How do you make your phone last for years to come?

A new smartphone can cost more than $700, making it roughly the same price as a new laptop. Therefore, many users are concerned that this phone lasts longer than just the usual year or two.

Fortunately, aside from the usual caveats, like keeping it from falling into bathtubs or puddles, there are things you can do to keep your phone in service longer than you think.

protect the screen

“Your screen is a crystal lattice, and if it gets scratched, the glass becomes less strong,” says Kyle Wiens, co-founder and CEO of iFixit, a company that provides manuals, instructions, and hardware repair parts. He adds that if the screen is scratched and then the device falls, it will be more likely to break than if it was not scratched.

There are a lot of screen protectors, but the Otterbox Amplify protector provides the screen with longer protection and is five times more scratch-resistant than the leading glass alternatives, according to the Digital Trends website. Gorilla for smartphone screens.

Protect your device from cold and heat

Most phones are not designed to be used in extremely cold or very hot climates. "Both iPhones and Android phones are designed to operate normally at temperatures between zero and 35 degrees Celsius," said Toceron Adigeba, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Arizona.

He adds that "if the phone overheats or becomes too cold, it may slow down or stop working, and in extreme cases it may suffer permanent damage, and the battery life may become permanently short."

The phone can be warmed by placing it in your pocket, but in case of overheating, some functions such as "Wi-Fi" or GPS are turned off.

Replace the battery

Virtually everything in your phone should last a decade or so, except for the battery, which isn't designed for longevity, Wiens says, adding that most batteries have a lifespan of about 500 charge cycles.

To find out how many charging cycles your phone has gone through, install the “coconut battery” app on your computer, then connect your iPhone, and it will tell you the estimated number of cycles. As for Android, there is the "Accu Batter" app.

You can also plan to replace the phone battery every 18 months, which is the time it takes most of us to reach the 500 charge cycle limit.

Delete some apps and files

In general, deleting some apps and using cloud storage services can help improve phone performance and reduce power consumption.

“Cloud storage can help free up storage space on your phone and reduce stress on your phone,” says Adigebega. Instead of downloading documents, try Google Docs, which doesn't require processing power or memory space.

Stay away from suspicious apps

Although it is not very common for mobile phones to become infected with a virus or malware, it can happen, usually through the download of an application.

“In general, the best way to prevent viruses or malware is to avoid downloading and installing apps that are not from the Apple or Google Play Stores,” Adegbeja says.

He adds that this "does not mean that all applications outside of these stores are malicious", but rather that it is difficult for viruses or malware to access these stores.

As for the protection of your phone and personal information, you should beware of email attachments or visit unsafe sites on your phone.