Experts, I recently bought a new smartphone. I love it! But I’m also kind of freaking out. This smartphone is the most expensive thing that I own, and I worry that I’ll break it or mess it up somehow and end up having to pay a whole lot of money to fix it or get a new one. Maybe I should have just bought a cheaper phone, but it’s too late for that now. So what should I do, other than be really careful with this thing?
Smartphones are everywhere these days, and they make our lives much easier. With a smartphone in hand, we can manage everything from our social lives to our bank accounts. More Americans have smartphones now than ever before, and it’s not hard to see why.
What is sometimes hard to see, however, is how we can all afford these things. A third of all Americans have less than $5,000 saved for their retirement, and shockingly high numbers of Americans don’t have enough cash in their bank accounts to handle an unexpected expense of $1,000.
Meanwhile, the price of a brand-new iPhone is about $1,000. This means many of us are carrying around vital possessions that we literally cannot afford to replace. You’re not the only one in this situation.
However, you can afford to protect yourself from the unexpected expenses that can come with a broken, lost, or stolen smartphone if you follow these tips to help you save.
Get protected
You shouldn’t drop your phone or hit it with anything, but accidents happen. As most smartphone owners recognize, having a good case and a tough screen protector on your smartphone is absolutely crucial.
Don’t sacrifice protection for style. Sure, the slimmest and hippest cases might look good, but plenty of attractive options offer rugged protection. Consider cases that are waterproof, too. You don’t have to be doing any deep sea diving with your phone to get it wet, as you may someday find out when you spill your beer on your precious phone.
Get (affordable) repairs
No matter how careful you are, there’s always a chance that you drop your phone or do something else that cracks the screen or damages the device. When that happens, don’t assume that you have to get a totally new smartphone. And don’t assume that you have to head to the Apple Store or some other expensive place to get it fixed, either. iCracked, an on-demand repair company available nationwide, offers iPhone screen repair or Android phone screen repair services, and often charges a lot less than manufacturer-owned stores and mom-and pop shops.
Know how to maximize your device’s life
When it comes to smartphones, your dangers are not limited to drops and other physical damages. You can and should consider the ways in which your smartphone habits could hurt your device.
Take your charging habits, for instance. Did you know that it’s better to charge your device before the battery runs out? The myth of “battery memory” and the supposed need to let your battery run out completely before recharging is leftover from older types of batteries, and is actually not as good for your phone as partial charging is.
You should also be careful with the websites you visit on your phone, as well as which apps you download. Plenty of viruses and lots of malware can harm smartphones these days, so don’t let that bad stuff get on your phone!
Buy the insurance or extended warranty coverage
Our modern devices can usually be expected to work fine, which is why many of us skip out on things like insurance policies or extended warranty coverage. But you need to be realistic about what you can and cannot afford, and if you can’t afford to buy a new phone in the event of an emergency, then you should not be rolling the dice by going without coverage. While you may not want to pay a few extra bucks each month, it’s a good way to get some peace of mind and protect your phone if you don’t have thousands of dollars in the bank.
Apple’s AppleCare program is well-regarded and makes a great choice for iPhone owners. Mobile carriers like Verizon will often sell you an insurance policy on your phone purchase, and you’ll also find third-party providers of warranties and repair contracts. So shore up your phone’s defenses and be smart!
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