Stuff That Can Damage Your Smartphone

At times, we tend to take little things for granted (meaning your iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and other smartphones), that it usually results to inadvertent negligence. This is the common cause of acquired scratches, dings and damages to your beloved devices. Yes, you might say, “Not even once in my entire life have I dropped my phone.” followed by “It is basically the extension of my life”.

Little did you know that there are still a lot of threats your device is facing on a day-to-day basis, most of which are barely noticeable, while some are the result of occasional carelessness. These are the stuff that can carry out unwanted damages to your smartphones.

Here are some of them:

 

Photo courtesy: octopocks via instagram

1. Water – Every mobile, smartphone and practically all electronic devices’ number 1 enemy. Be it precipitation, condensation or just pure clumsiness in the form of accidental spillage, it seems that there’s no way your phone is safe from this gadget misfortune. And the damage can be nasty. It can cause your phone to die instantaneously or to say the least, lose some of its functions. Luckily for some, there’s still hope.

What to do? – First and foremost, the right thing to do is to place it somewhere dry and where water is not present. Also, make sure to sleeve a resilient cellphone cover and avoid using or placing it under extreme conditions for a period of time (especially during snow season). Now, we can’t do anything about nature, so the perfect remedy is through nature as well. In the event you accidentally dropped your phone, say in a pool, you have to turn it off, wipe off excess water, detach SIM card and the battery as well (if necessary) then bury it in a tub of uncooked rice in an upright position for 24 hours.

2. Third-Party Cable – What could go wrong? To answer that question, this cheap lightning cable alternative to iPhone’s exclusive charging and data transfer accessory tends to burn iPhone’s (particularly iPhone 5) component namely the U2 IC, which is responsible for the controlling of the charging of the battery. And the original lightning cable has a specified series of leads that regulates the voltage and the current. These leads are not present on those ripped-off cables, thus releasing excessive amount of voltage, causing the said component to burn.

What to do? – Well, the logical thing to do is to throw away those cheap cables and go for the genuine ones. Made For iPhone accessories such as the authentic lightning cable may be expensive. But as they say,” a good thing is never cheap. But a cheap thing is never good”.

3. Anything in your bag that goes along with your phone – This refers to keys, spare coins, trinkets, keychains, mostly caboodles. Most, if not all of these are the potential culprits for scratching and denting your phone everytime you put it casually in your bag.

What to do? – Aside from encasing your phone with a reliable cover, patching a screen protector onto the device’s screen is a great way to shield your phone’s precious gorilla glass. And in addition to this, the best way to prevent such damages from happening to your phone is to dedicate a specific spot/pocket in your bag for your mobile.

4. Pocket Stuff – Little did you know that pockets can do significant damage to your phone, in the form of those unnoticed debris that’s accumulating in your pants such as lint, sand, hair and other dirt particles. As famous author, Robert Fulghum would put it, “Cosmic Compost”. Still, it does a lot of damages to your phone. Not to mention, those  copper rivets attached on the pocket’s edges can screech your phone’s sleek housing.

What to do? – Same goes with one of those solutions in number 3. Insert protective plugs into the 3.5mm audio plug and USB port. And for some self-serving reason you feel the sense of mobile urgency that you have to bring your phone while calmly walking by the beach, then it is highly suggested to put your phone in a resealable plastic bag to protect it from sand and… you’ve guessed it, WATER! As for the lint, still remember where did you put that iPhone pin thing? If not, use toothpick or a paperclip to take off lint build-up inside the port.

5. Cases and Covers That Don’t Fit – Rule of thumb: “If it doesn’t fit, don’t force it.” Smartphone covers today are now built and made for a specific make and model of mobile device. Hence, it is not advisable to use an incompatible case or cover. Otherwise, it won’t do any good in terms of protecting your phone efficiently.

What to do? – If the label says iPhone covers, then it is solely dedicated for iPhones and iPhones only. That’s the way it has to be. Also, cases have certain materials, so if you want something that’s tough enough to be at par with your active lifestyle, go with the armor-type cases. If you’re the typical posh, easy-go-lucky type of person, get those leather-made covers.

 

Formosa iPhone 5 Wallet Clutch Wristlet Purse Dark Grey

Common Misconceptions About Using Smartphone Protective Accessories

Just when we thought everything is alright with our precious iPhone and Galaxy Phones, we tend to get even more careless at most times, especially when taking care of our devices.

Fortunately, the gratuity and abundance of cellphone covers and accessories as well as the manufacturer’s initiative to equip their product with scratch resistant materials and reinforced shell layers became a makeshift messiah of the digital age. But as resilient as these covers and protectors are to protect our communication devices, it still isn’t enough to leave the entirety of the phone’s condition solely to its durability features.

To specify, here are some of the most common bits and mistakes we often overlook in taking care of our smartphones.

1. Casings will cover all the bases

Two of the most prone to dirt are the phone’s charging port and the 3.5mm jack plug for the earphones. As common as it gets, these two outlets serve as vacuum gateways for dirt and lint that can usually be accumulated from your pants’ pocket. These dirt elements are basically the number one cause of charging malfunctions, connectivity problems and port damages.

The Right Thing To Do – You need a piece of paperclip, toothpick or a matchstick and clean cotton to scrape off dust that has been collected by the port. Never damp the cotton with any liquid solution, as it will only cause further damage to the phone. Once you have taken off the dust, cut a small piece of adhesive tape and attach it on the other end of the clip, with the sticky part being on the outside of the pin. Lightly roll the adhesive-top pin to take off any stubborn lint and cotton residue that you might have missed out. Although it is not much of a recommendation, it is still good to use one of those protective caps for the plug and port to cover them when not in use.

2. My phone is scratch-free, Thanks to my screen protector!

Indeed, screen protectors are your phone’s screen savers… Literally! But mind you, this does not entirely mean your mobile will become invincible to scratches or worse, cracks. Despite gearing your smartphone with the best scratch-resistant film over its gorilla glass display, putting it in your pocket along with your keys, coins and wallet with metal zippers may still likely to damage your device. Likewise with the shell that encases the phone.

The Right Thing To Do – Investing on a reliable screen protector is one thing. But just to be safe, make sure to allot a separate compartment for your mobile to avoid direct contact with your other stuff. In addition, armor it with a sturdy clutch-like casing to double your phone’s protection, especially the back side’s surface. Lastly, make it a point to clean the inner-surface of the casing from time to time.

3. The case will save my phone from drops

Imagine how worse could it get the moment you drop your phone straight into concrete oblivion. Albeit phone covers are equipped with cushions to absorb shocks after an accidental drop, it is still possible to acquire internal damage to your gadget, especially if gravity tends to magnetize the device from your hands on a regular basis.

The Right Thing To Do – The basic thing to do here is to hold your phone properly. Having a glossy-textured phone shell or a super-thin body is not reason enough to blame the manufacturer for constantly dropping your device. Remember, casings and screen protectors are there to add extra armor to your smartphone, not to entirely save it from the doom of your clumsiness and carelessness.