Compared to Apple and Windows smartphones, Android phones have a shorter lifespan because they require more app and Dalvik cache management. Hence, knowing how long an Android lasts is essential to help us effectively manage them.
Android phones usually last for three years, after which their performance declines. However, this is the average duration and does not apply to all Android phones. Many Android smartphones maintain optimum performance for up to 5 years after manufacture and may decline in performance afterward.
This article will see how to check an Android phone’s age. You will also learn how to manage your Android phone, among others, properly.
How Long Do Android Phones Last?
On average, a typical Android phone lasts for three years. However, this amount could be longer than this. The average lifespan depends on the user of the phone and the phone itself.
By the phone itself, we mean the phone’s brand and model. Some phone brands are known to have phones with better life expectancy. For example, Samsung, LG, and Motorola phones have longer lifespans than most Android phones.
Nevertheless, the user significantly affects how long their phone can last, depending on how they manage their phones. But no matter how well a phone is executed, it will eventually die and show some signs, as shown below.
Signs of a Dying Phone
Typical signs of a dying phone are fast battery drainage, frequent operating system updates even when it is updated, and unresponsive phone parts.
Frequent Sudden Death
A very notable sign about a dying phone is very short phone uptime, and the phone will suddenly turn off even though it hasn’t reached 0%.
Fast Drainage of Battery
When a phone begins to die, its battery dies faster than usual, and the battery power usually declines by at least 20 to 40%.
Some other signs you may also notice about battery issues in dying phones.
- The battery takes a long time to charge.
- The battery is not charging at all.
- The phone case covering the battery area gets hot while using or charging the phone.
Operating System Issues
Besides battery life issues, your phone frequently crashes, hangs, or continually brings OS updates notifications despite being updated.
You may also experience longer phone booting than usual, or the phone will continually boot without turning on.
Hardware Becomes Unresponsive
Another thing to note about the phone reaching its max life is that some part of your phone hardware becomes slow to respond. The buttons, sensors, screens, and ports may become unresponsive.
However, these signs do not just happen without a cause. Most times, they are caused due to our inability to manage our phones optimally.
Factors That Can Cause Your Android Phone To Die Quicker
Here are the most common factors that make a phone not last long.
Frequently Charging to 100%
If you continuously charge your phone to 100%, it will reduce its battery power quicker. Many phone manufacturers recommend your battery percentage not go less than 30% and not higher than 90%.
Installing Corrupt Apps
Android labels the installation of apps outside the Google Play Store as “Unknown Sources”. These apps are in .apk format.
The problem with apps from unknown sources is that some have corrupt files and do not follow Google apps’ development standards. These apps can weaken your phone and make it die faster.
How To Make an Android Phone Last Long
Here are the ways you can make your Android phones last longer.
- Save phone RAM strength and processing time by uninstalling unnecessary apps.
- Back up your phone and factory reset it at least once a year. A factory reset clears any corrupt file that is hidden on your phone.
- It will help if you reboot at least once monthly or as often as required.
- Repair your phone screen as soon as it is damaged. Water and contaminants can seep through crack screens and damage the circuit boards.
- Use sites like trustpilot.com to investigate apps only available outside the Google Play Store.
- Update your operating system whenever it’s outdated.
- Conserve your battery power by using the correct voltage and appliance, preventing overcharging, and avoiding using the phone while charging.
When Should You Replace Your Android Phone?
There are some conditions our phone can be in, and we will know it is high time to get a new one.
Here is a list of conditions to know when it’s the right time to replace your Android phone.
- When the apps frequently crash despite sufficient RAM space.
- When the phone switches off by itself despite having enough battery power.
- When there is a sharp drop in sensitivity, for example, unresponsive fingerprint sensors, accelerator sensors, touchpads, and drastically reduced camera quality.
- The age of your phone is past seven years.
- It has undergone many unrelated repairs and still has faults in this list.
How To Check an Android Phone’s Age
The manufacturer information inside your phone’s package box is the best way to know your phone’s age.
However, if you have lost your phone package box, you can find it through your phone Settings app.
Here is how to check Android phone age from the Settings app.
- Go to your Settings app.
- Scroll down and click “System”.
- Click “About Phone”.
- Go to “Manufacturing Information” to check your phone production date.
Some Android phones do not have Manufacturing Information in their Settings app. For such phones, the serial number will suffice. Usually, the last digit in the serial number denotes the manufacturing date. For instance, 7 denotes 2017, 9 denotes 2019, 1 denotes 2021, and 2 denotes 2022.
However, not all Android phones have these formats. In such phones, you can check your Android phone production date by downloading the Phone Info app. This app will bring out your phone details and the manufacturing date.
Conclusion
Knowing how long a phone will last can help us effectively manage our phone well and keep it performing at an optimum level. This article has stated the factors that make a phone last longer or reach its maximum lifespan. Learning and implementing these factors will undoubtedly help your phone to last longer.
