Tips to keep your device in good health

[EmilieT]

Hi everyone, 

Last year, we posted some ideas on how to Spring clean your smartphone, and got a lot of additional useful info from your own experiences in the discussion. We'd now like to talk, more broadly, about how to keep your device in good health!

The top tips O2 Gurus shared in the video above are:

• Make sure your phone can bounce back after bumps and thumps with a case and screen protector.
• Avoid moisture indoors and out, because warranties don't cover water damage, keep your phone dry💧
• Fix bugs and help keep your phone secure, by installing updates as soon as they land.
• Back up regularly: don't lose priceless pics, must-keep messages and your special numbers.
• Phones and batteries don't like it too hot, or too chilly: avoid extreme temperatures ❄️🔥
• Always use quality chargers, the one that came with your phone is best.
• Everyone needs a break every now and then: a weekly restart will refresh your phone settings and memory.
• We all need a little room to breathe Keeping storage free helps your phone perform better.
• Battery apps may sound great, but installing them can slow your phone down - don't use them. 
• Still need help? Make an appointment with one of our gurus at your local O2 Store!

Are they any other tips you guys can think of to keep a device in good health?

Let us know in the comments!

[JAZZ-trad]

Absolutely need the correct and supplied charger in the box. @EmilieT

[welshsteve76]

Phones not coming with a charger isn't right.  As has already been said, it is simply a way for O2 to cash in.

You have phone manufacturers saying the correct charger must be used with a phone, then you have a network taking them out of the box and charging extra.

I think I read that this has been already suggested, or somethign similar anyway, but why not leave the chargers in the boxes, but instead all O2 shops could have a "bin" where people can put their old chargers in for recycling, much like supermarkets have for old batteries.

That would surely make more sense.

They could even give out a 10% off accessories voucher for recycling your old chargers.

Either way, it would be good publicity

[jonsie]

Great idea @welshsteve76 

[welshsteve76]

I thought so @jonsie 

[EmilieT]

Good morning everyone,

There’s been some questions specifically around our chargers, when they’re included, how or when they’re removed etc. There’s some general confusion and lack of knowledge in this area that we hoped to clear up and put you in the know

Who removes the chargers?
Working with phone manufacturers and suppliers, if we target a particular device to exclude the charger, then the manufacturer themselves remove this and are officially sealed by them. O2 does not remove the chargers or re-seal the boxes.

What happens with the removed chargers?
We do not remove these ourselves – it is the manufacturer – but from working with our supply chain, this should mean the manufacturer needs to make or order less chargers than they otherwise would have, which would result in less electronic waste, and less energy used in manufacturing them (since less are needed).

Do you profit from removed chargers?
No! Because our estimates show that the majority of UK homes have over 100 million unused USB chargers, we expect most customers will have what they need to charge their device. For the small numbers of customers who don’t have one, or may need one however, we can provide them with a compatible USB charger at cost price. To clarify, we don’t make profit on these chargers – the price you pay for it is the price it costs us to buy from the supplier or manufacturer.

When do you remove chargers from the box?
Nowadays, many chargers – especially for high end or flagship devices – are specialised and provide fast charging capabilities. Because of this, we would not remove them because we understand not all customers will have such specialised chargers at home. Other devices however, that come with a standard USB wall charger with standard charging speeds and ratings, may be part of our ‘charger out of the box’ scheme. Because these are so common and have been around for many years, our estimates suggest there are more than 100 million unused standard USB chargers laying around in British homes and offices, so we see this as an opportunity to help create less unused tech and less electronic waste and landfill in the UK.

Other info

As a general rule of thumb, we will not remove chargers if they are specialised or fast charging ones, and only if there is an agreement with the manufacturer to exclude it. If a manufacturer feels strongly about including their charger despite our request to exclude it, then this isn’t something we would force. To address another point we’ve seen, if you find any instance of a device being advertised by us online as coming with a charger that then doesn’t, we would welcome you to contact us with additional info and details so we can investigate this with our supply chain.

[welshsteve76]

Great post @EmilieT  Very informative, and clears up a lot of questions. 

Would the "cost price" charge apply if you bought from an O2 shop?  Or would it only be if you contacted O2 directly to obtain one?  My experience of the staff in O2 shops in recent years has not been great (used to be top notch in my local store).

[TallTrees]

Fantastic @EmilieT
Certainly clarifies the issue. I would not have a fast charger. I like the point that o2 check with the phone company too.
Thanks for the update.

[gmarkj]

First, welcome back @EmilieT.
Second, if the Honor View 20 that @jonsie has an advertised feature of fast charge, then surely his charger should have been included in the box?

[JAZZ-trad]

Hello and nice you are back ~  @EmilieT 

Good point from @gmarkj 

Certainly need the correct charger for the fast chargers.  

I can see that the slower types may be compatible

it would still concern me though.  I always use

the charger associated with the particular phone.

You have said though that it was checked by o2

with the company involved.

Thank you 

[jonsie]

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@gmarkj wrote:
First, welcome back @EmilieT.
Second, if the Honor View 20 that @jonsie has an advertised feature of fast charge, then surely his charger should have been included in the box?

---

This has fast charge capabilities and advertised in the shop that a charger is included. Let's face it, in these hurry hurry times, who wouldn't want to use a fast charger?

Now I'm grateful for the phone and would not like to be insistent about this.

However, other customers may wish to persue such a glaring omission.

The shop pages are being updated at the moment. Maybe, just maybe they have stopped listing it?

A earlier screen grab.