12 Popular smartphone myths blasted!
Like everything in technology, mobile phones are prone to myths and rumors that just don’t seem to die.
So here I am trying to unravel the myths which are baseless and should be clarified :
1. Using phones in the petrol pump may cause fire:-
Petroleum gas is flammable – it can be ignited by a spark. But that spark will probably come from matches, lighters or static electricity and not your mobile phone. The fear is that a faulty phone or battery will cause a spark and fire but this is extremely unlikely and there is not a single verified incidence of this happening.
2. Don't charge your phone overnight as it damages the battery :-
All modern electronics with rechargeable batteries have safety circuits built in to prevent overcharging and therefore any sort of damage. Once the battery has been fully charged, it will stop charging on its own. The power adapter may continue to draw a little bit of power in some cases.
3. Only charge your phone after exhausting the battery fully :-
Lithium-ion batteries actually perform better when they remained charged. Older NiCAD and NiMH lasted longer when you let them fully drain before charging back to 100 percent. Modern batteries don’t face this same sort of problem because they don’t have “cell memory” like the older NiCAD and NiMH rechargeables.
However, there is still some truth to this rumor. While it doesn’t make your battery last any longer, some experts agree that you should be doing a 0-100 cycle – that is, letting it drain completely before fully recharging – every three months, or after 40 partial cycles . It's not to increase the life of your battery, but instead it’s called a “calibration” and it helps the reading that shows on your display to remain accurate.
4. We should only use original chargers :-
To some extent, this myth exists solely to put money in the pockets of the phone manufacturer’s. While smartphones have razor thin profit margins, the accessory market makes up a good deal of a company’s revenue.
The truth of the matter is that any charger built to manufacturers specs are safe to use with your phone.
What most consumers don’t understand is that there is a difference between a quality third party charger, and that of a cheap Chinese counter-part.
5. We should not call or receive call while charging :-
It's true that there have been a few cases of mobile phones and tablets exploding – but it's actually the batteries that caused a fire and exploded – not the entire device itself.
Typically, the issue was attributed to low-quality, aftermarket batteries, spurious chargers, dubious charging techniques (trying to charge gadgets from 440 volt lines, DC batteries and so on). If you use genuine batteries and chargers in the way they are supposed to be used, you won't have a problem.
6. We believe that more the Mega pixel, better the camera :-
Sometimes when purchasing a new phone, the camera specs are generally headlined by the number of megapixels on board. But a large megapixel count doesn't necessarily mean a higher quality camera overall.
More megapixels do mean a higher resolution image. However, unless you’re zoomed in, or want to print the image on a larger scale, you probably wouldn’t notice the difference between 8MP and 12MP. When selecting a camera, you're better off looking for a large aperture, optical image stabilisation, depth of field capabilities, and a wide angled lens.
7. Running background apps kills battery faster :-
Apple and Android both allow applications to run in the background for more efficient multi-tasking. This myth seems as if it could be legitimate due to the idea that any additional processes use system resources, and the more programs you have running, the slower the device will be.
However, both operating systems limit just how much these apps can do while they’re running in the background; Android, less so than Apple. But the amount of drain to your battery is quite minimal, and as far as slowing down your phone is concerned, it’s unlikely that multi-tasking is the culprit.
8. 4G network uses more data than 3G :-
4G is much faster than 3G, but that doesn't mean it uses more data. Any webpage, app, or other download is the same size whichever network you're on. For example, a 3MB webpage will still use 3MB of data whether you view it on 3G or 4G.
However, you may feel that 4G eats up data in less time than 3G. This is because 4G allows users to browse more pages in less time, resulting in hitting your allowance sooner. Also, streaming services such as YouTube or Netflix are often available in different resolutions to match your connection. On a faster connection you may be tempted to watch more HD rather than SD content, which also uses up your data allowance quicker.
9. Using hair dryer to make your wet phone dry :-
Dropped your handset in the sink? Dunked it in the sea? You may be tempted to reach for the hairdryer, but this isn't the best course of action.
Yes, it will help in evaporating the moisture from the handset, however, there is a great possibility the smartphone will overheat, or the water will be blown further inside the device, and as a result the components will become damaged. Instead, try placing your phone in a box of dried rice and keeping your fingers crossed.
10. Incognito mode will hide everything :-
Most mobile phone browsers have a private or incognito mode but this is just a mode that does not keep any tracking cookies or history saved on the device. It will not hide your identity, location, activity or sites you visit from the internet service provider (whether Wi-Fi or GSM), from authorities that may have access or from the owners of the sites themselves.
11. Power saving apps will improve battery backup :-
Power-saving apps claim to rein in unnecessary energy consumption so your smartphone charge lasts longer. Butdo they really work? ... In the process, they consume CPU time and batterylife. Other apps suffer from design issues or outright flaws (called bugs) that cause them to draw unnecessary power.
So,in the long run it may do more harm than good!
12. Powerful processors alone will remove lag from device :-
Processor specs are crammed with numbers, like the number of cores or the clock speed, that show off how fast and powerful it is. In fact, putting an identical processor in two different phones will not result in identical performance. The most important thing is great operating system (OS) optimisation.
So having a powerful processor alone cannot guarantee a lag-free performance!
So if you have found this article helpful in any way, do share it with your family and friends. If you have any questions you can comment below.
Thanks and cheers!
Also read :- What should be done before you sell your phone :https://subhajitsurai.blogspot.com/2019/03/what-should-be-done-before-you-sell.html
