T 4.42 Failure of the mobile phone

A mobile phone could become unusable for reasons such as the following:

• The battery is exhausted because the user forgot to re-charge it.

• The battery has lost its ability to store charge.

• The user has forgotten the PIN so that he cannot use the mobile phone any more.

• Components such as the display, keypad or SIM card are faulty.

If a mobile phone is exposed to harmful environmental conditions, its functional performance can be impaired. Mobile phones can sustain damage through exposure to excessively high or low temperatures, dust or moisture.

Examples:

• An employee embarking on an extended business trip took with him a mobile phone plus accessories from a mobile phone pool. While on the road it transpired that he had unfortunately packed the wrong battery charger. As he was unable to re-charge the mobile phone he could not use it any more during the rest of his trip.

• The mobile phone is left in a parked vehicle. This not only increases the risk of theft, but may also expose the phone to harmful environmental conditions. When a vehicle is exposed to direct sunshine, it is possible for the temperature to climb to over 60ºC behind the window glass. This can result in damage to either the battery or to the display.