Summer is here, and while we’re winding up for a summer of fun, our iPhones are not. Sadly, iPhones and summer make a poor combination for a variety of reasons. But, many incidents of horrible iPhone demise are avoidable.
Here are some horrors that those of us in the iPhone repair business see on a regular basis:
Heat
We already covered this in a previous blog. At this risk of sounding redundant (read: nagging), an iPhone doesn’t handle heat well. Respond accordingly.
Sand
Every tiny crack and orifice in your iPhone is a sand trap waiting to fill. The beach, the lake, even Grandma’s Fourth of July barbecue are opportunities for your iPhone to get disgustingly dirty, or, even worse, wet. Still, it’s hard to remember that your iPhone is a delicate electronic when it’s always functional. Nonetheless, it’s important to keep in mind that dirt is a bane to an iPhone.
Lint
We get multiple calls a week from iPhone owners whose iPhone won’t charge because the charging port is chock full of lint. Pocket or purse lint works its way to the charging port and is then jammed into the orifice by the charging plug. After a few dozen or hundred times, the iPhone suddenly quits charging, and the owner can’t figure out why.
Oil, grease, goo
Summer means sweaty bodies, sunscreen, tanning lotion, dripping food and all manner of unwanted lubricants. The natural transference of goo onto your iPhone, in turn, makes the iPhone slippery and hard to hold. Suddenly, in a moment which seems to happen in slow motion, your phone is falling, falling, falling onto that pool decking, where it receives the kiss of death, a full on shatter, or a nasty crack. This type of incident ruins the trip to the pool.
Jealousy
Hip pics of First Friday in downtown Phoenix show up on your social media while you’re at home washing your hair. Even your Uncle Jon is taking selfies in Sicily. Everyone is hammering for Habitat or Comicon-ing or partaking in some other worthwhile endeavor while you’re sitting at home. It isn’t fair. Wah.
Solutions
Consider leaving your iPhone at home when you take a trip to the pool or beach. Whatever you do, don’t leave it in your car, which can climb to temperatures over 160 degrees in the summer. If you must bring your iPhone with you to a pool or beach, turn the power off. Wrap it in something that will keep it clean and dry.
If you’re jealous of your social media compatriots, the easiest thing to do is to remember that wanting and having are two very different things. Your day in the sun will come. If that isn’t enough, maybe if you get off the internet for a while and start doing instead of watching, you won’t have time to be jealous. Plus, maybe you can get some ice cream--just keep your iPhone away from it. Isn’t that what summer is all about?
