Flagship phones have never cost more, and the gap between the top of the market and the bottom is narrower than it used to be. The iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra are extraordinary pieces of hardware. And even more affordable options such as the Google Pixel 10A ask you to part with real money. What all of those purchases have in common is a straightforward way to get more value out of them: Keep them running well for longer. A handful of simple habits, applied consistently, can add one or two meaningful years to a phone's useful life -- and in dollar terms, that's almost always worth it.

The best way to squeeze every cent you can from your new phone is simply to keep using it for longer, spreading that initial costly purchase out over more years, rather than upgrading often.

Doing this isn't just better for your bank account; it's much better for the planet, too. Upgrading your handset less often means fewer phones being produced and shipped while fewer older phones end up in a landfill. The good news is that companies like Apple, Google, Samsung and others are supporting their phones with software updates for years longer, meaning the phone you buy today will remain safe to use for years to come. 

The rest of it is up to you. Keeping your phone in good working condition for the seven or eight years of software support it might receive takes some effort, plenty of care and a few key strategies. 

Here then are the top things you can do to help your phone last as long as possible.

Install all available updates

Using a phone that no longer receives security updates simply isn't safe and should be avoided. Previously it was common for many Android manufacturers to support new phones for only two to three years, which was super frustrating as usually the hardware had much more use left but the phone was simply unsafe to use. Now you'll find phones like the Google Pixel 10 series coming with seven years of software support. Sadly, some more affordable phones like the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite still only receive a few years of updates. If you're buying a new phone, make sure you check how long it'll be supported as this will give you more value for money throughout the phone's lifespan.

Updating your phone to the latest security update will help keep hackers out and keep your phone free of malicious software that could creep in and slow down your phone. Most phones will automatically prompt you to install the latest updates (and you should), but if you're on an older phone, head into your settings menu and scroll down to Software Update and click to see if an update is available. 

The same is true for your apps, which will also need to be updated to remain compatible with the version of iOS or Android you're using. It's good practice to allow apps to be automatically updated in the background, but if not, make sure you go into your app store of choice and check that you're running the latest versions.

Use a case

If you've just bought a shiny new iPhone the best thing you can do to physically protect it is to put it in a case immediately. It'll not only keep it safe should you accidentally drop it, but it will also help keep it from picking up micro scratches from the keys or coins in your pocket. 

A screen protector is a great idea too, as once your phone's actual screen becomes damaged, there's little you can do to help it, beyond forking out for a potentially costly replacement. If you get a nasty scratch on a screen protector, you can simply replace it, keeping the underlying phone looking fresh as a daisy for years to come. Even if you don't plan on keeping your phone for years, keeping it looking fresh may help you sell it for more on the used market when it's time to upgrade.

Replace a tired battery, not the phone

Your phone's battery will gradually wear down over time, offering less battery life per charge than it did when it was new. This is true of all phones. Some older phones may have batteries that only offer 50 percent of what they once did. You may even receive warnings from your phone that your battery can't offer the necessary power and so your processor may be throttled to compensate. 

Worry not, as it's pretty easy to replace the battery yourself on most phones to give it a whole new lease on life. iFixit sells a variety of kits and third-party replacement batteries to suit a huge range of phones, so if your battery is on the way out, it's worth seeing if you can swap it out yourself. 

There are a variety of places you can take your phone (not all of them are especially legit) to have your battery replaced -- or even other components like a broken screen -- and this could be a good option to consider if you're not especially confident about your skills with a screwdriver. 

Offload old apps and photos you don't need

If you've had your phone for years then odds are it's pretty clogged up with thousands of photos of your friends, your pets or the plates of food you've eaten over the time you've had it. It's also likely you have a variety of old apps and games you downloaded on a whim, played with for a few bus rides and then moved on to the next mobile gaming sensation. 

A lack of storage can have a detrimental effect on your phone's performance overall and can also mean there's not enough room available for crucial software updates to be installed. It's worth going through your archives, backing up the photos and videos you want to save to the cloud, and getting rid of anything on your phone that's needlessly taking up space. 

If you've had your phone for a long time and it's really running slowly, it may even be worth backing up all your important data and doing a full factory reset, starting fresh and only installing the essentials you need. 

Clean out your ports

Finally, give your phone a good cleaning as it can have surprisingly helpful outcomes. Pocket fluff can be a real problem for your phone, with the charging port in particular often getting clogged up with bits of nonsense. The result is that when you plug in your charger, it can't quite connect and as a result, your phone won't charge. 

It's easy to think that something has actually broken -- the charging port itself or the cable -- but really it could be as simple as the port just being stuffed full of lint. Get a wooden toothpick in there periodically and try and ease out any dirt and debris you find to ensure your charger can fit without having to be aggressively wiggled.

It's also worth using an old toothbrush (clean and dry) to gently brush away any debris you might find around the speakers and microphones to ensure you can clearly hear -- and be heard -- on your phone calls.