A lot has been said about the indestructible Nokia 3310 and the way it compares to today’s phones that seem to have a manufacturer’s-established expiration date (to save you time: favorably). So with our feet firmly in the present, are you at the mercy of someone else’s decision on how long that electronics equipment is going to last you? Not completely, there are certain things that you can still do to help extend their life.
1. Keep them clean
Like everything else, your phone should be clean - dust in the charging portal degrades charging performance affecting the battery as well. Screens are just nicer to look at when they are clean. Electronics are sensitive pieces of equipment, the more you can do to keep them in the condition they came out of the box, the longer they will last you.
Keeping clean advice applies to the content on your phone as well. Remove the pictures and files you no longer use regularly, or store them elsewhere - on a hard drive or in the cloud. Clear the cache will also allow your device to work less, thus extending its lifetime.
2. Keep them dry
Electronics and liquid don’t mix well - anyone (everyone?) who ever spilled a drink on their computer can attest to that. The obvious advice is to keep your coffee refill away from your computer if you can. But also, don’t take your electronics with you in the shower - steam is just water waiting to be condensed.
3. Keep them protected
A case (and a screen protector) will return their value many-fold in the lifetime of your device. It is also a nice way to customize and personalize your devices, without covering them up with stickers, thus reducing their resale value.
4. Keep them charged
Charging used to be a science, now it is much more of a routine - just charge your device whenever is convenient, don’t let it go on empty or completely full too often. Also, as mentioned above, keep your charging ports clean and don’t use wireless charging, unless you really have to. Also, removing the case while charging will reduce the amount of heat that is retained, further slowing down the degeneration of your battery.
5. Keep them updated
As a general rule of thumb, when the manufacturer pushes out a new software update, they really do try to make things better, more efficient etc for you. So remember to plug in, take a break and let the device update. There are occasional counter-examples to that advice, but most of the time you will be better off with the update than without it.
6. Keep them in good condition
Walking around with a broken screen is not great for your look and not great for the condition of your device. So find a trustworthy local repair shop and take care of your devices. Sometimes, you don’t have to get a new one if the performance of your existing one if not up to your standards, checking with a local repair shop if there is a way to fix things might save you money, and reduce your impact on the environment.
7. Get a surge protector
This one is in the advanced category, but may also be necessary, depending on the condition of your local grid. Electronics are high-complexity devices that like things a certain way. So if you see your lights flicker often, the charge your phone is getting might be varying in voltage, which worsens the overall condition, and sometimes could irreparably damage it.
Another way to keep your items, electronic or not, serving you longer is to add them to the Savvee app, which will not only allow you to keep track of warranties and thus take advantage of them, but also share tips like this on good care and maintenance of the devices.
Are there other ways in which you take care of your appliances and devices? Let us know!
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