With todays featured and expensive phones ....  how do you use it .... to prevent it going offboard, try and make a compromise and select maybe 4 or 5 things.

For me.
Basic text and call.
Calendar, clocks.
(yep pretty boring :D )

Web email at the hotel (only away from home, overseas or NZ).
Offline GPS as I travel abroad regularly (only away from home, overseas or NZ).
Music (overseas on flight) as I use no frills airlines.  But generally don't use this.