Getting the best new smartphone technology can be pretty expensive. After you have had a phone for a year or two, it will probably have slowed down considerably, you might have run out of storage space, or the battery might not be able to hold its charge very well. It is usually around this point that the allure of the latest model of smartphone will catch your eye. A new phone can be expensive, though, so finding ways to save on your smartphone can make all the difference.
The handset is only part of the cost of owning a smartphone. There is, of course, the cost of the contract, the phone bills, data charges, and the insurance. It is astounding to believe that we used to manage to live without these in our lives a few short decades ago, and now we can’t like without them.
If you’re looking for ways to save on your smartphone, while still getting the most from it, then here are some useful tips for you.
Ways To Save On Your Smartphone
Give Your Phone A Spring Clean
When you have been using your phone constantly for a year or two, a lot of information will have passed through it. And, a lot of data will be stored on it.
By carrying out a full and thorough spring clean of your device, you will be able to extend its lifecycle. By doing this you will be able to enjoy your current phone for quite a while longer without needing to go out and buy a new one.
You can improve the way that your phone runs by carrying out the following:
- Move your data to the cloud All of the files on your phone will be taking up space. When you are short of memory on your device, this can affect its performance. However, with the availability of free cloud storage, you can easily store your photos and files safely and securely on the cloud, freeing up valuable space on your device.
- Uninstall any unwanted apps If you go through your phone, you might find that you have a handful of apps that you use on a daily basis and a few that you occasionally use. There will be quite a large number of apps that you don’t ever use. Uninstall these and it will improve the way that your phone performs.
- Delete old photos If you are someone who takes five or six photos of the same thing so that you get the best shot, you have probably got thousands of photos stored on your phone. By deleting the unwanted images from your phone you could save a considerable amount of space.
- Run a virus scan virus’ and malware can affect the way that your phones run. Running a virus scan will help identify malicious software that could be causing your phone to run slowly.
- Install the latest updates Every so often, your operating system will need updating. It can be a hassle having to deal with some of the larger updates that will come through. It is important to install these as they are designed to improve phone speed and repair any issues that may have been found.
- Clearing your cache Whenever you visit a website or use an app that is connected to the internet, your phone will store information relating to the visit in the cache. Often, when your cache gets full it can affect the performance of your phone. By clearing your cache you can help your phone work more efficiently.
Change The Way That You Use Data
Data can be quite expensive. If are using a considerable amount of data, you might end up going above your contracted limits. When this happens, you will probably need to pay for more.
To prevent this, you should look at where you are using your data and try and change the way that you use it. The settings on your phone will have information about the data usage on your phone. This will let you know which apps you are using the most data on. By using this information, you can make changes to the way that you use these apps.
Sometimes apps will be set up to automatically download information or play videos. Where this is the case, you can go into the app’s settings and turn this option off. By doing this you will be able to pick and choose when you want a video to play, or a file to download.
Work out if there are any apps that you could limit to only using over WiFi. If there are data-heavy apps that you don’t need to use while you are on mobile data, try and limit the use to when you are at home or on a public WiFi network.
Switch To SIM-Only
When you take out a contract for your phone, often, much of the monthly payments tend to go towards paying off the cost of the handset. However, if you don’t need a new handset, you might want to consider going for a Smarty unlimited data sim plan.
By going SIM-only, you will just be paying for your calls and data. And, the best thing about the unlimited data sim plan is that you don’t have to worry about going over your data limits.
Buy A Refurbished Phone
A refurbished phone is a great way of saving money when you need to buy a handset. Very often you can get a reasonably new phone that is in excellent condition for much less than it would be new. The older the phone, the cheaper it will be.
You don’t have to worry about the phone having faults because a good company that is carrying out the refurbishment work will fully test the phone and also provide a warrant with it.
A reputable refurbisher will also check the phone against databases to check whether it has been reported lost or stolen.
Buying refurbished phones can be helpful in dealing with the environmental issues that surround the disposing of old phones. By ensuring a device is used for the duration of its lifespan, you will be preventing them from going to waste.
Buy A Previous Generation Model
Often, phones do not really differ much between models. One might have a bigger screen or a better processor. But when it comes down to it, you would still very likely get the same benefit from using last year’s model, or even a phone that came out two years ago.
Very often, you can still buy older models from the phone stores. The phone companies may not want to push these handsets anymore, and won’t have them in prominent positions. If you stand your ground and buy the older models you might be able to save on your smartphone.
Skip The Big Brands
The most popular phone brands will often be the ones that customers will naturally gravitate towards when shopping for a new phone.
While there is a great sense of reassurance that comes from buying products made by a big, reputable brand, there are many manufacturers that make reliable technology, but who are less well known.
When shopping for a new phone, don’t just look at the small handful of major brands that you know, look for the emerging companies that are offering innovate technology built to a high standard. Often, these lesser-known companies are not able to command the big price tags that the likes of Apple and Samsung can get, however, they may still offer some good quality items that are well-made.
Look Elsewhere For Your Phone Insurance
Phone insurance is a very common add-on. While your provider has to let you know that it is there and they should give you the option not to take it, you can always get your phone insurance elsewhere.
Having your phone insured is essential. If your phone is lost, stolen, or damaged, then having the right cover will mean that you can replace it. If your phone is stolen and a large bill is racked up, then you will need your insurance company to help to cover the costs of the thief’s actions.
However, it is often very possible to either get your phone insurance much cheaper elsewhere or to save you the entire cost, and to get it for free. Often, banks will include phone insurance as part of their account packages. Many people do not realize that they get this service for free and essentially end up paying twice for it. Check with your bank to see if this is something that you currently have or can get added to your account.