[robski]

Don't forget that lightning sometime travels upwards, it's not always down from the clouds. It tends to flash to the highest point that why it pays not to stand under a tree or be that highest point yourself. (lay flat on the ground).

I suspect your phone was an old cheap design ( made for less than a pound ) and imported from the far East. Modern telecom components tend to be designed to withstand 2KV static charges.