Five ways to make your smartphone last longer

Smartphones are heckin’ expensive. Yet despite the lofty price tag, they’re also fragile little gadgets prone to breaking, lagging, and wandering off. So let’s make the honeymoon phase with your mobile last as long as possible – and get the best bang for our buck.

Here are five life-saving tips for your smartphone.

This one’s a big one! Over time, your smartphone’s battery will degrade naturally through repeated use. While replacing the battery can breathe new life into your dying phone, you can help preserve it through some TLC. 

The goal is to reduce stress on the battery, which preserves the hardware a little longer. Some strategies to take include:

• Reducing your screen’s brightness (or setting it to adjust automatically to different light levels). 
  
• Turning off haptics (keyboard sounds/vibrations). 
  
• Restricting energy-draining apps. 
  
• Turning on battery optimisation in your settings. 
  
• Use power saving mode, or turn off your phone whenever you're not using it. 

Should you let your phone battery go down to 0%?

No! This was true of older batteries, but modern smartphone batteries actually handle extremes really poorly. Don't let it go down to zero, but also don't keep it 100% all the time. This stresses out the battery.

Instead, maintain your battery's lifecycle by keeping power levels between 30-90%.

Storing too much data slows your phone down big time. Close background apps whenever you’re not using them and delete any data (apps, photos, caches, cookies, files) you don’t need.

Not only will this keep your screen tidy, but it’ll keep your processing power up to speed. Sometimes it’s not your Wifi or network connection – sometimes you just have too many things open at once!

This is a great one to teach the kids for their first smartphone, too, since hygiene in general is a handy life skill. Speaking of which…

Don’t be a gremlin. Grotty gunk ain’t attractive on anything and anyone – and it’s a hazard for your smartphone’s health.

Debris around your charging port can slow things down and contribute to overheating, while residue build-up can ruin your camera lens’s quality or even your screen’s integrity. 

Wipe your phone down once in a while, pick out the gunk gently with a sewing needle, and keep things shiny and chrome.

Repairs don’t cost nearly as much as you think, which is why extended phone warranties are often a complete waste of money.

Instead, compare repair costs in your area and head on in – a little screen TLC now can save you much grief down the road. 

Some of the most common phone problems can even be fixed by your own sweet self. (Just be aware that self-made mods or repairs don’t get covered by your existing warranty, either).

While it's supremely annoying smartphones aren’t indestructible, a case is still a good way to go.

Especially if you’re tramping around the wilderness on the reg or a colossal klutz (same), it’s great to have an extra layer of protection around your phone.

If you can, opt for a case with good value – even the hardiest LifeProof cases only set you back around $100, which might be money better spent than on screen repairs later.

At the very least, give your screen some much needed protection. Your phone (and wallet) will thank you as you waltz into the sunset together, happily ever after. 

Keen on a new phone? Browse some mobile plans with the latest iPhone and Galaxy included below.