How to Extend the Lifespan of Your Smartphone

Having spent enough already on smartphones, the handheld device that has kept you and your business efficient and pronto, you’re probably sick of having to pick out a new one each time it fails you, having to learn its system or having to adapt to new functions. While getting a new phone is a good feeling, prolonging the lifespan of your current device is going to be helpful. Below Torro Cases delves into some tips.

According to Kantar WorldPanel, the average smartphone user in the US upgrades their phone every 22 months – however, this is potentially cutting your smartphone lifespan short as the Consumer Electronics Association conducted research which suggested that the average smartphone life expectancy was 4.7 years as of 2015.

However, not everyone wants to get rid of their smartphone every two years – for those of you hoping to hold onto your smartphone for longer, here’s some tips that could see your smartphone going strong and looking like new for many years to come…

Common smartphone damage

One of the most common smartphone repairs involves smashed and cracked screens. Engadget revealed that between 50 and 55 per cent of all smartphone repairs will be a result of the screen being damaged. Furthermore, Motorola has conducted its own survey and found that 50 per cent of people globally have experienced a cracked smartphone screen at least once in their lives — while a smaller figure, this statistic still sits at 38 per cent when just focused on the UK.

If you look after your smartphone correctly however, you can avoid being a victim of a smashed smartphone screen. Due to the display of your phone being the most fragile element of the device — as well as often the most expensive part — you should look to fit a suitable tempered glass screen protector at the earliest possible opportunity. These accessories will protect the screen from cracking or shattering if it is dropped or mishandled, as well as reduce the number of scratches that ruin the display.

Phone cases are another accessory that can protect your smartphone from significant damage – and they don’t have to reduce the aesthetic appeal. Aim to invest in a high-quality case that can both protect your smartphone from damage and enhance the style of your device. They will work to protect your gadget’s screen from damage when dropped or mishandled and also reduce the risk of chips appearing around your device and elements like the camera lens being broken. There are many iPhone, HTC, Huawei and Samsung cases from Torro Cases that are designed in stylish genuine leather to enhance the appearance of your device.

Look to see if the case has waterproof qualities too as Engadget’s stat reveals that between 15 and 20 per cent of all smartphone repairs are as a result of liquid immersion or the devices coming into contact with water or any other liquid. With water and other liquids possibly causing damage to a device’s circuitry, hardware components and motherboard, it also makes sense to err on the side of caution and refrain from using your phone while in the bath or when outside in heavy rain showers.

Boost your battery life

A lack of battery life can be an ongoing issue for some smartphone users according to the Battery University who revealed that manufacturers have stated that a smartphone’s lithium-ion battery is designed to have a lifespan of between 300 and 500 charging cycles. To put this into context, a charging cycle occurs every instance that you plug in your phone to charge it once the battery has dropped below 70 per cent.

The university also discovered that a battery’s capacity could be reduced from too many charging cycles – the research revealed that the capacity can reduce from around 88 to 94 per cent capacity to 73 to 84 per cent following a mere 250 charging cycles and it becomes clear that phone batteries are quite fragile.

One technique to improve your battery’s lifespan is to try and keep Li-ion batteries at 50 per cent or more for the majority of the time. Refrain from charging them all the way to 100 per cent though, as fully recharging a battery regularly can shorten its lifespan. Instead, aim for a full zero to 100 per cent recharge of the battery around once a month — this process will recalibrate the battery a little like you get when restarting a computer.

It also helps to allow your battery to get to zero percent before charging it so that you get the most out of your battery life. In the meantime, you might find that dimming the brightness of a smartphone’s screen, reducing how long the screen stays lit after receiving an input, switching off both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, not using the vibrate function and refraining from running apps in the background are all easy ways to boost a device’s battery life. It is also important to start charging the battery soon after it drops to zero per cent. This is because there is the possibility that a battery that has been entirely discharged and then left uncharged for a long period of time can eventually become incapable of ever holding a charge at all again.

Keep your smartphone clean

Statistics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine revealed that our smartphones are worryingly dirty. 92 per cent of smartphones that the institute tested were found to be covered in bacteria — 16 per cent also had E. coli present!

Here’s some essential points on how to clean the gadgets in a safe and effective manner if it becomes too dirty:

  1. Stock up on suitable cleaning supplies — either a cloth or microfibre towel, alcohol or regular dry swabs, water, isopropyl alcohol, distilled water or a special liquid designed for cleaning electronic devices.
  2. Turn your smartphone off before beginning to clean it and don’t switch it back on until the device is entirely dry.
  3. Refrain from pressing too hard on the smartphone’s display if using a cloth, as this can scratch the glass when there’s dirt and debris present.
  4. Ensure to remove all loose debris from your smartphone before using any of the liquids mentioned in the list of cleaning supplies above.
  5. Use just a little bit of any suitable cleaning liquid and try to avoid them getting around the edges of the device, into headphone inputs and under physical buttons by taking special care.
  6. Apply the microfibre towel to your smartphone in a circular motion until the device is entirely dry.
Sources:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/iphone-blackberry-or-samsung-which-smartphones-do-we-keep-hold-of-the-longest/
https://www.gazelle.com/thehorn/2015/03/09/life-spans-of-used-phones-consider-smartphone-longevity-when-buying/
https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/04/7-most-common-repairs-with-modern-smartphones/
https://www.prizminstitute.com/blog/protect-your-smartphone-from-damage/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/motorola-shattershield-cracked-smartphone-screen-survey/#/4
http://uk.businessinsider.com/smartphone-batteries-are-only-meant-to-last-a-year-2015-10?r=US&IR=T
http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/how-properly-charge-phone-battery-3619623/
http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/how-improve-smartphone-battery-life-facebook-myths-3284240/
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/27/how-to-clean-your-smartphone.html
https://www.androidpit.com/how-to-clean-your-smartphone

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