Google AI
The Times Australia

Times Media Advertising

Simple tips to make your phone live longer

  • Written by: News Company


Twenty years ago, mobile phone hardly existed. Only the most important and wealthiest people owned them, and many naysayers insisted that they would never catch on. But a lot has changed in the last twenty years and the mobile or cellular telephone is on of the most ubiquitous items of technology on the planet. Almost everybody owns one, and in many instances, people own two or three. But despite their frequency and popularity phones tend to have short lives. They break easily or are lost, or they simply can’t last the distance due to constant use. But if you have a new phone and you want to hang on to it for at least the next two years, here are a few tips to help you protect your phone.

Cover up

Phone companies like to sell you on the fact that their handsets are sleek and thin and robust. They may be correct in selling them as thin and sleek, but the reality is that they are not as robust as they would like to have you believe. Afterall they are made with a lot of glass, which we all know can break quite easily. So, cover up! For each and every model of phone there is a phone cover that fits it. A quick online search for something like, ‘buy iPhone x covers’ will quickly steer you in the direction of what you are looking for. Don’t hold back. You have shelled out a lot of money for the phone, a few extra dollars for the protection that will make it last for two or more years is worth the expense.

Use it wisely

People are so attached to their phones that they tend to want to take them everywhere they go. But this can lead to disaster. Many is the story of the phone that has been dropped into the toilet or the bath. And many is the disaster that could have been avoided if the phone had simply not been taken to the bathroom in the first place. It goes without saying that phones and water do not mix. And as much as it is tempting to have a quite interlude with your phone in the sanctity of a locked bathroom, the reality is that you are just one slip away from disaster.

Pocket alert

Phones should never be stored in pants pockets. It is obviously very easy and tempting to slip a phone into the back pocket of your jeans, and that is absolutely fine if you are out for a stroll. But the problem is that if you sit down on something hard (like a bench), the combination of your bottom and the bench puts the phone between the metaphorical rock and hard place. Sadly, before you know what has happened you have a cracked screen or a dead phone.

Overcharging

Phone batteries do not like to be overcharged. In other words, if you keep charging it once it is fully charged then you risk damaging the battery and ruining the phone. So, beware of simple mistakes like leaving it plugged in overnight. It is not a disaster if you leave it plugged in overnight once or twice, but if this becomes a habit the battery will be struggling long before the phone has passed its sell-by date.

Property Times

Why Australians need to rethink new apartments after the budget changes

As the Federal Government pushes to accelerate housing supply and incentivise new residential development amid Australia’s housing shortage, industry leaders say New South Wales is better positioned than ever to meet demand following a major transf...

Property markets react to budget signals before laws are even passed

Australia’s property market has already begun reacting to the federal budget announcements despite many of the proposed measures not yet becoming law. Across residential, commercial and industrial sectors, sentiment has shifted. Buyers, investors...

Most Australians think the Budget Just Changed the Rules on Property. They Have No Idea How Far it Actually Goes.

A generation of Australians may be entering the biggest rethink of wealth creation since the rise of the property boom, with the Federal Budget shaking confidence in the investment strategies many households spent decades relying on. The CEO of Ph...

Property Paralysis: Buyers Hesitate As Australia’s Housing Market Sends Mixed Signals

Australia’s property market may still be active, but beneath the auctions, listings and glossy real estate campaigns, a growing sense of uncertainty is spreading through the market. Buyers are hesitating.Sellers are confused.Banks are cautious but...

Food & Dining

The Great Indoors: Commune Group Has Every Reason To Get Out This Winter

From Ramen Nights To $15 Pho And Midweek Set Menus, Commune's Southside Venues This Winter Tokyo Tina’s Club Ramen​The cooler weather is here, and so is ramen. Every Wednesday evening, Tokyo Tina is serving bowls of steaming, made-to-order ramen unt...

The evolution of bread in Australia: from basic staple to artisan luxury

For generations, bread was one of the simplest and most affordable foods in Australia. A loaf sat on nearly every kitchen bench. White sandwich bread filled school lunchboxes, accompanied family dinners and became part of the routine of suburban l...

McDonald’s Australia keeps innovating as Red Bull lands on the menu

For decades, McDonald’s Australia has been associated with burgers, fries, coffee and soft drinks. In 2026, however, the fast-food giant is signalling that the next battleground may not be food at all. It may be beverages. In one of the most signi...

Remember All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants? Australia Still Misses Them

For many Australians, few dining experiences created more excitement than the words: “All you can eat.” The concept felt almost magical. One fixed price. Unlimited access. Go back as many times as you liked. For families, teenagers, shift work...

Business Times

Australia’s business paradox: investing for growth while preparin…

Australian businesses are sending mixed signals in 2026. On one hand, investment remains surprisingly resilient. Companies...

Barbeques Galore collapse - BBQs, branding and the battle for Aus…

For decades, the Australian backyard barbecue was almost a national institution. Weekend gatherings, summer cricket, family...

“People Are Spending Less”: Small Businesses Feel Australia’s Eco…

Sometimes the real state of the economy is not found in Treasury papers, Reserve Bank statements or political speeches. So...

The Times Features

The Great Indoors: Commune Group Has Every Reason To Ge…

From Ramen Nights To $15 Pho And Midweek Set Menus, Commune's Southside Venues This Winter Tokyo Ti...

Why Australians need to rethink new apartments after th…

As the Federal Government pushes to accelerate housing supply and incentivise new residential deve...

SpaceX goes public: how Australians can invest in Elon …

One of the most anticipated share market listings in history is about to take place, with Elon Mus...

Property markets react to budget signals before laws ar…

Australia’s property market has already begun reacting to the federal budget announcements despite...

The evolution of bread in Australia: from basic staple …

For generations, bread was one of the simplest and most affordable foods in Australia. A loaf sat...

Australian football fan Forest Robinson scores a Champi…

A solo competition trip to Budapest became a night in Heineken’s Skybox and pitchside celebrations a...

Why fit matters more than fashion

Fashion changes constantly. Colours come and go. Trends rise and disappear. One year oversized cl...

Why Your Backyard Pool Is One of the Best Investments Y…

The Gold Coast backyard has always punched above its weight. Long summers, reliable sunshine and a c...

Whole-Home Climate Control in Australia: What Homeowner…

If you are weighing up how to heat and cool your whole home with one system, ducted reverse-cycle ...