Today, smartphones are an integral and even indispensable part of our life. However, they are becoming less repairable and contribute to the broader global problem of electronic waste. To reduce their environmental impact, conscious consumers should hold on to their smartphones for as long as possible. Here are a few surprisingly easy tips to extend your smartphone’s life.
Use a case and screen protector
With wireless charging being more prevalent, a sheer number of modern smartphones now have a glass back. Although they are becoming increasingly more durable, “Glass is Glass. And glass breaks.” (JerryRigEverythinng). Your best protection for your fragile all-glass (or plastic) phone is a case and screen protector. It’s a very small investment to prevent fatal drops. Personally, I cannot keep track of the number of times that my phone has been saved from accidental drops thanks to my protective case.
Take advantage of cloud storage
If your phone has been slowing down recently, it’s likely because its internal storage is full; so, consider transferring your files to an external SD card. In case your phone does not support expandable storage, you can use cloud storage solutions such as iCloud, OneDrive or Google Drive. By offloading a portion of your files to the cloud, you’ll instantly see your device speed up. This way, you can delay your phone’s perceived obsolescence.
Take good care of your battery
Rare are smartphones with removable batteries these days. When the battery degrades, you virtually have no option other than purchasing a brand-new phone. It’s ever more important to take good care of your phone’s battery life. Some of the good practices are to avoid extreme temperatures (below freezing temperature in winter or next to a blazing hot bonfire) and fast-charging option. Fast-charging is very convenient but can degrade your battery faster. It’s better to slowly charge your phone overnight.
Written by Kelly Jean, Class of 2021 (T5 2022)
Photo by Daniel Romero on Unsplash