Smartphone Lifespan: Cleaning, Updating and Security

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics on increasing the lifespan of a smartphone. While most smartphones tend to average between 1.5 and 2.5 years of lifespan, several variables will impact this area, from smartphone battery considerations to care and common usage. At FixIT Mobile, increased phone lifespan is one of the single most common benefits of our various phone repair services, which cover a full range of iPhone and Android models. Whether through screen repairs, charging improvements or a variety of other areas we cover, we’ll bring your phone back to good-as-new quality and help it continue working optimally for you. Here are several additional tips we often offer clients on how to maintain phone lifespan.

Cleaning and Dust

While individual bits of dust aren’t a major concern for smartphones, long-term buildup here can be. Over time, large dust deposits may cause damage to electronics, particularly in ports or other smaller areas.

For this reason, regular cleaning of the phone is important. Specifically, be sure to clean peripheral devices like chargers, charger ports, cords, stands and others regularly – this will help prevent debris from attaching to these areas and then transferring into the nooks and crannies of your phone.

Updating Systems

Most smartphone users are familiar with system updates, which will be prompted to you every so often. These may seem annoying and useless, but they’re actually very important – they involve closing security vulnerabilities, making programs more efficient and generally improving the quality of the phone.

For this reason, you should perform these updates when they’re recommended. In addition, if you’re installing a new app, be sure the app being installed is compatible with your phone’s operating system to avoid software problems.

File Storage

Speaking of software, there are cases where it can have a negative impact on phone lifespan – particularly if you’re trying to store too much at once. Too many large apps or files stores on the device will not only slow down features, but also may risk lesser lifespan over time. Every so often, go through and remove unused optional apps from your phone.

App Download Security

Finally, for any app you’re downloading, be sure you trust the source and are comfortable with it. While Google Store and Apple do a solid job of checking for harmful programs and related issues, they will occasionally miss some areas. Only download apps from reputable sources, as other apps may have code that will damage your phone or impact its lifespan in some negative way.

For more on how to improve smartphone lifespan, or to learn about any of our phone repair, tablet repair or other device repair services, speak to the staff at FixIT Mobile today.