Congratulations on your brand-new smartphone! Now, before you take it out of its packaging and show it off to everyone else, there are a few things you need to do in order to maximize the use and value of your latest purchase. Check out our small and handy list below for the things you need to do right after buying a smartphone in the Philippines (or anywhere else).
Get a screen protector applied ASAP
Before you even leave the store that you’ve bought your phone from, ask if they can apply a screen protector for you, as no doubt they have someone on hand who’s already experienced with doing something as delicate as that. This ensures that the moment you start fiddling with your phone, you don’t have to worry about the precious screen getting scratched up or damaged. Pair it up with a nice smartphone case to protect the back of your phone with, and you’re good to go.
Configure a lock screen
What’s the first thing that happens when you get a shiny new gadget that’s barely even out of its packaging? Everyone and their mother wants to get their hands on it! So before you go showing off your freshly minted smartphone to everyone and risk them using it without your knowledge the moment you leave it to charge or anything else, make sure to configure a lock screen first. Whether it’s by solving a pattern, inputting a four-digit PIN code, or even your fingerprint, a lock screen can go a long way towards preventing anyone from getting unauthorized access to your device. It also helps prevent accidental phone calls or embarrassing butt text messages that could happen with you carrying your phone in your bag or pocket!
Delete or uninstall bloatware
Whether you’re a newbie to smartphones or someone who loves to be on the bleeding edge of mobile technology, there’s a good chance that your new phone may have some apps and software that you’re not going to be using much, if at all. These apps are called bloatware—useless applications that simply serve to take up space or to serve some proprietary purpose that the phone distributor or manufacturer has in mind. Either delete them from your home screen or uninstall them. If the phone doesn’t allow you to, look up guides on how to do so, or simply disable them from your app management window. This will free up valuable memory on your phone, as well as keep it from slowing down.
Enable power saving modes
Most smartphones nowadays have a power saving mode to help conserve battery life, which can be handy especially in instances where you need to stay connected while you’re being out and about. The mode does this by turning off or reducing features of the phone that could contribute to your battery getting drained faster, such as the brightness, volume, or even Wi-Fi usage. While most phones enable this mode automatically once it detects its battery reaching a certain threshold, not all do, so make sure to check.
Turn on developer options
If you have an Android smartphone, then turning on developer options is a neat little trick that you might want to look into. This lets you access some of the more advanced tools in your smartphone OS. That includes speeding up the animation speed of your apps, debugging your phone, and so much more. To do this, simply go to your ‘About Phone’ menu at the bottom of ‘System Settings’ and find the build number of your phone. Tap that number seven times, and you’ll get a notification declaring you to be a developer. The developer options will now be at the bottom of your main system settings. Make sure to read up on each one first before playing with them as messing with these settings can make certain apps misbehave.
By doing these five things before you do anything major with your new smartphone, not only will you be able to enjoy your latest purchase more, you’ll also squeeze every little bit of value and longevity from your device.
Dear readers, any other tips you can share with me? Let’s talk about it the comments section below 🙂
