Since the introduction of the smartphone on the consumer market, it has become one of the most owned personal items worldwide. It has also become one of the most addictive digital tools. According to data, from 2016 to 2021, global smartphone usage increased by 1.3 billion. This means, over six years, the annual growth rate remained at 10%. However, with this piece of technology comes a load of myths you wouldn't believe are speculative. Here are a few ones you should not believe.
Smartphones demagnetize credit cards
Smartphones are equipped with three little magnetic field
sensors located close to the smartphone speaker. It is understandable why
people may think that this electromagnetic field can cause damage to credit
cards. The latter is also designed with a small magnetic strip that contains
digital information. In truth, however, your smartphone cannot alter this
information or damage your credit cards. The reason is that the tiny magnet in
the smartphone is not strong enough to cause a terrible impact on your cards.
Smartphone magnets are tiny and play specific roles to aid
the proper functioning of the gadget. More so, manufacturers are aware of the
damage that a huge magnetic field can cause to cards of that nature. This
explains why the magnets contained in your phone are that small and designed to
be weak enough to avoid causing harm.
Refurbished phones are of poor quality
For whatever reason, the word 'refurbished' has a negative
connotation in people's minds. Perhaps, there is a psychology behind this
misconception. In reality, though, refurbished phones are not of sub-standard
quality. They are taken through quality checks, where old data is wiped, and
the phones are unlocked for use by the new owner. Even with Apple, there is a
whole department dedicated to refurbishing iPhones. Additionally, there are
third-party companies with expertise in handling refurbished iPhones. So you see, refurbished doesn't in any way mean it's a write-off.
Closing open background apps speed phone performance
Even though it might be hard to believe, this is false.
Perhaps, the confusion arises from apps' open in background' and those that
are' running.' The latter suggests that some phone apps currently running may
be draining your battery power. However, when apps are open in the background,
they are idle and only there to make a quick relaunch if needed. Indeed, the
play on words and the technical definitions contribute largely to the mix-up
and associated myth.
When you go to your smartphone settings, you will see a
clear division of running apps and those ‘open in background’. All you have to
do is close those running apps to increase battery power and phone performance.
The ‘open in background’ list is fine and should be maintained just as they
are.
Hairdryer cleans up a wet phone
The truth is, most smartphones are not water-resistant.
Indeed, some are created to be water-proof and remain unaffected when exposed
to a specific depth of water. However, it is not a feature you want to test or
play with. Unfortunately, people accidentally drop their smartphones into the
water, and that's when the nightmare begins. Some smartphone users believed
that the hairdryer was the absolute drying tool for years.
Unfortunately, this doesn't seem right. On the contrary, the
hairdryer could overheat your smartphone and cause more damage than you can
imagine. While it may be a good idea to gentlyshake off excess water from the ports, be careful not to drop the phone
either.
According to experts, removing the SIM and other accessible
parts is the immediate thing to do. Pat the outer portions dry and place the
smartphone on a clean, dry surface for a couple of hours. If it fails to power
when you turn it on, it would be a good idea to see the phone technician.