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There are many things that you will hear about your cell phone and not all of them are true.

This has been a long debated topic and has quite a few cell phone users confused. We are here to shed some light on the subject.

If we were to answer this question just by sales volume alone, then the cut and dry winner would be Apple who have on average made 50% of all phone sales in the entire US market. Samsung only makes around 25% of sales in the USA.

One difference between Samsung’s Android and Apples iPhone is price. Although Samsung devices typically have better hardware and are less expensive, iPhones tend to hold their value longer.

As far as cell phone operating systems, it would be safe to say that the iOS system operates more smoothly than Android devices. The reason for this is that Apple invented the iOS software and it runs seamlessly on the iPhones that it was designed to be used with. It is a closed system and this makes it less customizable to its users. So for those that truly want to change their phone’s features for a unique experience, Samsung phones are the best choice.

As far as being user friendly Apple’s iPhones appears to be the best option. It is basically a plug and play operating system designed so that even the very young or the elderly will have no problem learning how to use it. That is the reason why so many people have said “I just can’t get used to switching to Android”. It’s less of a matter of functionality and more a matter of user comfort.

There is also the subject of repairability to consider. Up until just recently Samsung’s devices have been much more expensive to repair, especially when it comes to the most common thing to break on a phone. It is the screen of course. Replacement of a Samsung screen at an independent repair shop has usually run in the past anywhere between $200 to as much as even $400 dollars to replace, while an Apple screen replacement would be as low as $50-$200. The reason for this is the cost of the part that you have to buy…

Using your iPhone has become a part of every day life. But are you really taking your cell phone to it’s full potential? Here are a few tips and tricks that every iPhone user should know about.

1) If you would like to hide an iPhone app without deleting it from your phone there is a way. Just hold your finger on the app icon and a list will appear. Now just select “remove from Home Screen” and the app will appear only in your App Library and be removed from your home screen.

2) There is nothing more annoying than using your iPhone while apps take forever to open and even the keyboard freezes and lags from time to time. Has your iPhone become so slow that you are wishing that you had a new phone? Stop right there. We may be able to help. Sometimes something as simple as turning off location services on your iPhone will give you a noticeable boost in speed. You can do this on settings, privacy, location services. Just switch it to one of these settings…

Never – This will block all access from your location info.

Ask Next Time – This will let you choose either always while using app, allow once, or don’t allow.

While Using App – This will allow an app to use your location anytime the app is up and running on your display.

Always – This allows any and all apps on screen or running in the background access to your iPhone’s location services.

3) Did you know your iPhone can test the battery on your remote controls? Open the camera and switch to your front facing phone camera. Aim your remote into the iPhone camera and look to see if a twinkling pink light is being emitted from your remote. The light should be relatively bright. If it is dim or not there at all then it’s time to replace the battery.

4) Did you know that your iPhone has a built in pedometer? Yes it’s true and it’s easy to use. Just open your iPhone’s health app, click “edit” and enable “steps”. Every step you take while carrying your iPhone will automatically be counted.

5) Live radio can be played from your iPhone. There are dozens of apps on the App Store that allow you to stream live radio broadcasts. It is a great feature that few iPhone users know about.

6) Open the tape measure app on your iPhone. Then tap the tape measure icon at the lower portion of your display. Direct your iPhone’s camera at the starting point of what you would like to measure. Press the + icon on your cell phone then move your camera to the end point of what you would like to measure. The  tap on the “+” icon again. It’s as easy as that!

We at Phoenix Phone Fix hope that you’ve enjoyed learning about just a few of the many functions that your iPhone has to offer. If you would like to share any of your own just leave them in the comments below. We will keep you updated on any new releases that can make your phone much more than it appears to be. 🙂

 

 

 

 

One day you pick up your iPhone, the familiar Apple  appears. And then it just flashes slowly on and off. Again and again it flashes. Time passes as you stare and the logo just continues to flash never bringing you to your home screen. You are stuck, and unable to use your iPhone.

If this has happened to you, then you may want to try these 5 easy fixes before bringing your phone to the local repair shop.

1) Try a hard reset 

Depending on your iPhone’s model this can be done in the following ways.
For an iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6 plus or iPhone 6S plus – Hold down the power button at the same time as the home button until the power off slider appears on your phone’s display. Ignore the slider and keep holding both buttons. (Sometimes you’ll have to keep the buttons held down for almost a full minute) Eventually the screen will go blank and the Apple logo will appear. As soon as it appears release both buttons and wait, until PRESTO! You are back at the home screen and able to use your device again!

For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus the technique is exactly the same except instead of holding down the power and home button you’ll be holding down the power and volume down buttons instead.

For iPhone 8, iPhone 8 plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, IPhone XR, iPhone XS max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 pro , iPhone 11 pro max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 pro, iPhone 12 pro max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 pro, and iPhone 13 pro max the cell phone hard reset process is a little more involved, but still simple. For these iPhone models you first press the volume up button, release it then quickly press the volume down button and release it. Then immediately press and hold down the power button.  Keep holding the power button until apple on/off slider appears and keep holding. Don’t stop holding the power button until the on/off slider vanishes to be replaced by the iPhone’s Apple logo. With luck you will soon be brought back to your iPhone’s beloved home screen and back in business.

It is important to note that while performing a hard reset that once the apple logo appears you must release all buttons. I repeat, once the apple logo appears on your iPhone during the hard reset process release all of your cell phone’s buttons immediately. If you don’t then your phone will enter something called “recovery mode” and you will have to use a laptop to restore it. Also you risk losing all the data stored on your device.

Follow these instructions exactly and you will be off of that frustrating Apple logo screen and back to using your phone in no time!

2) Try updating or factory resetting your phone through iTunes 

If you have already hard reset your iPhone and it is still stuck on the Apple logo the next thing you can try is to update your phone through iTunes. This, if successful, will not erase any of the data stored on your cell phone but there are some instances when iTunes will display a message stating that “this iPhone can not be updated it must be restored”. If this is the case then you’ll have no choice other than to erase your phone and reset it to factory settings. To try an update you’ll need a laptop with the iTunes app installed. Connect your phone to the laptop by use of usb lighting cord. Then follow the instructions for hard resetting your phone, except when the apple logo appears keep holding down the buttons until your phone enters “recovery mode”. Once this happens just follow the prompts from iTunes. You’ll reach a screen when you may choose between “update” or “restore”. You may want to try updating first and if the update fails then the final option will be to restore your iPhone.

 

 

 

 

A countless number of videos exist online claiming to be able to teach you how to repair your own cell phone. It may look relatively easy but you might want to read this before picking up that screw driver…

One thing you need to know is that many of the videos that you see online make the phone repair look so easy because it has been created to make a difficult job look simple. The reason is that the same people making those phone repair videos are also selling the parts to do it. You might notice links at the bottom of the video that when clicked on will take you directly to their online store.

Many of the flex cables you’ll encounter inside an iPhone are very easy to tear. And if you happen to tear the wrong one then a simple iPhone screen repair can end up costing you many hundreds of dollars.

Iphone battery replacements are not as phone repair friendly as you might think. The battery is secured to the cell phone by a strong adhesive pull tab. The tabs often break and then you’ll have to remove the battery manually. I have seen a novice puncture a battery while it was still inside the iPhone. It grew red hot and was on fire in a matter of seconds. Just a small slip of a pry tool or screwdriver and just like that. No more iPhone.

To avoid all of this there are professionals at cell phone repair shops like Phoenix Phone Fix that you can easily bring your device to. In many cases the entire repair can be completed while you wait in less than 20 minutes, and at a minimal cost.

So please, take my advice. Do not put your precious   iPhone in risk of permanent damage by attempting a repair that you are unsure of, just to save a few dollars. Every repair looks easy, until it isn’t.

Has your cell phone been lost or stolen? One of your worst nightmares is somehow losing your cell phone and even worse, all of the irreplaceable data that was contained within it. But are all of your lost photos, contacts, and text messages really gone forever? Maybe not. There may be a way to retrieve everything that you have lost. Here’s how…

If you are an Android cell phone user and your phone has been lost or stolen it is likely that your photos are what you would most like to retrieve. If your phone has been connected to WiFi it is usually set to be automatically synchronized to Google Photos. If this is the case then all you’ll need to do is to buy a new phone and sign into your Google account. Chances are all of your photographs have been saved there. Just like magic they will appear right back onto your new phone. iPhone users can do much the same thing using their Apple iCloud account.

iPhone users may be able to locate their lost or stolen iPhones by using the Find My iPhone feature. This can allow iPhone users with phones dated after the iPhone 11 release to track their phones precise location even while the phone is powered off.

If finding your phone is not possible and none of the above options have panned out then unfortunately there is not much else that can be done. It will be a hard lesson learned that you should always back up your priceless cell phone data on Google or iCloud. You may someday be very lucky that you did.

 

 

Most of us use our cell phones everyday and we know how to use them. But are you really taking advantage of all that your smart phone has to offer? Here are 5 things that I bet no one has shown you about your cell phone that you can do right now.

1) Did you know that both Siri and Google now allow you to turn WiFi on or off by using voice commands. Just say “Hey Siri, turn on WiFi” or “Hey Siri, turn on airplane mode”.  It’s a neat little trick that not many know about, except for you 🙂

2) Another good but simple thing to know about your cell phone is that turning on airplane mode while charging allows your phone to charge much faster. Turning on airplane mode also also helps greatly if you want to conserve battery life. It is now easier than ever to do. Just ask Siri.

3) For Android phone users there is a great new feature called “Smart Lock” which enables your phone to disable the passcode whenever your cell phone is  in a trusted location like your home or your family’s. To use this just go to “Settings”, “Security”, “Lock Settings”, “Smart Lock” then choose your trusted places and just like magic, your phone will automatically unlock when entering these locations.

4) Have you ever tried to take a selfie and find the camera shutter button hard to reach? Well there is a way to activate a floating shutter button and place it anywhere on your Samsung  phone screen. Go to “Settings”, “Shooting Methods”, “Floating Shutter Button”.  Just disable or enable it here and it will appear anytime you want just by opening  your cell phones camera app.

5) Did you know that all newer model cell phones have a built in metal detector? I’m not kidding. Your cell phone can be turned into a real working metal detector that will vibrate anytime a metal object is near. Even small objects such as a lost key or a lost piece of jewelry can be easily detected. There are many metal detector apps available for download for either your Apple or Android device. Happy hunting!

These are just a few of the many wondrous things that your everyday smartphone is capable of. Phoenix Phone Fix in Tampa, Fl. is here to keep your device up and running, and our certified technicians are ready to help whenever you are in need. We are just a phone call away.

(Our sincere and special thanks to “Charlie” for helping us create this fantastic  blog. We appreciate you!  🙂

 

Finally, Apple has launched, as promised their new iPhone self repair program. This will enable just about anyone to repair their own apple devices at home, or will it?

For some do-it-yourselfers Apple’s iPhone self repair service might might be a way to save some money. Or it could be a nightmare in disguise.

So what exactly is it?
Well, the first thing you need to know is that Apple will place a hold on your credit card of $1200.00 in order to rent their iPhone repair equipment. The equipment is heavy and weighs almost 100 pounds. That’s quite a bit of machinery to replace a simple iPhone screen. You’ll need to rent the same amount of equipment to replace your iPhones battery. It’s also kind of ridiculous that apple charges over $90 to buy the battery from them on top of the equipment rental cost, when the apple store is replacing the battery for you at just $69.

And although Apple does warn the average DIY enthusiast to “not attempt” these repairs at home they still willingly  rolled out this program. It’s an accident waiting to happen.

I’m sure there are many people that have used this program to repair their cell phone that have ended their experience with great success. If done correctly by someone that is skilled with their hands and repair savvy I do agree this program is golden. But for the majority of us that have trouble changing a tire, this program is just what it is.

 

Is someone watching you right now? Yes, it is absolutely possible for someone to hack into your phone and spy on you through the camera of your own cell phone.

Hackers have found ways to keep your camera running in the background even when your screen is turned off.

This type of spying on someone has been happening for years. It has been done in the past by hackers using the camera on a victims computer to watch and even secretly record them.

You might want to know next how to prevent these computer and cell phone hackers from infiltrating your electronic devices. The answer is that there is nothing that would be 100% effective. Not unless you disable all of the cameras and microphones on you laptop or cell phone.

Here is the answer.

There are many reasons why you should trade your phone in rather than throw it away.
First of all your device is made up of highly toxic chemicals that are very bad for the environment. And if discarded in an irresponsible manner they could poison the ground and the water that you drink. By entering the ecosystem these harmful chemicals could even make their way into the very food that you eat.

It is so easy to trade in that unwanted cell phone that there is no reason to do otherwise. It can be done safely online without even stepping out the door.

And it’s not only Apple that wants that old phone. There are countless other options that will accept virtually any electronic device, be it working or not. If you can’t factory reset the phone yourself and are worried about your private data, there are many trusted, reputable sources that have strict policies in place that ensure the security of any personal information left in storage.

Most phones that are traded in will be refurbished by skilled technicians that will replace any damaged components. The phone is wiped of all data and given a grade according to the cosmetic condition of the device. After that the cell phone is placed back into the market to be sold in places like China and South America. This allows people that wouldn’t normally be able to afford a cell phone to be able to purchase your refurbished device at a price that they can afford.

So trading your cell phone in is a very good thing. Not only are you doing your part to protect the world’s environment, you will also be opening up a whole new world of opportunity to someone that needs it.