Based on materials from phonearena.com
Smartphones are a relatively new segment in the world of technology, and it continues to be updated literally every month, so devices tend to become obsolete very quickly. What was at its peak last year will simply 'correspond to the requests' this year, after a year we will just say about it just 'still fit', and a year later – 'needs to be updated long ago'. This, in principle, happens with new technology – it was, for example, in the 90s with PCs, when they slowly became a commodity for mass consumption, as it is now. Computers have improved year after year, until they finally reached the point where you can buy a PC with peace of mind, and with the right choice, it will last you five years or more with proper maintenance.
With each upgrade cycle of our phones, we are left with a 2- or 3-year-old device (or several if we are talking about a family), which is already so worn out that it is not worth the effort to sell it for next to nothing. Other options are to recycle, which is quite logical, given the speed at which factories are now churning smartphones, or to put them in a desk drawer as a spare device.
If the latter method is typical for you and you are a happy owner of one or a couple of old smartphones that have nowhere to put it, perhaps one of the options below will allow the devices to serve you longer.
1. Fitness tracker
The old iPhone 4s can be updated to iOS 8, and if it is a device with Android 4.0+, you can put Google Fit on it – in any case, you will get an official application -tracker, and with it – and a device that is much more appropriate to use during physical activity than a brand new smartphone, which is scary to drop or get dirty. In addition, on an old smartphone, you can listen to music and insert a SIM card into it in order to be in touch even at the time of severe overwhelming.
2. Reader
Of course, older phones, with their low resolution screens and small size, are not the best reading option. However, when traveling, for example, you may have problems recharging your devices. And if there is still a lot of time before the next meeting with the outlet, you can read from a phone that you do not plan to use for anything else. This will save battery power on your primary smartphone.
3. Internet radio
Plug a speaker into your phone and launch Spotify – you've got your improvised radio hotspot ready! In addition, if you have iPhone 4s or a device on Android 4.3+, you can connect it respectively to Apple Watch or watch on Android Wear and control the music playback while you wander around and do some business. Very comfortably.
4.IP camera
Here's how to turn an old smartphone or tablet into a home video surveillance device that you can control remotely. Curiously enough, it is worth making sure that your home 'camera' does not overheat, because not all old smartphones were created with the expectation of constant video recording.
5. Removable disk / SD card reader
An old smartphone as a replacement for a flash drive or even a card reader for SD – there is nothing to explain. These things are inexpensive, and not so rare as to resort to such tricks with a replacement, but if suddenly the necessary gadget is not at hand, open the drawer. Here it is, a good old smartphone!
6. GPS tracker
How good your old friend will be in this role depends on his size. With all these recent phone search features and apps, you can easily use your old device by setting it up to find a specific thing, person, or pet, for example on a camping trip. Load your Sharik with his own water supply and his personal GPS tracker and be calm. This method will require a SIM card, so find, for example, your old one with a prepaid tariff, and don't forget about areas with poor coverage. After all, this is an impromptu tracker, nothing more.