We all get a little too attached to our phones than we should probably admit to. Our phone is like a comfy pair of shoes, or a favorite sweater; we know it, we’re familiar with it, and we don’t want it taking away from us. That sometimes means we hold onto a phone long after it’s outlived its usefulness; we don’t like the look of any of the new models, and we’re convinced they won’t work as well as the device we own right now.
This problem isn’t as bad as it used to be. Go back ten years, and every cellphone manufacturer-installed their own operating software on their devices, meaning that switching between brands also meant learning how to access the menus and send messages all over again. As almost everything now is either iOS or Android, it’s a little easier to make adjustments – although Huawei’s proposed new software may add a third option for us to get familiar with.
If you’ve held onto your phone for too long because of a fear of change, or because you’re reluctant to commit to a new contract with a service provider, we understand you. We’ve even done it ourselves. Your phone will eventually reach the point of no return when it comes to functionality, though, and when that happens, it’s time to let it go no matter how fond of it you are.
We’ve identified five circumstances where you should immediately replace your phone, so if any of these sounds familiar, it’s time to think about a shopping trip!
- Your Battery Is Bulging
This is an extreme example, but it still happens. Batteries do not last forever. Lithium batteries, in particular, are sensitive equipment, and don’t take well to being left on charge forever. If you’re the type of person who continually has your phone charging when you’re not using it, you’re doing damage to the device. Eventually, the battery will degrade to the point where it bulges, bends, or changes shape. When this happens, you need to get rid of your phone there and then. It may still work, but it’s a significant fire risk. This is harder to spot with handsets where the battery is ‘sealed in’ rather than being detachable, but it’s usually still possible to feel a lump below your phone’s casing that wasn’t there in the past. A battery that’s started warping cannot be repaired, and will eventually rupture. You don’t want to be near it when that happens.
- It’s Runs Hot Too Easily
This can be a little hard to judge, so let’s give you some context. All mobile phones will run hot if you use them constantly over a prolonged period of time. They should not, however, start running hot the moment you pick them up and check your email. A hot phone is the sign of a hot processor. You’ll notice this a lot if you’re a mobile gamer. Playing advanced video games on a mobile device places demands on the processor, which generates heat. Playing less intense games should not. Take mobile games, for example. Mobile game online like website engineer their games to be accessible on as many devices as possible. That means mobile games are designed to place as low a demand on a processor and device as possible. Their whole business model relies on having as many people playing mobile games with them as possible, so it’s no good to them if their games cause phones to overheat! If your device can’t deal with loading a game on a mobile games website without getting hot, something is seriously wrong. The phone is working harder than it should be, and so you’re likely approaching the end of the life of one of the components. Replace it before it fails.
- You’re Out Of Storage Space
Firstly, stop using your phone to store everything. If you lose it, you’ll lose all the data that you’ve saved on there. Consider cloud-based storage instead; it’s better protection for you, and it places less demand on your phone! If you’re already doing that and you’re getting messages about limited storage space, though, you have a problem. When software updates are released for essential apps or operating software, they tend to be larger than the in size than whatever they’re replacing. If your phone is old and doesn’t have sufficient storage, it’ll eventually fill up even if you don’t have so much as one photograph stored on it. Trying to delete apps and create more space is a losing battle. It’s time to move on to a phone with more space available.
- You Battery Won’t Last A Day
There are recurring jokes about battery life when it comes to phones. It’s said that that the Nokia 3310 could be charged once, left for a week, and not lose a single bar of battery. At the other end of the scale, the standard iPhone and Samsung models of around five years ago were accused of not being able to go a full 24 hours without completely draining themselves. There’s some truth to that – at one point, the technology of the apps and pieces of hardware being loaded onto new smartphones was evolving faster than battery technology, but not anymore. A good new smartphone should be able to last a day or two without hitting the dreaded 2% mark, unless you’re always on it. The sign of a deteriorating battery is that it drops ten percent or more within the first few minutes of use. If you unplug your phone from the charger and you’re down to 90% after doing nothing more than checking your messages and social media accounts, your battery is fading. It won’t get any better, and it’s new phone time!
- You Type At Your Phone’s Pace
Your ability to type out a text message should depend on how quickly your fingers move, not how fast your phone responds to keypad presses. If you cast your mind back to how things were when you first bought your current phone, that’s not how it used to work! One of the most prominent early signs of a phone that’s becoming unresponsive is lagging. Lagging can be anything from a brief freeze when trying to load a web page to a long delay before an app loads, but the most obvious place you’ll see it is your touchscreen. If you’re a speed typist, and find that when you look up from your message the cursor is two seconds behind what you’ve just input, your lagging issue has probably become terminal. Once more, it’s time to start thinking about what you might want to see in a new phone.
The good news is that there’s plenty of choice out there, even if you’re loyal to your current make and model. Our website is full of detailed reviews and information, so take a look around!