Your first-generation smartphone may be old, outdated, and out of contract, but it can still serve a purpose (or eight).
Outdated smartphones certainly do not die--they just simply get stuck in a drawer or a compartment immediately after being swapped out for something newer and fresher.
Ah, well, it is exactly what happens in these fast-tech times, right?
“Out with the obsolete, and in with the latest and greatest revolutionary technology.”
That's real for Audio players like MP3 players and digital camera models. But when we talk about smartphones? It is definitely a different story. A smartphone being placed in a cabinet is really a waste of money and pocket power.
In fact, whether you have an old BlackBerry phone, a Palm device, a T-Mobile handset, or perhaps a first-gen iPhone, you still have got loads of ways to put an outdated handset to great use.
After all, you paid a decent amount of money for that once-hot communicator, so why wouldn't you get some extra value for your money?
Below are things that you would like to know about it. I have rounded up seven fun and useful approaches to restore a well-used smartphone (as well as an eighth option).
Not all tips right here are appropriate with every phone, but I allow me to promise that you will get at least a tad bit more mileage from your moldy mobile.
Keep an emergency phone handy
According to FCC rules, “a deactivated smartphone (or, for that matter, any cell phone) still should be capable of making one kind of phone call: 911.”
So why not cling to your previous phone in, say, in your glove compartment or office desk to be used in the instance of emergency? Naturally, you will never know when you might get rid of or break your main phone. (I understand, right when you will plow your car into a snow bank.)
Make absolutely certain to have some kind of power supply available, should it be an AC adapter, an automobile charger, or an external backup battery power.
Additionally, a deactivated phone cannot transmit its spot to an operator, so try not to get lost in the woods.
Use it as a Wi-Fi phone
Use it as a Wi-Fi phone
Simply because you're no longer paying a carrier for your old phone doesn't mean you cannot make use of it to make phone calls. In the event the handset has Wi-Fi features, you can bypass the carrier and use a Voice-over-IP service such as Fring, Skype, or Truphone.
For instance, Truphone apps are around for Android, BlackBerry, iOS, and Nokia Ovi, and they support unrestricted and unlimited free calls to other Truphone users. Need to call a landline or a cell phone? You can do that too. Rates start at around just $0.02 per minute.
Bottom line: If you have access to Wi-Fi, your phone can be quite a useful phone again.
It's still a perfectly good MP3 player
It's still a perfectly good MP3 player
“Even Stone Age smartphones like the Palm Treo can pull double duty as an MP3 player. “
Why bother in case you already have an iPod? Simple--since it do not matter anymore if your old phone takes a beating, it's the perfect MP3 companion for outdoor activities like mountain biking, rock climbing, the Running of the Bulls, along with other strenuous activities that may be way too dangerous for the other "good" player.
So just in case you do not plan to go skydiving anytime soon, it is better to hand your outdated phone to your seven-year-old family member after stocking it with the kid's favorite Disney songs.
So do not just throw your smartphone away if you want to upgrade! You have a lot of things you can do with it, you just have to find out. And because you are here reading this article, you can do more good stuff than just looking at your old smartphone.
Read the next parts of this article to make sure that you will get the most out of your device. Click and browse on the ideas brought out by tech experts.
