why Phones Break More Often During the Holidays (and How to Avoid It)
Every Christmas and New Year, we see the same pattern in Christchurch:
phones arriving with cracked screens, drowned speakers, mystery dents, and charging ports full of sand, glitter, or both.
The holidays are wonderful — but they’re absolutely brutal on phones.
Here’s why it happens, and how to keep your device safe while you enjoy your break.
More Time Outdoors = More Accidents
Beach trips, BBQs, camping, boating, road trips — all fantastic, all dangerous for phones.
Sand scratches screens, saltwater corrodes charging ports, and phones fall out of shallow pockets faster than your cousin disappears when it’s time to clean up.
A decent case and tempered glass protector go a long way.
More Photos, More Handling, More Drops
You take more photos in December and January than the rest of the year combined.
More handling = more chances of dropping the phone on concrete, decking, boats, bush tracks, or that cursed cottage driveway shingle.
Grip cases help. So does not multitasking with sunscreen.
Travelling With Your Phone = Constant Charging Stress
Maps, cameras, Bluetooth speakers, roaming data — phones work overtime on holiday.
When batteries run low, people grab whatever cable is nearby.
Cheap or damaged chargers put huge strain on the battery and charging port.
Take one proper charger and one good-quality spare.
Heat Is a Silent Phone Killer
Your phone hates heat more than you hate burnt pavlova.
Cars, sunny picnic tables, dashboards, tents — all places where phones quietly overheat.
Overheating stresses the battery and can cause shutdowns, swelling, or permanent damage.
Kids Borrowing Phones = “Unexpected Incidents”
Children have remarkable talent for:
Dropping phones
Sitting on phones
Dipping phones in water
Filming videos at strange angles and then denying everything
A cheap holiday burner phone is a wise investment.
Holiday Drinks and Phones Don’t Mix
December is the month where phones fall into:
Pools
Toilets
Drinks
Lakes
Buckets
Anything containing liquid, really
If you’re going out, pockets with zips are your friend.
How to Avoid Holiday Phone Disasters
Use a proper case and tempered glass
Keep the phone in a zipped pocket or bag
Avoid leaving it in cars and direct sunlight
Clean sand and lint from the charging port early
Carry a power bank
Back up photos before the trip
Don’t trust $3 chargers
A little prep saves a lot of drama.