mrdigitech
New Member
So much money is being spent on Smartphones, tabs and similar gadgets these days, but what is the lifespan of an average Smartphone? I recently had an issue with my Smartphone and had to take it to a recommended repair shop, what I found at the repair centre got me perplexed.
The scene can be likened to what you’d find in the waiting lounge of top government hospitals like UCH or LUTH, where you’d find people in their numbers waiting to be attended to. This got me wondering why our smartphones and other gadgets were breaking down at such an alarming rate. I took out time to research about this issue and arrived at 5 effective ways to extend the lifespan of smartphones and other fragile electronic gadgets.
1. Clean the charging ports and pins
By far, issues relating to charging ports are the most common problems you’d find in this part of the world. The epileptic power supply and constant voltage fluctuations we experience in this country aren’t helping matters by any means. Lots of chargers get damaged as a result of these voltage fluctuations, and these damages often extend to your gadget’s charging circuit.
However, not every gadget power problem is charger or voltage related. Due to extensive use - dust, dirt, and oxidization build up in charging ports and pins, which could be leading to longer charging times or intermitted charging problems. Start with the basics – get a needle or toothpick and then gently use any of them to pick out dirt and dust from your gadget’s charging port. Scrub a little using your toothpick and then blow in pressurized air using your mouth to push out the displaced dirt and dust. To clean the pin, gently use spirit and cotton bud to clean off dust particles and dirt. This cleaning process should help improve the charging efficiency of your device, otherwise take it to the recommended gadget repair shop for repairs.
2. Delete unnecessary Apps and files
This is yet another challenging problem for most modern Smartphone owners. Cramming up your smart devices with unnecessary apps and files may appear to make your gadget look attractive, appealing and loaded to friends, but such habits may be detrimental to the smooth operation of your smartphones and other gadgets in the long term. Once your internal memory falls below 500mb, you may begin to experience situations where your Smartphone’s speed and performance is slowed down, apps refusing to update, new pictures not being saved, apps start crashing and a host of other annoying problems.
Start the cleanup process by going to your Smartphone’s storage location. Check for music, photos, and video tabs, these are usually the worst offenders and then go to the appropriate section within your gallery or file manager to delete the unwanted or unnecessary media files. With regards to the apps, go through your application manager to get a glimpse of the list of files you’ve installed over a given period and then carry out a similar action. These should free up the much-needed memory space as well as save you expenses on unnecessary repairs.
3. Replace defective batteries
Battery performance is a critical aspect most Smartphone owners are concerned about. Some avoidable problems, especially those associated with batteries make most gadget owners visit repair shops frequently. When your Smartphone or gadget starts freezing, you should consider replacing your battery with genuine batteries first, before taking your electronic devices to repair shops. Gadget batteries aren’t designed to work or serve indefinitely. In fact, they have predetermined recharge cycles, once these recharge cycles are exhausted or you are within its exhaustion threshold, battery performance significantly decreases. Many Problems begin to set in, smartphones switches off or freezes without warning. These issues often send many gadget owners scampering to repair shops for succor. Try to regularly replace your battery once you detect problems relating to performance.
4. Get genuine gadget protective cases
I can’t remember the number times these protective gadget cases have prevented me from visiting gadget repair shops because my Smartphone has crashed on tiled surfaces more times than I can remember. There are times my Smartphone literally falls flat on its screen and I fear the worst, only to pick up my Smartphone with a hurried, expectant gaze at the screen, and I ask myself, how could it stay unbroken? Replacing Smartphone and gadget LCD screens is one of the most expensive repairs to undertake. The cost of these repairs can go way above half the total cost replacing the entire Smartphone or gadget. A good chunk of people visiting gadget repair shops and centers have issues relating to cracked screens. You save yourself the stress and expenses by acquiring the right kind protective cases for your smart devices.
5. Update firmware and Software frequently
Updating your gadget’s firmware and software can go a long way in improving the service life of your mobile gadget. Your gadget’s firmware is the background program that runs the machine. There are bugs associated with older programs; these bugs could hamper important functionalities such as camera, gaming and speed. The essence of these updates is to improve user experience as well as correct these anomalies. When carrying out these updates, always ensure that your gadgets are compatible with the prescribed firmware version, or you might end up with a bricked device. If you are going to extend the useful life of your device, you’d definitely need these updates.
In conclusion, carrying out frequent maintenance of your smart devices and gadgets will, to a large extent, help in prolonging the lifespan of your electronic gadgets, as well as keep you away from gadget repair shops and centres. Doing simple things like cleaning your gadgets charging ports, replacing defectives batteries, using protective gadget cases and updating your gadget’s firmware/software can help you squeeze out the best value from it, as well as save good money on repairs.
Photo Credit: ngrvanguard.com, youtube.com, alixepress.com , apple.com