How to Know If Your Mobile Phone Is Getting Old

Seven Signs That Your Phone Is Getting Old

1. The Battery Barely Stays Charged for One Day
2. Do You Have Sensitive Data in Your Phone? Use a Fingerprint Scanner
3. Do You Want to Take Photos with Your Mobile Phone, Even on a Holiday Trip?
4. Your Old Android Won't Launch Some Applications
5. The Cracked Screen Needs an Expensive Replacement
6. Are You Tempted to Switch to Another Platform?
7. The Phone Isn't Very Dust or Water Resistant
8. BONUS: Do You Want to Make Payments with Your Phone?
9. Final Conclusion

The Battery Barely Stays Charged for One Day

The battery is a crucial part of every smartphone. Even though the overall battery capacity has not increased very much in the past two years, modern phones still tend to have a better battery life. Of course this is due to the fact that it's a completely new battery, but technological advancements also play a big part. Despite the increase in CPU performance, the power consumption of modern CPUs is actually lower - a standard 8-core processor uses less energy than a dual-core model that's two years old. Modern operating systems also influence battery life by managing available energy more efficiently. For the Android platform, phones running the Android 7 Nougat operating system are regarded as energy-saving devices.

The fact that you can't replace the battery yourself makes matters a bit more difficult. In most cases, the battery is an integral part of the phone that needs to be replaced by a specialised professional. That can be quite expensive, and it also increases the risk of other components malfunctioning after the phone has been taken apart and re-assemled.

So what do we recommend? If the battery requires a connection to the charger twice a day, it's time to look for a new smartphone. One that supports wireless charging is an option. Most new phones also have some form of fast charging. The best-known fast charging technology comes from Qualcomm and is called Quick Charge. The 4+ version allows you to charge the phone from zero to 50% in just 15 minutes, which is quite incredible.

Do You Have Sensitive Data in Your Phone? Use a Fingerprint Scanner

Because you use your phone for a variety of daily activities, it's importatnt to keep your stored data secure. In this respect, iPhone users have a big advantage because the phone boasts premium encryption of such high quality that even the FBI struggles to break it down. Apple is extremely protective in terms of user privacy. In addition to the above mentioned encryption, Apple devices offer a great Touch ID fingerprint sensor. iPhone X goes one step further and offers a whole new level of user authentication called Face ID. It works by projecting 30,000 invisible points onto the face and scans it with an infrared camera. It works even in complete darkness and is miles ahead of all competing authentication solutions.

On the Android platform, data security is slightly less advanced. Phones often do not have encrypted memory, and an outdated version of the operating system presents potential intruders with a number of ways to gain access to your data. We strongly caution against installing applications from unreliable sources that need to be manually downloaded. Only install apps from the Google Play Store, which is monitored by Google. Older phones usually don't have a fingerprint reader, and they rely only on entering a PIN or a swipe gesture to unlock.

If you store sensitive data on your phone, be sure to choose a new model with a fingerprint reader. Today, even more affordable modern phones have the fingerprint readers available. It's typically located on the front, bottom of the display. Or it can be found on the back where it is easy to reach, especially on larger phones. Readers placed under the display are easily accessible when the phone is lying down.

Do You Want to Take Photos with Your Mobile Phone, Even on a Holiday Trip?

An important factor when cosidering a new phone is its camera quality. Today's mid-priced models offer better cameras than top models from three years ago. Even the best camera phones challenge older SLRs.

At first glance, mobile phone cameras all look almost the same, but don't be fooled - a lot has changed on the inside. A wide range of camera phones will please you with thier low aperture under f/2.0 and optical stabilisation. Dual-camera phones are also becoming more common, which allow you to play with depth of field in photos.

Full HD resolution is a standard for recording videos, but 4K is becoming more and more popular. This is, however, limits phones that have a small storage capacity - one minute of 4K video can take up to about 350MB of space.

Your Old Android Won't Launch Some Applications

With iPhones, the situation is pretty straightforward and you always have the option of updating your system to the latest version (currently it's the iOS 11). There are some exceptions, such as the iPhone 5, which was introduced way back in 2012 and can't support the latest update. But if you own one, we recommend getting the iPhone SE for an upgrade.

The Android platform is quite different. Many manufacturers don't care about releasing regular operating system updates and prefer to release a new phone model every year with the latest system. This approach isn't appreciated by Google, which has decided to help manufacturers with the regular distribution of security patches for older systems.

In 2017, several manufacturers decided to start offering cleaner systems without many useless graphical interfaces. Some of these types of phones include Nokia, Lenovo and OnePlus. Currently, the latest Android version is the 8 Oreo. However, only the Google Pixel 2 phone guarantees that you'll get the latest system updates for at least two years.

The Cracked Screen Needs an Expensive Replacement

Does your old phone have a cracked display? The cost of replacing or repairing the screen can often exceed the current value of the phone, which leaves you with no choice but to buy a new device - ideally one with a tempered glass display.

Are You Tempted to Switch to Another Platform?

Today, there are two operating system to choose from: Android or iOS. The Windows platform has practically disappeared from smartphones, and no other operating system seems to be in sight. If you have an older Nokia Windows phone, you'll eventually have no option but to cross over to a new platform.

Android phones give you the freedom to adjust the user interface. Interactive widgets on multiple screens are especially popular.  Android, however, suffers with fragmentation of the system, which is only made worse by the wide range of graphical interface extensions provided by manufacturers. If you are Samsung owner, it might take you a while to get used to different phone brands, even if both phones use the same Android version.

If you have a limited budget for your new phone, steer clear of phones that have Android 5.1 or 1GB of RAM. Both parameters are obsolete and are not suitable for current use. If you have a higher budget, we highly recommend that you go for a modern and fully equipped smartphone, ideally with an Android 8 Oreo operating system. Manufacturers are constantly competing, which is why new and improved models constantly get released. You'll always have a wide variety of mobile phones to choose from.

Apple, on the other hand, releases new iPhones typically once a year at the beginning of September. The current generation has recently arrived - iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. By designing both the hardware and iOS software, Apple ensures that all its phones are perfectly tuned, functional, and easy to use. The whole platform is closed but relatively secure. New iPhones are among the most expensive smartphones on the market, so unless you have a higher budget, you might have to settle for an older model.

The Phone Isn't Very Dust or Water Resistant

Water and dust resistance a desirable feature in modern phones. Waterproof protection is especially useful in many cases, like when your phone falls onto the snow or gets soaked during a thunderstorm. Conventional phones don't react well to extreme temperature changes. Understandably, water and dust resistancy requires a more demanding production process that's reflected in a higher purchasing price, but not by much. IP67 certification means that the phone is fully water and dust proof, and it can survive being underwater for 30 minutes at a depth of 1m, which is more than sufficient for everyday use. Some phones are even manufactured with the higher IP68 standard. Outdoor phones are becoming quite popular.

BONUS: Do You Want to Make Payments with Your Phone?

The year 2017 made its mark in terms of making payments with via mobile phones. In November, Google launched Android Pay that allows you to replace a payment card with a smartphone equipped with an NFC chip. You'll be pleased to know that most phones even in the mid-to-low price range have this chip. Next time you go to make a purchase at a terminal, simply place your phone down instead of a card, and you're done. As the name of the service suggests, Android Pay is only available for Android devices - iPhone users can use the Apple Pay platform.

Final Conclusion

Smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives. You'll spend a lot of time using one, which is why we recommend that you should consider replacing your old phone with a new one. The replacement period should typically be about every two years or less. You can give the old phone to your relatives or sell it. For example, even used iPhones can be sold for decent prices.