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People often harbour expectations when they buy a mobile phone, which helps them decide whether a particular model meets their needs. Some may set the bar too high and overestimate reality. Once in a while, however, a mobile phone matches if not exceeds expectations. Is it an undetected manufacturing defect, the natural wear and tear of time, or our smartphone usage habits?

We share some useful information and tips for your next mobile phone purchase:

Reality: Battery Can Last the Entire Day

We are used to using our phones for long periods of time and losing battery life in less than a day. Factor in heavy applications that are frequently used and continue to run in the background, then quick battery drains are inevitable. In effect, power banks or battery packs have become a necessity and some users start believing they received less than what was promised in the mobile phone pamphlet or promotional material.

The truth is, batteries can last the whole day. Besides your usage habits and the number of apps installed, you may not be aware how certain practices are harming your smartphone battery. Below are helpful tips for preventing excessive drains and reducing your charge time (whether or not you have a lightning charger):

  • Avoid charging overnight. Your mobile phone automatically switches off when it reaches 100% but the trickle charge mechanism will keep topping up the battery every time it drops a bit. While generally not harmful according to experts, trickle charging generates heat and eats up your battery’s lifespan.
  • Do not use an unofficial charger. Phone chargers have their respective nuances such as safety settings and current control. They may work for a time for units from other brands but will slowly damage the battery at the same. The difference in setups makes universal chargers and off-brand chargers not ideal for use.
  • Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when there is no available connection. When your phone strains to link up with a non-existent source, this causes a severe drain on battery life. Unless you can confirm a connection, turn off both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use. You will see your battery life extending far longer than expected.
  • Set your phone to Airplane mode to quickly charge your mobile phone. If you are in a hurry, this makes a difference but only by a few minutes. Turning on Airplane mode switches off radio frequencies including existing connections (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data). In this setting, your phone uses less energy, quickly absorbing currents delivered by your charger.
  • Reduce screen time and brightness. The more light your phone, the faster your battery drains. Light emission consumes energy. Health experts recommend more than 2 hours of screen time beyond work for adults. The rest of their time should be spent on physical activities.
  • Replace your battery if it no longer functions as well as it should. Battery replacements are secure, and cost-efficient. In the case of old phones with badly damaged battery health, they may improve performance. If budget is a concern, it is also a lot cheaper to replace the battery than buy a new mobile phone.

Expectation: Mobile Phone Storage is Fixed

This is an open secret among hoggle-eyed users: your phone storage is not as big as advertised. Some users talk about having a full memory despite not downloading big files or several apps. The reality? Your smartphone storage is partitioned into different drives and a specific amount is allotted for your use. With every OS or app update, the memory capacity declines further.

Nothing is more dreadful to users than not being able to download apps and take new photos and videos. These functions are among the reasons why you invest your resources to buy a mobile phone in the first place. On the bright side, there are ways to overcome the challenge of declining storage and make room on your device without sacrificing too much. Check out these useful tips:

  • Go to your storage settings and go over your list of apps. You will see how much each app on your phone weighs. Weed out the ones you rarely use. Delete them completely if they serve no purpose. iPhone users can offload an app, which simply deletes the program data but not its document files. Should you think an app could still be useful at some point, use this option instead. You will save a lot of space and it only takes one tap to automatically reinstall it.
  • Activate automatic cloud backup. First, buy enough cloud storage or secure a free app. Sync it with your phone settings and it will automatically backup your files whenever you connect to the Internet. Apple devices come with iCloud, which you can expand anytime, but both iOS and Android users can take advantage of Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, 4Shared, Dropbox and many other cloud storage devices free of charge.
  • Clear your cache regularly. Android users can find this option on their storage settings, while iOS users will need to clear their website data history from any browser.
  • Optimise images. Leave the high resolution files on your cloud storage, keeping only the compressed versions on your phone.
  • Remove old files. Screenshots that are no longer in use, different filters of the same photo, files that were already saved on cloud storage - all these consume space. Set your phone to automatically delete already backed up images or files.

Key Takeaway

For a more fulfilling mobile phone experience, be reasonable with your expectations. The good news is that technology constantly evolves and manufacturers pay attention to consumer feedback all the time. In a competitive market like mobile phone manufacturing, there is always room for growth; opinions and expectations about specific smartphone products are what drive manufacturers to innovate and solidify their brand reputation. The next time you buy a mobile phone, rest assured it is going to be an upgraded version of your last unit. New generation mobile phones pick up where most of their predecessors left off.

Explore a wide range of mobile phone brands and models by visiting Mobileciti’s online tech store. We offer free shipping for orders above $100 and deliver on the same day for orders placed before 4PM.