Upgrading Your Smartphone To Sell Or Giveaway

 

Smartphones are incredibly useful devices, having changed the world dramatically over the last couple of decades. While these devices are important, though, they are also having a dramatic impact on the environment, with many people replacing their phones on a yearly basis to get the next best thing.

If you need to replace your phone, it’s worth taking the time to make sure that your old phone carries on its life. These devices can last a very long time when the right care is taken with them, and you can repair and restore them to give them the chance to be used again. Let’s explore some of the steps that go into this process.

Clearing Storage

Modern smartphones come with loads of storage for photos, music, videos, and other files. These files aren’t something that you will want to pass to the next owner of your phone, especially if you are giving it away or selling it to a stranger. This means that you need to know how to wipe the data from your phone. Factory resets will usually be best for this, giving you the chance to make your phone the same as when you first bought it.

Factory reset processes can differ from phone to phone, with some companies offering easier ways to do this. You can find out how to clear storage on iPhone and carry out other basic tasks. Make sure too that you clear all your passwords!

Removing Malware

Many people don’t associate malware with smartphones, though viruses can impact these devices.  This makes it important that you take the time to make sure that your phone is free from software like this when you sell it or give it away. Performing a factory reset isn’t always good enough for this, and you may need to look for a way to wipe the phone completely. iPhones usually don’t let you do this, though Android makes it relatively easy.

Finding Replacement Parts

Broken smartphones can often be repaired with the right time and effort. Before you can make any replacements, though, you need to find the right parts. Do some research online or find a local repair shop to help you purchase genuine or compatible parts. Or ask on local gifting sites as someone may have another broken phone which you can salvage parts from.

Installing Replacement Parts

Once you have your hands on some parts, it will be time to start learning how to get them installed. Websites like iFixIt are ideal for this, providing detailed guides with photos that will make it very easy to get your phone up to scratch. Alternatively a local repair cafe can be a brilliant way to learn a new skill face to face.

Cleaning Internals

Having your phone open can be a good opportunity to clean the internals ans it can make a surprising difference. I remember about 22 years ago my phone stopped working. I took it to a repair shop and it was just dust that had got inside it. A professional clean up and the phone was as good as new. This process is one that should be done with care, you don’t want to use any old chemicals in there! Be sure to disconnect the battery while you clean things up.

Testing

Finally,it’s time to check everything out and make sure your phone is working well enough for someone else to use. This part of the process is easier than many people expect, and you can test the device by turning it on and going through a few simple steps. You should make sure that calling works, along with all of the different wireless connections that the phone is supposed to be able to make.

These steps take time and effort but the rewards are that you might be able to get more money for your phone if you’re selling it and you’ll be keeping a valuable resource from going to waste.