Gone are the days of iPhones being the only phones that are a good long-term investment. Android manufacturers have improved their update policiesAdditionally, Google and Samsung’s big bets over such long periods exceed what has been seen at Apple.
Especially at the high end, our next smartphone acquisitions promise to last longer than ever. And whether it’s five, six, or seven years with the updated software, obvious wear and tear will be noticeable as time deteriorates the battery or system performance. Certainly, you will have to be zealous in the maintenance: these aspects will be decisive.
Updates increase the longevity of your mobile
We’ve been maximizing the lifespan of our devices for many years, and until recently, Android didn’t have a proper update policy. This is not a minor aspect: updates bring bug fixes, security patches that cover vulnerabilities, new features and above all they make the software feel fresh.
Yes, it is possible – in fact it is common – to use an Android mobile for many years even if its operating system is not up to date. Google, the main responsible for Android, has improved this section by including in its Google Play system updates, small doses of new features that apply to everyone, regardless of the manufacturer.
A mobile phone updated for years improves its lifespan: protected by security patches and rejuvenated with new functions integrated by the manufacturers
But this is not enough: The security patches that protect us against threats don’t get there like malware. Plus, the more outdated it is, the more likely we are to miss support for WhatsApp and other essential apps that we all install.
With broader policies on mobile phone updates, we will make the most of them: new versions also improve the feel of the device, offering that feeling of “novelty”. Other times, they add features from newer devices. Come on, there is no shortage of reasons to welcome this change in trend.
Of course, more than ever we must take care of them so that they remain in good condition for as long as possible. You need to look at several aspects in this regard “Mobile CT”: as you cannot remove components like a computer, caution is required.
Change the battery. How often?
The battery may be higher wear internal component. Its enemy is heat, which is why it must be prevented from overheating with some diligence. Video games with high graphics load will force the processor to reduce its power, with greater heat generation. It will be more obvious if, in addition to playing, we load it at the same time, which is not strongly recommended.
Wear and tear will happen no matter what, we will begin to notice that their autonomy decreases. And this will be more visible when it has been updated for four years both on the operating system side and on the application side: more modern software will mean using more resources. All this means a loss of autonomy which, with wear and tear, can put an end to the desire to continue using the device.
Fortunately, change cell phone battery It is not impossible: for greater convenience, it is advisable to do this in an authorized technical service. Knowing that the time has come to replace the battery is not difficult, the symptoms become very obvious. Sudden percentage jumps or a bloated battery scream for change.
However, as not all batteries present the same symptoms, it is important to know how often to change them. Android will tell us explicitly soon, until then we can stick to what the manufacturers say: at least they guarantee two years of good performance from the internal battery, on other occasions something more. They also usually communicate it with charge cycles.
But in the end, it is best that we choose the moment ourselves. Our use determines the autonomy we need, as soon as it begins to be insufficient, Now is a good time to replace the battery for a new one.
In the past it was very simple thanks to removable batteries, they could soon return: the European Union in its new law will oblige manufacturers from 2027. We still do not know what implications this will have, but it would fit perfectly into the improving the frequency and extension of updates.
Protect it, it has to last
Protecting your mobile phone doesn’t just involve put a lid on it. These can protect it from drops and scratches on its external side, but the screen can be the weak point of smartphones due to its large diagonals. Using tempered glass is almost a must, because what starts as a small scratch eventually turns into a crack.
And it’s not just the screen that matters, but also the touch panel. A bad move means saying goodbye to this very important part: the main method of introduction will disappear in a moment. Plus, these types of repairs aren’t exactly cheap. It is therefore advisable to opt for tempered glass rather than traditional protective films.
In addition to these protections, there are other external parts that also require certain care to extend the useful life of the device. For example, the loading portwhich in turn allows us to transfer files to other devices. This is a hole prone to filling with dirt and dust, there is a trick to cleaning it easily, but be very careful with cotton swabs releasing cotton. And it’s better to forget about using liquids if you don’t want to cause a short circuit.
It doesn’t hurt to clean your cell phone from time to time: speaker and microphone grille, cameras and the case itself They also enter into maintenance. Finally, we cannot forget to take care of our interior. We previously mentioned heat as the worst enemy of your electronic components.
The most common (and ugliest) covers, those that “yellow” over time, may be the least problematic for heat dissipation.
The battery wears out more with high temperaturesneither with the processor (which usually uses the throttling technique to avoid overheating), nor with the rest of the elements such as the motherboard, sensors or camera lenses. Blocking sunlight from reaching the device is a good measure to prevent heating.
Be careful with cases of a certain thickness, which will act as an additional layer, preventing the dissipation of temperatures not suitable for the mobile phone. Removing it when it heats up and placing it on a cold surface is a good choice. These are small actions that, transformed into habits, will extend the life of our mobile device.
Good habits avoid a slow mobile phone
Software performance will also suffer from updates: manufacturers integrate new features and tools that were not originally designed for our device. If we add to this dozens of applications that we forget to uninstall, The result is a slow mobile phone..
The interview also involves take care of the software: uninstall unnecessary applications, eliminate bloatware, avoid malware and viruses… without becoming obsessed. And as a last resort, which may become more necessary when we update the system for the fifth year in a row, a format (with permission of the expression) or rather a factory reset.
Reconfiguring everything from scratch is tedious, but it’s one of the best solutions to poor performance. Since the hardware of our mobile phone will not be renewed, it is appropriate to optimize the tasks we assign to it as much as possible: there are applications that create processes in the background and make the processor work. Better to avoid them.
And we cannot forget another aspect that affects performance and, above all, user experience: the storage. The difficulty of expanding it is greater today than in the past, SD cards are no longer used in phones and carrying a USB stick connected to your cell phone is not very practical either. Deleting WhatsApp images and videos that we don’t want at all is a good practice, just as clearing the system cache and apps will (temporarily) provide more space.
In short, by applying the greatest care to both software and hardware, We will keep our next mobile in the best conditions to receive all future updates. Whether it’s five, six, seven or whatever you want, cell phones aren’t that cheap to change every couple of years.
Cover image | Composition with images by Ricardo Aguilar and Iván Linares for Xataka
In Xataka Android | Detailed Guide to Uninstall ALL Unnecessary Apps on Your Mobile (And Why It’s Important)
In Xataka Android | Can you clean a clear phone case that has turned yellow? We test several methods
Table of Contents
