How to Know When It’s Time to Buy a New Phone

You might be able to keep your phone running for a while with some handy solutions — and a whole lot of masking tape. But after a while, there’s just no denying that it’s time to trade in your old phone for a newer model. Here are four of the issues that probably mean it’s time to send your current Android to the graveyard.

Before you trade in your phone for good, however, give it one more chance. Sometimes a smartphone behaves older than it is because it is loaded with unnecessary files that are using up your phone’s memory. Click here to quickly clean up your smartphone by removing junk files and cache that are taking up too much space:

Once you’re done with that, perform a memory boost to improve your device’s memory and prevent lock ups and crashes:

1. Is your phone older than two years old?

Most phone service providers used to give you a new, free device every two years if you signed up for a contract. Even if you don’t have a contract anymore, it’s still a good rule of thumb to replace your phone that often. Otherwise, the phone’s hardware and system are out-of-date, which means that your device is more susceptible to malicious threats. Run a full virus scan of your device now, and remember to do so regularly:

2. Factory resets aren’t working anymore.

Most of the time, if you install a faulty app or are having trouble with getting enough space on your device, you can restore your phone to the factory settings to make it run more smoothly. But, if you keep needing to do this — or factory resets fail to speed up your stalling phone — your only option is to trade it in.

3. You want to take good pictures.

If you use your phone to take selfies or other shots, cell phone cameras are constantly improving. Even if you have the next-to-most-recent version of an Android, the newer cameras are much better: they have better resolution, more megapixels, and better low-light performance. A new camera is a great reason to upgrade.

4. Your battery is done.

Most phone batteries are designed to work well for at least a year; probably longer. However, you might find that as your phone gets more and more use, it’s harder for the phone to keep a charge after a minimal amount of use. To keep your battery strong, whether your phone is old or new, activate Total Charge.

If your battery still isn’t functioning well, you’ll need to take further action. While you could choose to replace your permanent battery — more likely than not you’ll have to take it into a technician for a replacement — it is likely more cost-effective just to get a new phone altogether.