An Android phone is a smartphone, getting a new smartphone is such an exciting moment and you’re filled with joy.
I felt the same when I got my first smartphone years ago. However, it later came to be a regret for me afterwards because I didn’t take the necessary steps I was supposed to take. Instead, I was obsessed with the beauty of the smartphone and the amazing touch screen capability which I’ve never used.
Don’t be like me dude. Your first day with your phone is not for gaming, neither is it for digging out the amazing features the phone has embedded in. instead, it is actually for digging out the “flaws” of the device and deciding if you could cope with the flaws on the long run.
Some people (like me during the launch of my first smartphone) won’t care about the specs. They keep marveling at the thought that they’ve gotten a new phone; two months later, -frustration.
Here in this article, I’ll be showing you some basic checks you should make on any smartphone before settling for it. These require absolutely no tech experience and can be carried out, even by a dummy.
But hey! We’re not dummies, we’re ninjas, and we’ll do it absolutely better. So ninjas, let’s do this.
[lwptoc]
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Check the hardware performance
This is an important step in setting up your new Android phone. Your hardware is the physical device everyone can see and touch. You have to carry out effective performance checks to ascertain that you’ve not bought a useless machine.
Hardware checks include, but is not limited to checking the microphone, speakers, charging ports, SIM ejectors, –everything. Sometimes, these may be faulty or have minor glitches which you might come to regret much later.
This is the stage where you examine the device’s casing and design. Is it something you would show out in public without shame? Most new Android phones today are very well designed, so we have minimal worries here.
You should also check the battery capabilities and carry out a practical test. Numbers actually do lie. Your 5000 mAh battery doesn’t mean it can’t shut down within two days. Put the phone to test. Test the cameras too. Forget about the pixels and shoot in real life. Are you satisfied with the results? It’s always very late to fix it later.
If it comes with extra accessories like earphones, you should be sure to check it too and report any glitches you discover. Do not “manage” your phone. You paid cash for it, you should get good value for money, unless you have a ridiculous budget.
Examine the software
There are three components of a computer system; the software, hardware and peopleware component. How unfair would it be to check the hardware without checking the software component too?
To tech geeks, the software component is the most important part of a device. Your software includes your operating system, and everything that’s inside your phone, which, of course, you can’t touch.
The first software check you should make is the operating system. Is it updated?
Your operating system is the life of your phone. Your phone works and carries out functions based on what has been programmed into the OS. It is therefore important for your OS to be updated at all times.
If you invested in a lower quality outdated Android phone, you might not get the latest OS update, which is the Android 10. Nevertheless, you should always strive to be on the latest version for your phone. If your budget permits, never use an outdated phone that is no longer receiving system updates.
Phones that don’t receive updates are many times more vulnerable to hacks and cyber-attacks than phones that do. Also, you get to miss out on exciting updates which were made available after the update.
For example, new Android phones that fail to receive the Android 10 update (like mine) will unfortunately miss out on the dark mode for Android. So, the second thing you should do after ensuring your device looks well, is to check the OS version to see if it can be upgraded.
You should also check the RAM size as well as the internal memory. A RAM of less than 2GB is extremely poor. You should shoot for about 4GB RAM or more, but it all depends on your budget. A 4GB RAM is not so bad for light usage, if equipped with sufficient space.
If your budget isn’t smiling at 4GB of RAM, you might think about investing in an Android Go edition. They’re light Android phones with optimized apps to work under 1GB of RAM. I wouldn’t recommend these phones though; they hell freeze!
Copy your previous data
If you’re moving from an older phone to a newer phone, it means you’ll have to transfer all the data from your previous phone to the new phone. This includes all your music, videos, files, documents and if possible, contacts.
Some newer generation Android phones come with an app that’s capable of doing that. Otherwise, you can get Xshare app from the Google Play Store.
Xshare does not only transfer files between two phones at an alarmingly fast rate, but it is also used to backup phones. Xshare is supported on almost all new Android phones and has made the process of moving to another phone relatively easy.
Set up your internet connection
A phone without an internet connection in 2020 is virtually a calculator. Once you’re satisfied with your device’s performance and OS, you should also remember to set up its internet connection.
If your OS isn’t up to date at the point of purchasing the phone, you’ll need a stable internet connection to update it.
Your phone searches for nearby Wi-Fi devices and you can choose to connect it to your home Wi-Fi network, or any other source of internet as you may please. If you’d always prefer to use mobile data, you can skip this step and move on.
Once you’re done setting up your network, we can jump onto PlayStore to get some amazing apps for the phone.
Install necessary apps
Apps that you should install on your new Android phone depends on your personal preferences.
Personally, I don’t fancy the default Android keyboard, so I install Gboard and I change my keyboard background. Also, I’m kind of addicted to Microsoft Launcher, and it is usually the second app I always install on my phones.
Then I move on to the social media and instant messaging apps. A phone without WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Facebook Messenger isn’t mine.
Also, I always install a custom PDF reader and a document viewer. Lastly, I always use a security app, like an antivirus. It becomes even more important to install an antivirus when your phone no longer receives updates or you constantly download files from the internet.
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Conclusion
That’s all I do whenever I set up a new Android phone.
Oh wait! I forgot one; set your unlock option. Protect your identity from theft by setting up an efficient lock, like the fingerprint scanner or the face unlock on newer phones.
Keep your phone safe and enjoy your new Android phones.
Thanks.
