Where does Inverness rank among the clumsiest cities in the UK?
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A new ranking has revealed which parts of the nation are the most likely to break their phones, laptops and tablets unexpectedly.
And Inverness ranks fourth in the butter-fingers league.
Only two other Scottish cities are ranked in the Clumsy Top 20 - Glasgow in at Number 6, and Edinburgh at Number 17 - but both with much larger populations than Inverness.
This follows findings that this week is the worst time for tech damage, as demand for device repairs skyrocket by 24% over the Easter break.
Mobile phones account for the majority of the nation’s breakages seen over the half-term holidays, followed by tablets, PCs and tablets.
The most common reasons devices break came out as smashed screens, dead batteries, impaired chargers, and faulty USB ports.
The new ranking reveals which parts of the UK are the clumsiest when it comes to handheld tech, with some cities significantly more likely to break their phones, laptops and tablets.
The findings by Getac analysed nationwide Google searches for device repairs to identify any trends - and found that there’s consistently been the biggest increase in tech problems at the start of April, based on a decade of search data.
Over the past 10 years, searches for device repairs rose by a 24% over Easter compared with the start of the year, and with a 7% increase over summer, and a 6% drop at Christmas.
Whilst it’s unclear exactly why problems are particularly prevalent at the start of April each year, it’s likely that the half term holidays play a part - as well as a rise in holiday day trips.
Overall, devices are more at risk of breaking this week than at any other time of year.
During this high-risk period, some cities report a higher rate of broken devices than others - and of the 62 cities analysed, Norwich saw the highest demand for repairs.
£135.
Behind Norwich, the city that saw the most broken devices was Lincoln, with phones accounting for 58% of the damaged tech, followed by Wrexham, Inverness and Bath.
Common issues seen across the city’s searches were smashed screens - likely caused by phones being dropped - water damage, apps crashing, and batteries not holding charge.
This is bad news for those looking to cut costs after an expensive winter, as Which? consumer data reveals that the average phone repair currently stands at £140, laptop repairs come in at £105 each, and each tablet fix amounts to around
Top 20 cities with the highest rate of device breakages, ranked Norwich, Lincoln, Wrexham, Inverness, Bath, Glasgow, Chester, Preston, Bristol, Cambridge, Salford, Nottingham, Hereford, Edinburgh, Manchester, Reading, Newcastle upon Tyne, York, Oxford and Birmingham.
On the other end of the scale, the regions that report the fewest problems with their devices each year came out as Wakefield, Newport, Bradford, Lancaster and Derry.
When it comes to the most common reasons devices break, the experts reveal that smashed screens and glitches are top - accounting for 17% of reported issues - followed by dying batteries or charging difficulties (17%) and faulty USB ports (8%).
Other common reasons include hardware configuration problems, performance issues, related to capacity or lagging, and software complications.
Speaking on the findings, a Getac spokesperson said: “Broken devices can be frustrating and disruptive for many - particularly those who are reliant on their phones or laptops to work and communicate with others, and those who can’t afford to pay for unexpected repairs.
“Although some issues can’t be avoided, it’s good for people to be particularly conscious as to when their devices are most likely to break, as it’ll keep safety and security at the forefront of their minds as they’re out and about - or when planning an Easter weekend break.
“There’s a reason that the first two weeks in April see the most demand for repairs year on year, and ultimately, prevention is cheaper than the cure. For those who are particularly prone to device issues, make sure to be extra vigilant to avoid costly repairs.”
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