The modern lifestyle has increasingly come to integrate the smartphone; even when we sleep, our units are rarely out of arm’s reach. But modern phones are also expensive devices – the more time you spend using them, the more they are subject to simple wear and tear, and exposed to accidental damage. A consistent effort to take better care of your phone can go a long way to make it serve you longer.
Here are four essential maintenance tips.
Physical protection
All it takes is one accident to leave lasting damage that can reduce your phone’s resale value or impair its function in some way. And if you love heading outdoors to hike in the Utah mountains, a misstep can have you looking up phone repair in Salt Lake City and cutting your trip short.
Being mindful and taking better care of your phone is always helpful, but you can’t be a hundred percent invulnerable to mishandling. Invest a little more in some form of physical protection. For most modern phones, a tempered glass protector is the first place to start. Beyond that, a sturdy, shock-resistant case can protect your unit from the majority of minor accidents which could occur through everyday use. Waterproof cases are another option if you’re frequently at the pool.
Cleaning
Smartphone photography enthusiasts know that a little dust on the camera lens won’t affect the quality of pictures you take. However, over time, dust can infiltrate your phone through little spaces and holes – and just as with other electronics, this can lead to some performance issues.
Dust accumulation in your electronic devices can make them overheat more easily or reduce conductivity. Along with this, increased buildup of pathogens can actually turn your phone into an unhygienic surface. This is one hazard that screens and cases won’t filter out. Periodically wipe your phone clean with a microfiber cloth, and refer to the manual for specific instructions on what methods and fluids are safe to use for the interior or disinfection.
Battery care
Most consumers take battery life into account when purchasing a new device. Over time, batteries lose their capability to store charge. When you can’t go an hour without plugging your phone into the nearest charging port – and effectively dropping the ‘mobile’ part of the name, this can arguably be the last straw, sending you shopping for a new unit.
Since batteries lose their capacity based on the number of charge cycles, it’s a good practice to keep your phone’s charge level frequently above 50%, and only undertake a full recharge – draining the battery from zero and back to full – around once a month.
Files and updates
If you’ve ever had to put up with computers from the previous millennium, you know that ‘cleanup’ doesn’t just involve physical cleaning; unused clutter on a hard drive would frequently cause old school machines to slow down to a crawl.
Removing bloat – unnecessary files, apps, and cached data – from your phone can be just as helpful today, speeding up performance. It may even extend battery life, as you’ll get rid of background processes that use CPU and drain your juice.
As the modern smartphone becomes even more sophisticated, expensive, and increasingly intertwined with our daily activities, taking better care of your device will boost its lifespan, saving you the hassle and expense of frequent upgrades due to accidents or poor performance.
