Top 7 Accessories That Can Extend the LifeSpan of a Mobile Phone

Phone battery life is becoming a bigger challenge as consumers and marketers move more activities over to mobile devices. Yes, the latest smartphones can do so much more than the mobile phones released 10 or 20 years ago. The possibilities of what your phone can do grows everyday, however, the problem is your device has a finite amount of battery.

With the problem of battery life comes the question of "Can a smartphone last 10 years?" While hardware could operate for five or to ten years, the answer to the question actually depends on how you handle your device.

Most smartphone companies, if asked, will tell you that your phone will last a minimum of two to three years. And that is true for all devices on the market, whether your phone is an iPhone, an Android, and even refurbished Samsung phones.

What are the factors that affect your phone's lifespan?

Even with how careful you are with your smartphone and how economical you are on your device, there are several factors that can affect its lifespan. Here are some of them:

• Temperature. Battery life impacts how long your smartphone lasts. Temperature, on the other hand, affects how long your battery lasts. As such, if you keep your phone at moderate temperatures as much as possible, your device's battery will last longer.

• Operating issues. How well does your phone continue to work over time? If the various functions of your smartphone continue to hold up well, you can easily get more than two to three years out of your device. However, if your phone turns on or off when you don't want it to or the system frequently crashes, then these are signs that you might either need to send your device for repair or replace it.

(Photo credit: The New York Times)

• Screen damage. A broken screen means most of the functionality of your phone will be gone. Replacing your smartphone's screen is cost-effective and sometimes it isn't. Why? It's because it is possible that some of the components inside your phone also suffered damage and not just the screen.

• Display. Your phone's display can affect the battery life of your device as it uses the most battery by far. Did you know that displays eat more battery than any other individual component of a device? This is because it is the main way you interact with a phone. Smartphones with larger screens have more surface area that requires more power to light up. The brightness of your phone also draws up power from the battery. The brighter your smartphone is, the more power it requires.

• Connections. This refers to phone signal, data, Bluetooth, WiFi and location services. Connections have a massive impact on your phone's battery life. You see, if you enable the aforementioned connections and don't use them, they draw unnecessary power over the course of the day. Are you aware that a weak signal can greatly increase battery drain? When the reception is bad, your phone checks more frequently. This contact checking drain the battery of your device.

How can you extend the lifespan of your mobile phone?

Battery life has been a challenge in smartphones, both brand new and refurbished. Yes, even your refurbished Samsung phones are facing the issue of having limited battery lifespan.

As previously mentioned, battery life impacts how long your smartphone lasts. As such, you will need to do something to improve your phone's battery life so that the lifespan of your device will be extended. Here's how:

• Charging practices. You should remember that draining the battery of your phone all the way and then charging it back to 100 percent is a bad idea. If you wait until your phone battery life drops to 25 percent will significantly reduce your device's ability to receive and hold a charge. What you should do is to put your smartphone on the charger when it reaches a battery life of 75 percent. Your mobile phone will last a lot longer if you charge it for a few minutes off and on throughout the day.

• Power down your phone regularly. You can help your smartphone run more efficiently by allowing your phone to power down for a few minutes at least once a week. This will also extend your device's life.

• Remove unnecessary apps and photos in your phone. You probably experienced serious lag times which makes you frustrated to use your mobile phone. This "lagging" happens because the storage and RAM capabilities of your device are being maxed out. This will make your smartphone less responsive. What you can do is to make sure you regularly remove apps, photos, documents, text messages or videos that you do not need.

• Avoid viruses and malware. Virus or malware might not be a common problem for your smartphone compared to your computer. However, your device can still be infected with a virus that comes from malicious apps. To avoid this problem, do not download anything that you think is suspicious. If your smartphone starts acting oddly after you install a new app, you should check the app's data usage to determine if it may be sending out information to a third-party. The only way to get rid of the virus is to reset your iPhone or take your Android phone into safe mode. After that, you can delete the app.

What accessories you can use to extend the lifespan of your phone?

Apart from the above-mentioned methods to improve the life of your smartphone, you can also use accessories to make your device last longer.

Here are the top 7 mobile phone gadgets accessories you can use to help extend the lifespan of your smartphone.

• Phone charger. This possibly the most important accessory your smartphone will need to improve its battery life, thus, extending its lifespan. However, you can't just use any kind of charger for your phone. You see, chargers designed for different phones may supply a different amount of power to the devices, even if they look similar. Take note, you should not use the cheap quick chargers because they supply the wrong amount of power to your phone, which will harm the battery of your device.

(Photo credit: Digital Information World)

• Tempered glass. To prevent a possible broken screen from happening, you should buy a tempered glass screen protector. This accessory can reduce your risk of ending up with a phone with a cracked screen.

• Sturdy phone case. Yes, your screen is now protected with the tempered glass. This time, you should safeguard the other components of your smartphone. By purchasing a sturdy case, it will prevent other types of damages from rendering your phone unusable. Phone cases will also add an extra layer of protection to your phone's screen.

• Power bank. This accessory is handy and can extend your phone's battery life. Some external battery packs or better known as power banks have enough power to charge at least two smartphones with ease. These accessories are durable and fit your pocket.

• MicroSD card. As mentioned before, one of the ways you can improve the battery life of your smartphone is to remove apps, photos and other files that you won't need anymore to reduce lag times. However, what if you actually need all those files and apps on your phone? You can move them to a microSD card to free up space on your phone.

• Phone holder. If your car doesn't have a built-in navigation system, your smartphone can be an alternative tool you can use when you're on the road. However, you should be careful where you place your device. You can purchase a phone holder where you can put your smartphone while driving so you can avoid accidentally damaging your device.

• Cleaning supplies. Did you know that 92 percent of phones that were tested by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine were found to be covered in bacteria? You should stock up on suitable cleaning supplies for your smartphone. Keeping your smartphone clean will help your device look new for many years to come.

What are the smartphones with the longest lifespan?

If you're looking for smartphones you can use for how many years, the following are the longest lifespan smartphones you can get on the market.

• Samsung Galaxy S9. This smartphone has a fast-charging 3000 mAh non-removable battery with Adaptive Fast Charging Support. This means that Galaxy S9 will last for up to 31 hours of talk time and 326 hours of standby time if Always ON Display (AOD) is turned off. It can also last for up to 82 hours if AOD is turned on.

• Huawei P30 Pro. This device has a powerful battery which can easily last for a full day without recharging, even if you are using it to watch movies or spend your day on social media. The Huawei P30 Pro has a quad-lens camera setup which makes it a recommended device for photography lovers.

• Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. A smartphone that has a long battery life as well as fast wireless capabilities. This allows you to easily swap battery life between devices if needed. If you want to save money while buying a new phone, a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and other refurbished Samsung phones are available at this website.

• Moto G7 Power. This device has a 5,000 mAh battery capacity. The battery is of good quality and allows more hours of use on a single charge. The Moto G7 Power has the ideal screen you can use to play games and watch videos or movies.

• iPhone X. While it is not known for its exceptional battery life, the iPhone X is optimized to make the best use of your battery. The iPhone X can last all day without charging.

• Samsung Galaxy J7V. This device is bigger than your average smartphone, but smaller than a tablet. The Samsung Galaxy J7V has a long-lasting 3,300 mAh, removable battery gives up to 40 hours of usage to keep you powered up through the day. This phone also has a Power Save feature you can use to extend the battery life even further.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. The smartphone's redesigned 3,500 mAh battery has been built to pass an 8-point battery safety check. This means you can use the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus up to 35 hours of usage time and 14.3 days on standby.