iPhone 17 pro And Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are some of the best phones you can buy right now, thanks to their excellent camera system and powerful processors. And while they certainly represent the best in mobile technology, you'll pay a lot to put them in your pocket. Even more budget phones such as Google Pixel 9A or Nothing Phone 3A Pro are still worth hundreds of dollars, and as wallets remain tight around the world, getting the most out of your purchases has never been more important.
The best way to do this is to simply keep using the phone longer, spreading the initial expensive purchase over several years rather than upgrading frequently.
Not only will this benefit your bank account; it's also much better for the planet. Upgrade your phone less often, which means fewer phones will be produced and shipped, and fewer older phones. end up in a landfill. The good news is that companies like Apple, Google, Samsung and others will support their phones with software updates for many years to come, meaning the phone you buy today will remain unchanged. safe to use for many years to come.
The rest is up to you. Keeping your phone in good working order through the seven or eight years of software support it may receive requires some effort, careful maintenance, and a few key strategies.
Here are the basic things you can do to make sure your phone lasts as long as possible.
Install all available updates
Using a phone that no longer receives security updates just unsafe and should be avoided. In the past, many Android manufacturers tended to only support new phones for two to three years, which was very frustrating because there was usually a lot more to do with the hardware, but the phone was simply not safe to use. Now you will find phones like Google Pixel 10 The series comes with seven years of software support. Unfortunately, some more affordable phones such as OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite still only getting updates for a few years. If you're buying a new phone, be sure to check how long it will be supported, as this will provide better value for money over the life of the phone.
Keeping your phone up to date with the latest security update will help protect against hackers and protect your phone from malicious software that can sneak in and slow down your phone. Most phones will automatically prompt you to install the latest updates (and you should), but if you have an older phone, go to the settings menu and scroll down to Software update and click to see if an update is available.
The same applies to your applications, which will also need to be updated to remain compatible with the version iOS or Android you use. It's a good practice to allow apps to update automatically in the background, but if not, be sure to go to your app store of choice and make sure you're using the latest versions.
Use a case
If you just bought a shiny new iPhone the best thing you can do to protect it physically is to place it in happening immediately. Not only will it protect it if you accidentally drop it, but it will also help protect it from micro-scratches from keys or coins in your pocket.
A screen protector is also a great idea, since if your phone's screen is damaged, there's little you can do to help it other than fork out for a potentially expensive replacement. If you scratch your screen protector, you can simply replace it and keep your phone looking fresh as a daisy for years to come. Even if you don't plan on keeping your phone for many years, keeping it looking fresh can help you sell it for more on the used market when it's time to upgrade.
Replace the dead battery, not the phone
Your phone's battery gradually deteriorates over time, providing less battery life per charge than when it was new. This is true for all phones. Some older phones may have batteries that only perform 50 percent of what they used to do. You may even receive warnings from your phone that your battery can't provide the power you need, and so your processor may be limited to compensate.
Don't worry, on most phones it's pretty easy to replace the battery yourself to give it new life. iFixit sells various kits and third-party replacement batteries to fit a huge range of phones, so if your battery is about to die, it's worth a look, don't you can change it yourself.
iPhone 6 with the old battery removed and all traces of glue removed.
There are plenty of places you can take your phone (not all of them particularly legit) to replace the battery or even other components like a cracked screen, and this can be a good option if you're not particularly confident in your skills with a screwdriver.
Unload old apps and photos you don't need.
If you've had your phone for years, chances are it's filled with thousands of photos of your friends, pets, or plates of food you've eaten while you've had it. It's also likely that you have a bunch of old apps and games that you downloaded on a whim, played them a few times on the bus, and then moved on to the next mobile gaming sensation.
Low memory can negatively impact your phone's overall performance and can also mean there isn't enough space on it to install important software updates. It's worth going through your archives, backing up photos and videos you want to save to the cloud, and getting rid of everything on your phone that's wasting space.
If you've had your phone for a long time and it's running really slow, it might even be worth backing up all your important data and doing a hard reset, starting over and installing only the essentials.
Satisfactory removal of dirt from your phone's charging port.
Clean up your ports
Finally, clean your phone thoroughly as it can have surprisingly beneficial results. Lint in your pockets can be a real problem for your phone, especially the charging port often gets clogged with crap. As a result, when you plug in the charger, it cannot connect and as a result, your phone does not charge.
It's easy to think that something is actually broken – the charging port itself or the cable – but in reality it could be as simple as the port simply being clogged with lint. Insert a wooden toothpick in there periodically and try to remove any dirt and debris you find so that the charger can fit without having to wiggle it aggressively.
It's also worth using an old toothbrush (clean and dry) to gently brush away any debris you may find around speakers and microphones so you can hear (and be heard) clearly during phone calls.
