Life hacks: 5 ways to keep your smartphone in tip-top shape

You did it. You’ve saved enough money, got by on meager baon, shied away from Friday night inuman sessions, and lost a few pounds in the process. But after a couple of months of cutting corners, you’ve finally bought that smartphone that you’ve been eyeing since it was announced.

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After transferring your apps and data into their new home, it’s time to think about how to physically protect your new daily beater/go-to device for the next year or so. A smartphone is an investment, and putting the necessary precautions into play not only ensure your device is protected, but also means a higher resale price when the inevitable (read: upgrade) happens. Here are a few ways you can make your smartphone look new longer.

1. Use protection.

The outer layer of defense on a phone can come in many different shapes and sizes. Phone cases can offer a lot in terms of defending your precious device from bumps and scratches, and the more expensive ones can offer waterproofing or even an extra compartment to store credit cards/cash.

Jelly cases that come with a plastic screen protector are the most basic. These are easy to slip on. They fit like a glove, look sleek, enable you to grip the phone better, but they don’t really provide a solid defense against a nasty fall.

Some are a bit more complicated. They come with a soft inner lining to cushion your device and a harder outer shell to absorb most of the impact should the phone hit the ground from a height. These tend to be more expensive and bulky.

2. Clean regularly.

Protecting your phone isn’t as easy as slapping on a case and screen protector then forgetting about it. Once in a while, it’s always good practice to take your phone’s protective shell off and take a soft brush to the little nooks and crannies. If your phone’s back panel is detachable, it might be a good idea to take it out and give it a quick wipe. Cleaning a phone not only makes it look new, it also helps keep it in tip-top shape.

3. Be careful when sticking things into the phone.

And we mean OTG USBs, OTG cables, and charging cables. Most of the time, we’re in a hurry to plug out devices that the area around the ports get scratched by the metal plugs. Be sure to plug your peripherals gently to avoid unsightly marks on your phone. Scratches on the body are the first things second-hand buyers look for when appraising a unit for sale. So, keep this in mind when your long-term plan for your smartphone includes selling it a year and a half down the line.

4. Be mindful of where you place your device.

This may sound obvious, but when was the last time you were actually aware where you place your phone? When you’re at home, do you just toss it on the bed? When you’re in a restaurant, do you just let it rest on the table? If you’re in a hurry, do you stuff your phone in any available pocket or throw it in your purse? Being mindful of where you leave your phone when not in use and how you leave it in that place helps it get less banged up or worse, scratched.

5. Don’t engage in stress tests.

Another obvious piece of advice, but it’s something that needs to be said anyway, is how much you can push your smartphone to satisfy your curiosity. Sure, benchmarking is okay, but if you really want to preserve not just your phone’s performance but also how new it looks, resist the urge to stress test! Don’t give in to what you watch on YouTube or how much your friends urge you to drop it just to see if the device is sturdy.

A smartphone is an investment. Not only does it hold a lot of important information for you and a certified anti-boredom device, it does have a certain return in the form of selling it on the second-hand market. Keeping it new, protected, and clean would do wonders for its eventual resale value.