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Louise Thomas
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Whether you’re heading to your local park to sunbathe, or off abroad on a big adventure somewhere really hot, your phone is most likely a constant companion this summer – as an essential tool for navigation, payments, communication, and of course photos.
So, you’ll want to keep it in top condition – which means keeping an eye out for summer pitfalls, like accidental damage or overheating. Here are some handy tips…
1. Keep it clean and dry
Summer can feel like a riskier time for phones than winter when it comes to accidental drops or damage. At the beach, pool or park, it’s easier for your phone to slip out of a hand greased up by sun cream, or from a smaller pocket than usual. We’re no longer in the days of rice baths to set phones right, either – cleaning can be fiddly.
If you drop your phone on a sandy beach, for example, there’s nothing like a canister of compressed air to help you out. Short blasts or air are perfect for dislodging clumps of sand from speakers or charging ports.
For drops into water, you’re more in the lap of the gods – your phone might have some water resistance (like most newer iPhones do), making you safer than you might think, but if water does get into its inner workings then you might want to take it for a full repair. That’s a safer option than just hoping for the best.
2. Don’t overheat
Most modern phones are made of a combination of metal, glass and plastic, and all of these get pretty hot in the sun – so leaving your phone out in direct sunlight is really not the smartest idea. This is a sure-fire way to overheat your phone, which will have an impact on its performance and could also potentially cause lasting damage if it’s sustained.
So, anytime you’re out and about or lounging somewhere hot, try to remember to keep your phone shaded, ideally in a shady bag or under a towel – anywhere that stops it from catching the sun’s rays directly. You’ll have a way better time that way, and avoid burning your fingers when you try to pick it up, too.
If you do accidentally let your phone get really hot, the best thing you can do is to let it cool down before trying to use it. Get it out of the sun and wait for its temperature to drop again before you put it under any strain. Turning it off for a while could also help.
3. Switch off
Speaking of which, another great way to keep your phone happy this summer is actually to just turn it off. If you arrive at a destination and you know that you’re going to spend a decent chunk of time there, turning your phone off will pretty much guarantee it stays cooler than it would otherwise – and it might just help you enjoy the moment a little more.
Of course, our phones are basically our default cameras now too, so you might need it to take some snaps for posterity, but if you do indeed require it, lowering your display brightness and ignoring any more intensive apps like games or streaming services will also help.
4. Check your roaming status
Ok, so this won’t harm your phone as such – but it could sting your bank balance if you’re not careful.
Ever since Brexit, roaming charges have steadily become more of a pressing concern in many phone contracts. While some providers have stuck to inclusive roaming as a relatively standard option, there are still plenty who don’t cover any overseas activity without extra charges, depending on your contract.
So, make sure you do check your contract properly before you go on holiday, to avoid any unseen charges and make sure you know how much you can use your phone once you touch down on holiday.
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