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Easy fixes for smartphone glitches

A Sony smartphone being used in what we hope is freshwater. Photo: Getty

A Sony smartphone being used in what we hope is freshwater. Photo: Getty

They’re premium handsets from global tech giants but that doesn’t mean they come without annoying glitches.

Panic can ensue when your expensive handset doesn’t run perfectly. But fear not. There’s often an answer out there to remedy the issue.

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Here are five handy fixes for smartphone problems.

Who would have thought a visit to the toothpaste aisle could remedy an annoying smartphone glitch? Photo: Getty

Who would have thought a visit to the toothpaste aisle could remedy an annoying smartphone glitch? Photo: Getty

HTC One M8 ‘cloudy camera fault’ 

While the M8’s sharp camera capabilities are often lauded, some users found blurriness starting to appear in images.

The problem arises when a thin layer of high-tech film HTC put on the lens is scratched. 

You won’t believe what the fix is.

Get a q-tip and dab it with a little bit of toothpaste. For 15 seconds gently rub the toothpaste all over the lens with the q-tip and then wipe the excess off with a cloth.

You might need to re-apply for another short period but lo and behold the camera fuzziness will disappear!

Samsung Galaxy S5 ‘screen lag’ 

Nobody likes lag, it’s just not cool (particularly the jet variety).

The slim yet broad-screened pseudo tablet S5 should be quick given the power under its hood.

But because of the heavy interface getting around the phone has caused a lot of people ‘lag anger’.

Luckily there are a few ways around it that include downloading the GoogleNow Launcher – which speeds up certain tasks – and turning off clunky background functions you might not use too much, such as apps or the S Voice Double Tap function.

Sony Xperia Z3 ‘Waterproofing fail’ 

This is more of a misleading marketing gimmick rather than a glitch, but it is important for all Z3ers to know.

The phone was heavily marketed as being ‘waterproof’ but it quickly became apparent the term ‘waterproof’ didn’t cover ALL water (even though marketing images show the phone being used in swimming pools).

When taken into anything other than fresh water, Z3 users reported countless numbers of issues with their phones.

So that rules out beach-goers snapping in saltwater and pool paddlers in chlorinated water. Sony admitted the misleading marketing ploy but did point to the fine print which detailed the distinction. Thanks Sony.

So the advice here? Only snap with your Z3 when you’re at the local (fresh) water hole.

A Sony smartphone being used in what we hope is freshwater. Photo: Getty

A Sony smartphone being used in what we hope is freshwater. Photo: Getty

LG G3 literally the ‘hottest’ phone on the market

Being the ‘hottest handset around’ would usually be a welcome result for LG but not in the case of their G3.

While many users were happy with their G3, slowly but surely reports began to surface about the phone becoming hot.

The reports said that during heavy gaming, watching videos or filming the handsets would get warm and a warning would appear on screen saying the phone had overheated.

When that happens the phone switches to a disabled brightness setting until the temperature drops a little.

Luckily, but slightly frustratingly, the only solution is the phone correcting the problem itself, but with some people reporting it happening mid-filming in sunny conditions, you can see why they’re annoyed.

iPhone 6 & 6 Plus slow Wi-Fi

So, ignoring the whole ‘Bend-gate’ saga, there are Apple addicts everywhere experiencing sluggish Wi-Fi connectivity.

When you claim that your handset is at the forefront of smartphone technology it is pretty damaging to learn that simple Wi-Fi can be an issue.

Many users were told at their Apple Genius Bars that a factory reset would sort it out, but found it did nothing.

If you’re having this problem change the password encryption on your router from a WEP Password to WPA2.

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