Who doesn’t want the very latest in smartphone technology? With a new iPhone model hitting the market every year, some people upgrade the instant the newest version is available. But many of us need to hold onto our phone as long as we can. Maybe you are trying to save money by skipping a couple of models. Perhaps you have an older phone but really want to wait for the next version. Or, the new models are just out of our price range, and we need to wait until we can afford the upgrade. You can sell your iPhone and buy newer android phone since they tend to be cheaper.
No matter what your reason, if you are holding onto an older phone, you want to keep it running well until you are finally ready to upgrade. Here are some tips to keep your older iPhone running as long as possible.
Clean your iPhone’s Charging Port
Is your iPhone not charging, charging slowly, or only charging occasionally? Before you give up, a quick cleanup of your charging port may get you back up and running. And, it may not be enough just to blow out the lint. With time, some of the debris that finds its way into the port gets impacted deep inside the opening. It needs to be dug or scraped out. But be careful! There are tiny, fragile pins in there. If you don’t have the proper tool or don’t want to risk prematurely ending your phone’s life, it might be worth a trip to the Genius Bar where they possess a tiny brush to fix your charging woes.
Get a New iPhone Battery
If a charging port cleanup doesn’t help your charging issue or, if your iPhone battery isn’t lasting long enough, even on a full charge, it may be time for a new battery. Since replacement batteries, installed by an Apple technician can cost up to $80, this will be an investment, though still much cheaper than a brand new iPhone.
Clear Off Some Storage
The longer we keep our phones, the more stuff we accumulate on them. As apps get more powerful, they need more storage space. Larger apps plus four years of vacation photos means your phone will be pushing maximum capacity. Offload some of your pictures to your computer or the cloud and get rid of some of those apps that you never use to breathe a little more life into that iPhone.
Wait on iOS Software Updates
It is usually the best practice to keep your iPhone running the latest version of iOS, mainly since it contains the most recent security updates. However, if you are really pushing the limits of how long your phone can last, you may need to hold off on that latest update. The latest updates include performance upgrades that may be more than your old phone can handle. For security reasons, you may be taking a risk if you fail to update, but your phone may keep running just a little longer.
These tips won’t keep that older iPhone running forever, but they might just buy you a little more time before your next upgrade.
