Every month I team up with U.S. Cellular and share a little about my Samsung Galaxy S7 Smart Phone. This is one of those posts.
I think most every knows by now that cell phones and water simply don’t mix well. We learned that the hard way a few years ago. Kelli was a cheerleader at UIU where she was going to college. She had a backpack with her phone in it and the backpack was under the bleachers near where her squad was cheering.
It started raining but nothing very hard. The football game went on…and so did the cheerleaders. I was at the game too but was under an umbrella so didn’t worry about my phone. It turns out that the rain from the bleachers was dripping directly onto Kelli’s backpack and the pocket that her phone was is was open. The pocket held the water and her phone was soon waterlogged. It didn’t work. Try as we might to save it, we ended up having to purchase a new phone.
Thankfully there are options now to protect your phone.
It’s always a good idea to consider insurance for your device, especially if you have a lifestyle that puts your phone in danger. Many wireless carriers offer device protection that includes device replacement, tools to back up data and malware protection. As they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Many manufacturers recommend keeping a phone between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid temperature damage. If a device overheats, the internal components may become damaged which can cause data loss, dead batteries, and in some extreme cases, the lithium battery may leak, bubble up, expand or explode and ruin the device completely.
Water damage can happen frequently during the summer months. Liquid gets inside of the phone’s casing and corrodes the internal electrical components, causing the phone to short circuit and stop the phone from working.
Smartphone users should consider purchasing a separate water-resistant case for summer activities around water. Cases such as an OtterBox, DryCase or LifeProof are great options to consider for your iPhone 7 or Samsung Galaxy S8 that will still allow normal use of the phone. A less expensive home remedy is to utilize a plastic bag, which will keep a smartphone sealed and safe to avoid damage, including sand or dirt.
If disaster strikes and a smartphone does fall into water. Turn off the phone immediately and remove the battery, if possible. After, place the phone near a fan, not heat, to dry and use rice or desiccant packets to help absorb moisture.
Users should keep smartphones out of direct sunlight or in a car unattended where temperatures can reach over 150 degrees. If a device overheats, the internal components may become damaged which can cause data loss or dead batteries.
Always utilize your wireless carrier if disaster arises. For peace of mind, ask about insurance or data back-up options when purchasing the device. Later, if you suspect the phone is not working due to water or heat damage, take the phone to the wireless carrier, who can sometimes fix it when home remedies haven’t worked.
Back then, we weren’t dealing with a smart phone..but nonetheless the phone replacement was still expensive and sadly back the we didn’t have all the back up options that are available now days. Loosing pictures, contacts and like is sometimes even more painful than the loss of the actual phone. Whatever you do, plan ahead as accidents do happen.
Have you had water or heat damage to your phone?
A good thing to try instead of uncooked rice is Boat/RV Desiccant. One brand name is DampRid. You can get a 5 lb tub of it for about $10. My daughter successfully dried out her husband’s phone after he dropped it in a swimming pool. She wrapped the phone in a paper towel to keep the dust of the desiccant out, then put phone and desiccant in a ziploc bag. You need to let it sit several days
My husband forgot that he had his iPhone in his shirt pocket when we went surfishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Saltwater and batteries don’t mix well. He was new to cell phones and actually wanted to know if I could save it! Each time we surfish now, I make sure he leaves his phone in the truck.
I’ve never had a problem with a phone, but my old laptop had to be reset to factory settings. The man who fixed it for me recommended dropbox which I now use. I have it on my phone too and it automatically uploads and saves all photos I take on my phone, so I don’t have to worry about loosing them as I did with my laptop.