musicMagpie Blog

Most of us treat our smartphones pretty badly considering how much they're worth. Maybe it's because we pay for them over the course of a contract, but people seem to chuck their devices around like they're made of steel.

Of course, this leads to a lot of wear and tear. Add in the performance issues that surface as a handset gets older, and most phones are barely hanging on after 2 years.

But how damaged is too damaged, and how old is too old? Here are a few signs that it's time to upgrade your phone.

It's achingly slow

Remember playing with your phone for the 1^st time and feeling blown away by how fast it was?

It's a bit slower now, isn't it? All of the constant updates and apps you use on a daily basis affect the performance of your phone over time, and the technology required to use apps usually gets better too.

The battery drains quickly

Short battery life is a problem that exists across many models. It's frustrating enough when you first get a phone, but did you know your battery's capacity decreases over time?

According to this article by Popular Mechanics, a high-end lithium ion battery loses 20% of its capacity every 1000 charges "" and most smartphone batteries aren't high-end.

Unable to handle the latest apps or operating systems

You might think manufacturers only release new phones every year to make money (and you're half right), but they introduce loads of new features too.

Most new apps will be designed for the latest handsets, which is bad news if you own an older device. Try running iOS7 on an iPhone 3 to see what we mean "" it's horrible.

Slow internet access

Slow internet access is a problem with older smartphones. While it's often blamed on bad service or a bad Wi-Fi connection, accessing a website or downloading apps can take forever on an older phone.

Run a speed test on an iPhone 5s and an iPhone 3, for example, and you'll find the iPhone 5s provides a much quicker connection, and can connect from further away. Run a speed test now and see how your phone stacks up.

Cosmetic damage

If your phone looks like this:

 

Then chuck it out and buy a new one. Even if you're tied to a contract, any screen is better than a cracked one.

If you've decided it's time to upgrade, sell your phone to musicMagpie "" you could make some serious cash to put towards your new model.