Smartphone Festival Essentials
Can't wait for festival season? Whether you're braving the unpredictable British weather at one of the many UK events, or jetting off to pitch a tent abroad, one thing’s for certain - having a reliable smartphone is a must.
Make sure your phone's protected, charged and equipped with all the necessary apps and features by taking a look at our smartphone festival essentials below.
Must-have festival apps
Before you say goodbye to Wi-Fi, make sure you hit download on some of the best apps for festivals.
A must-have is Find My Friends, which comes pre-installed with all iPhones. If you've deleted the app, don't worry - it's always available on the App Store. Be sure to share your location with others who are attending the same festival beforehand, and then you'll easily be able to locate them if you find yourself separated at the event. As for an Android equivalent, try GeoZilla instead.
Always handy to download is an official festival app. From Leeds Festival to Mad Cool in Madrid, the majority of festivals now offer their own apps to download from the App Store or Google Play. Alongside band times, you're likely to find a map of the festival itself including campsites, stages and facilities as well as a place to create your own schedule.
Affordable festival phones
If you're a frequent festival-goer, prone to damaging your phone or simply reluctant to take your brand-new iPhone X into a muddy field full of boots and wellies, consider picking up an affordable festival phone.
For music lovers who can't live without a camera, there are plenty of budget-friendly smartphones available for under £150. The Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) is a firm favourite, available SIM-free for £134.99. Its 8MP rear camera can handle both low and bright light, and offers auto-focus to help with taking photos in busy crowds. As for selfies, you'll have an impressive 5MP to play with. Of course, there's more to the Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 than a great camera, some of its other festival-friendly features include a 5-inch display crafted from tough Asahi Dragontail glass and a battery that can last for 349 hours on standby.
Slightly cheaper is the brilliant Nokia 3. Just £119.00 SIM free, this low-cost device ticks all the right boxes. Two fantastic 8MP cameras? Check. Unlimited photo storage? It's yours thanks to Google Photos. You'll find a non-removable 2,630 mAh battery too, that's sure to last all day so you can film all your favourite bands from the front row.
If all you're after is an easy-to-use device with a brilliant battery however, you can't go wrong with the Nokia 3310. A blast from the past, the revamped version of this classic mobile has an even bigger battery than before. With a standby life of 25 days, it's sure to last the entire weekend. It's durable too without feeling bulky, and it even has a 2MP camera.
Best festival smartphone accessories
As you fill your backpack for the weekend ahead, don't forget to pick up a few festival essentials for your smartphone. For those who plan on taking their usual handset to a festival, make sure it's well protected. It's all too easy to drop your device in an excitable crowd, or when rain turns hills into mudslides, so give your phone a fighting chance by picking up a screen protector and sturdy phone case. You'll find a whole collection our Mobiles accessories range, for both iPhones and Android devices.
Charging points are few and far between at festivals too, and when you do locate one they're likely to cost a small fortune to use. Beat the queues and save your cash by investing in a portable charger of your own. The Goji Powerbank, for example, holds 4,000 mAh - that's roughly the equivalent of 1.5 charges. And don't worry, it's super light too so it won't weigh you down as you explore the festival.
Get your smartphone festival-ready with our mobile accessories today, or pick up an affordable new handset at Mobiles.co.uk.