Making your smartphone last longer can save you a lot of money. To get the most out of your tech investment, learning how to put your phone on life support is vital.It seems like there are new smartphone launches every year by all the major manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. These latest and greatest phones are certainly tempting, but often unnecessary.In fact, many of the upgrades on new flagship devices are minor, and often not worth the tech binge. The iPhone 7 is a fine example. The latest Apple launch has many wondering if the upgrade is worth it.“My personal opinion is no,” says Gordon Kelly of Forbes. “Unless you have a badly damaged iPhone 6, it remains a superb phone and it is worth noting Apple will radically upgrade the iPhone in 2017 to tie in with the line’s 10th anniversary.”By making your smartphone last longer you can save for the next mind blowing, revolutionary smartphone launch worth the upgrade. Until that day comes, here are a few tips and tricks to keep your current phone operating like the day you bought it.
Many people may not know this, but temperature plays a big role in extending the life of your smartphone. Put your phone on life support by keeping it in a tech happy climate, especially if you have a lithium-ion battery.“The weather, or more precisely the temperature, can affect how these ions are transferred between the electrodes,” explains Tech Advisor. “If it gets really cold then they won't move at all and the battery will not work.”Too cold and your smartphone’s power will drain from your battery, causing long-term charge issues. If it’s too hot, or if you leave your phone in direct sunlight, the touch screen can be damaged. You want to keep your smart device in a comfortable warm climate.
Tossing your smartphone in moments of service failure, or dropping it from thumb numbness after playing hours of Pokémon Go is not good practice. If you want to make your phone last longer, give it a little TLC.Do you have a case? How about a screen protector? Does it accompany you to the bathroom? Accidentally dropping your phone in the toilet, or having it close during your shower leads us to smartphone drowning deaths.
Most of us have done it, dropped our phones in water or had a water related smartphone disaster. If this happens to you, stay calm and use the following steps to revive your phone from drowning.
The rice method works well too, according to Popular Mechanics. “This is a DIY moment. While consumers are conditioned to send back broken merchandise, your phone's warranty probably doesn't cover water damage.”
Lacking storage space? This is a common issue for smartphones with a few years of use on them. Another storage issue for users is the old 8GB onboard. With so many apps, videos, and photos, storage can go pretty quick.When your phone reaches the 500MB free mark, your device begins to slow down significantly. The browsing power you once enjoyed becomes really frustrating.However, there are a few tricks to clean up your phone. For iOS users, go to Settings>General>Usage to view the apps that are grinding away at your storage. For Android devices, go to Settings>Storage.
There are a number of ways you can add storage to your smartphone. This could help you manage your photos and videos better, and you’ll find less stress deciding which apps to delete.Android fans should check to see if their phone has a microSD slot. Old Samsung Galaxy S models and Sony Experia phones will have them. If you have a microSD slot, purchase and slide in a 16 to 128GB card to increase smart space.Make sure your smartphone supports 64GB and higher first if you are going for maximum storage. On The Go (OTG) is a storage booster for Android phones without a microSD slot. You can get a special cable and plug in a USB stick for more space.For Apple iPhone users, accessories like Mophie Space Pack and Sandisk iXpand can add that much needed extra storage. These are pricey, but certainly cheaper than a $700 smartphone upgrade.
Being tied to a phone charger is certainly frustrating, and a top reason why many people will opt for a new phone. Correcting bad battery habits can keep your battery charge optimal, even after years of having your phone.
Your display is the most common battery zapper. Most smartphones have an auto-brightness selection to ensure you are maximizing your phone’s battery life. You can also put your phone on life support by manually setting your screen to a very low brightness indoors, and increase it when outside in the sun.
Bluetooth is certainly a wonderful feature of any smartphone. You have hands free power, wireless music enjoyment, and a great activity tracker. However, having it on all the time drains battery life. When you don’t need Bluetooth, be sure to switch it off to ease the strain on your battery.
Like Bluetooth, your GPS is constantly searching for your location. This is due to the apps continually asking to access location services. To keep your battery healthy long-term, change your location levels, or turn GPS off altogether. For Android users, go to Settings>Location and choose the amount of accuracy needed.
Having several apps running in the background is a fantastic smartphone feature, but it will drain your battery fast. For example, the Facebook app has been the target of many battery-draining conversations among tech experts.According to Damon Beres of The Huffington Post, deleting your Facebook app, “Could boost your Android’s battery by as much as 20 percent, according to Android Central. iPhone users could improve their battery by up to 15 percent.”This could be considered as social suicide for many, but limiting how much apps can do when not using them is a great battery life support option. For Android users, tap the multi-task button and swipe the apps away to shut them down. For iOS, double-tap the Home button and swipe up to close apps.
Having your emails constantly pushed and updated is a sure fire way to kill your battery. Push email essentially checks for new mail obsessively, wasting power. To remedy this, set your smartphone email setting to retrieve mail every 15 minutes. If you want the latest email, you can always manually refresh too as needed.
Another wonderful way to make your smartphone last longer is to ensure it is working at optimal levels via a phone diagnostic check. Phone diagnostics will check your phone’s software and hardware and give you the details.Maybe a few sensors are not functioning, or you may have serious issues with your GPS or Bluetooth. Diagnostics can give you the big picture. A smartphone checkup can also give you an in-depth look at your battery too.“Use your phone for more than two years, ideally three; when you run into trouble, try to repair, not replace it; and when you’re done with it, trade it in,” says Farhad Manjoo of The New York Times. “When you’re looking for a new phone, don’t just consider the latest high-end devices; many people will find last year’s best phone just as useful as the newest one. You might even consider buying a used phone instead of a new one.”Before rushing to sign a lengthy, expensive new phone contract--or tossing your old phone due to software or hardware issues--try a few of the above tips and tricks. You just might get another year or two out of your investment.
