When most of us buy our devices, be they smartphones, laptops, tablets, or other technology, we see them as investments. Though we can’t expect them to serve us forever, we do hope that they will last us a few years, at least until technology has advanced to the point where our current devices are irrelevant or we simply want to change it up.
However, many a times it seems like these things aren’t meant to last. The batteries start draining way too quickly, the display gets damaged, or it gets slow due to bugs and what seems to be old age. Is there any way in which we can prolong the lifespan of the devices we have come to depend on?
Buy Protective Gear
Though there has been a trend towards creating more durable devices that can withstand water damage and less brittle screens, physical trauma is a major reason that many devices start their descent into the abyss. When you invest in good quality protective gear, you gain an additional level of ruggedness. You’ll have fewer cracked or shattered screens, broken digitizers, and fried pixels due to being squished between items in your backpack. Whether it’s a laptop sleeve or a phone cover, these can save you hundreds of dollars in repairs and add some extra months or years to your devices.
Protect the Software
Your electronic devices can also get ambushed from the inside out. When you expose it to infected emails or other virus sources, the software can start to break down and slow down you devices. Alternatively, it can suck out important personal information, from your contact list to your bank account number. If you are looking for a solution that doesn’t require a lot of memory, a cloud based anti-spam service that provides effective spam and malware filtering could be a solution for you.
Don’t Overwork it
When you run a lot of programs or apps at the same time, you overwork your laptop, tablet, or phone. This becomes even more of an issue when it’s not well ventilated and the temperature is high. Keep your electronics from going into shock by not asking for too many things at once and deleting programs and apps that you don’t use.
Maintain It
Regular cleanings, updates, and more are key to having long-lasting electronic devices. They keep the physical and software up to date and running smoothly. It sometimes takes some downtime and money, however professional maintenance will keep your technology up to speed and ready to go. Sometimes a warranty will cover such regular fixes so that it doesn’t come out of your own pocket all the time.
Don’t be Extreme
Technology doesn’t react well to extreme weather conditions or temperatures. That means no leaving your phone out in the cold while you’re skiing or keeping your laptop in a car parked in the summer sun. Such extremes can fry the electronic circuits in your devices, sometimes rendering them temporarily, or even permanently, unable to perform any tasks. Do what you can to keep your devices dry and away from any extremely low or high temperature situations. Even holding them in your hand for a long period of time can affect the internal temperature.
Though there is no guarantee that these steps will dramatically increase the lifespan of your electronic devices, these have been found to be useful in doing so. Remember to show your technology some love and TLC, and you’ll usually reap the benefits. In any case, it’s usually worth a try!