Should You Buy a New Smartphone? Here are Signs You Need an Upgrade

For many people, buying a new smartphone every two years has become a habit. The device no longer has to be broken or damaged before it gets tossed and replaced with a new model. However, if you are still holding on to the smartphone you purchased years ago, here are some signs that you are due for an update:

The Screen is Completely Damaged

Glass smashes when it falls or is subjected to great weight or pressure. Your smartphone, which you use every day, is fragile. If it slips and lands on concrete or you accidentally sit on it, the screen might crack.

Often, screen repair can be done on minor damages so you can continue enjoying your smartphone. However, if the crack is so large and you notice dead pixels, purchasing a new device may be more worth your time and money. This kind of damage usually needs major repairs and will be expensive.

You Need to Plug Your Smartphone Frequently

There has been quite a lot of improvement in the battery life of smartphones. Unless you watch videos all the time, you can expect to use your device for minor tasks such as sending and reading e-mails, making digital notes, and listening to music throughout a workday without draining your battery.

Your smartphone battery, however, is still susceptible to wear and tear or degradation over time. If your smartphone needs to recharge after only a few hours, your smartphone battery may be close to the end of its life. Unfortunately, you no longer can remove the battery on many smartphones and, therefore, will be difficult to repair. It may be best to replace your smartphone altogether.

Your Smartphone Takes Minutes To Do Anything

It takes several minutes for your smartphone to start up after it forcibly shut down. You have to wait for what it feels like an eternity to switch from one app to another. These are some of the experiences that people who use older devices have.

There are several possible reasons why a smartphone lags. The operating system could be the culprit and installing a custom ROM may boost its performance. You may only need to delete some apps that you no longer use. You should also try using “lite” versions of apps that you do use.

However, your smartphone’s flash memory and RAM also lose efficiency over time. As a result, your device will fail to carry out simple tasks. When this happens, there really is not much that you can do to save your device. Your only option is to retire it and get a new one.

The Camera Takes Grainy Photos

This may be a non-issue for some people but smartphone cameras have come a long way and you are seriously missing out. For example, Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, the latest model from the South Korean electronics brand, has a 108-megapixel main camera and 40-megapixel front-facing camera. Even if you do not intend to start mobile photography as a hobby, it is nice to have crisp photos and videos to record important events in your life.

You should not feel pressured to buy the latest smartphone in the market. If you are still happy with your device and it can still deliver the functions that you need from it such as sending and receiving text messages and phone calls, then you do not need an upgrade.