How Australians are accidentally breaking their phones

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 04 December 2007 18:52

Opinion and Analysis

Telstra took the opportunity to remind phone owners that while all phones sold by Telstra come with a 12 month warranty and the option to purchase an additional 12 month warranty plan,with Taylor saying that: “It's important customers understand that warranties only cover a fault of the phone, they do not cover misuse or accidents caused by a customer”.

Tips offered by Taylor to encourage users to get into a safety routine include the advice to “always [store] your handset in the same place, using belt clips or pouches to secure the device, and letting the call go through to MessageBank [voicemail] when caught in a tricky position”.

Taylor added that, especially as the latest phones become ever more sophisticated, that people should treat their phones “with respect, as you would a computer or a fine bottle of wine”, while reminding us that one of Telstra’s range of new phones is a ‘robust’ model designed for outdoor conditions with rubber casing that is dust, shock and liquid resistant.

Given that companies such as Pentax and Olympus have designed waterproof and shockproof digital cameras that look as slim and technologically desirable as their non-waterproof competitors, phone companies should figure out a way of following suit, starting with at least one model.

It could end up being a runaway hit, hopefully adding to a phone manufacturers’ bottom line and goodwill in the community for creating a phone that can easily withstand the rough and tumble of everyday life in a way that mobile phones clearly aren’t doing today.