Basic tips for mobile care

Every second person on the planet and sometimes I think a little more than that number, is a mobile phone user. Handsets themselves are designed in all possible shapes and sizes and directed at various demographics. It’s because of this insane, virtually unlimited variety that we tend to take a handset’s maintenance for granted. Looking after the handset is usually not something that we would pay too much of attention to. Let’s face it, it’s not high on our list of to-dos. But, mobile maintenance is very important for the longevity of the device. It’s the little things like dust and sedimentation that can be quite harmful to the handset in the long run. Of course, these tips are not for the hardcore mobile users, although, I do know a few who have been using handsets since day one and have no idea how to take care of them.

So without getting too technical, here are a few simple everyday methods and tips to help you keep your mobile in shape.

Wiping the Display

Nearly all of us, myself included, on rare occasions, will use any surface fabric that’s available to clean a handset’s display - T-Shirt, table cloth, hanky et al. This is never a good idea, EVER! It tends to leave small scratches and streaks on the screen. This is something that you have to pay special attention to especially if your phone doesn’t have a scratch resistant display. The last thing you want to do is leave marks over that screen. I know how annoying fingerprints are, but trust me, there’s a right way and a wrong way to get rid of them.

Various ways to keep clean

‘Microfiber’ cloths are very easily available for this purpose. Companies like Scotch-Brite and Staples carry the same and price-wise shouldn’t cost you more than Rs.100. Try not to press the LCD too hard as one of the main reasons displays go on the fritz is because of too much pressure. Microfiber cloths are also great for cleaning Laptop and Desktop displays, as well as your CDs and DVDs. Liquid cleaners are also available, but use it sparsely.

Screen Protection

This is not something that’s specific to just touchscreen handsets, but to all mobile phones. Having a Screen Guard ensures that the display is protected from dust, as well as scratches. There are a few different kinds of protectors. For touchscreen handsets, we'd recommend using a thinner quality as the thicker the protector the less receptive the display becomes to touch. All handsets already have a plastic sheet covering the display, but we've noticed that it somehow manages to peel off too quickly.

Be careful of fingerprints

You can easily buy one off the street for as little as Rs.5 to Rs.10. There are more expensive options available that range anywhere between Rs.60 to Rs.100. ScratchGuard is a very popular screen protector brand and is available for almost all phones. The advantage of this is, it’s re-usable, which means if down the road, dust and grime manage to get in, simply peel it off, wash it and apply it. You can put the protector on your self, though we’d recommend letting the guy behind the counter do the dirty work. In case you don’t have that option, then here’s what you need to do.

• Wipe the display carefully with a Microfiber cloth. Make sure it’s devoid of smudges or dust particles

• What you’ll need to do first, if you’ve bought one of the street brands, is cut the sheet down to size. It doesn’t have to be the exact size of your screen as most screens these days are not usually sunk in.

• Carefully peel off the plastic from the back portion. DO NOT touch the adhesive part or that’s the end of this procedure and you’ll ache to get yourself a new one, unless you’re ok with having an almost permanent fingerprint mark on your screen.

• Gently place the top portion over the top of the screen and slowly lay it down over the entire display while pressing it down using a flat surface. This is to make sure that you don’t end up with air bubbles. If there are any, slowly peel up the layer and lay it down again a little more carefully this time, or gently push away the bubbles towards the edges using the flat object you’re using.

 

Remove any air bubbles that may have formed

It’s extremely important to make sure that the edges are absolutely flat, especially the four corners.

External Mobile Protectors

Now that your display is protected you’re good to go. However, you also have to think of the rest of the handset. Again the Mumbai roadside is the best place for cheap casings. If you have a more expensive phone though, you owe it to yourself to get a decent case.

Personalize the look of your phone while protecting it

You’ll find all major brands like CapDase, Case-Mate available in stores, nowadays. While they are a bit expensive, they will last you longer and most come with a screen guard, as well. Honestly, they too don’t do great a job of protecting the handset from a drastic fall, but they will keep it relatively safe from short drops. Fommy is a good Indian site to shop for cases and other accessories.

Carry Cases/Mobile Pouch

Aside from normal wear and tear, a major reason most handset displays tend to get scratched is because of your pant pocket. We see plenty of people struggle with removing their handsets from their jeans pocket and in the process, the filament protecting the display gets peeled off and the screen itself is left susceptible to scratches. A good carry case is a practical, as well as a sensible option especially for people who tend to be on calls constantly. It ensures that the handset's screen is protected all the time. It also makes it easy to carry around your handset comfortably and you’ll also have a place to slip it back into instead of leaving it on a table or elsewhere where you may possibly forget it.

Keeping your investment safe

Just keep one thing in mind, if you’re a daily commuter you’d want a pouch that your belt slips through and not one that merely clips on to it. The latter makes a quite easy to steal. Prices vary depending on the material used which can range from faux leather to real leather to even snake skin, if you have the dough.

Battery Maintenance

To get the best out of the handset’s battery, it’s important to clean the battery posts on the handset, as well as the battery, every now and then. Sediments tend to build up on the posts and you could face issues like lower battery life, the handset refusing to charge properly and so on. It’s a simple procedure. With a little sandpaper, scrape off the battery posts on the battery and do the same with the connectors in the handset. This is not something you need to do very often. Once in a couple of months should do the trick. Avoid using fake chargers and batteries available on the street.

A simple trick that's easy to do

With ‘widgets’ becoming highly popular on smartphones like Android and Symbian, it’s advisable not to burden your phone with too many of them on the screen, as it unnecessarily uses system resources, which in turn drains the battery. Android users should disable ‘Live Wallpaper’, since it may look real fancy, but it ruins the battery life. A very important point is to never keep charging the phone on a daily basis (unless you have to). Allow the battery to discharge till about 10 percent and then charge it. Remember, your Li-ion battery has a finite number of charging cycles, so if you don’t let it complete the discharging cycle, you could end up ruining your battery in the long run.

A Few Quick Tips

Avoid trying to open up the handset on your own to clean the inside. Let a professional do it, especially if it’s under warranty. If you’re using a memory card, don’t fill it to capacity, always leave at least 100MB of free space. Lightly wipe the camera lens with a microfiber cloth before using the camera. Uninstall old programs that you never use, it just occupies space and slows the phone down.

If there are any more tips you’d like to share with other readers, please go right ahead and leave your comments. In this day and age, while it may be possible to keep changing handsets, these tips will not just allow you to keep your handset safe, but in a better shape, allowing it to get you a better resale value for itself.