January is the perfect month to sit back and take a calmer perspective on life after the festivities of December. If you want to take this one step further then why not consider adopting the idea of slow living? It’s a lifestyle approach that suggests slowing down everyday life for the better, and learning to enjoy the simple pleasures. We're big fans here at Snakehive.
A slower approach means reviewing our relationship with 'stuff' - all the products and gadgets we buy that clutter our homes: unused, gathering dust and getting in the way. One of the items that many of us are guilty of hoarding is old phones, often a consequence of regularly upgrading a smartphone to the latest model. But do we really need to upgrade, or are we simply addicted to the new?
We've compiled a list of phone facts to put our phone addiction into context:
Simple, don't automatically upgrade to the latest phone model. We're not saying you shouldn't upgrade, just don't do it without thought. The idea that something that works fine needs to be regularly replaced is now so ingrained in our culture that few people question it. The rate of smartphone improvement has slowed in recent launches; the technological additions are far less apparent, and can sometimes be achieved through software upgrades to the existing handset.
Choosing longevity over short term use is a concept that sits well with us at Snakehive - we're really proud of the quality and craftsmanship of our cases that are built to last. We also stock cases for a wide range of older phones so can help give a new lease of life to older models such as the iPhone 4, iPhone 5C and Samsung Galaxy 4 among others.
Obviously, if your older phone is getting slower, experiencing shorter battery life and screen blackouts, or even if the screen is cracked it may be time to upgrade. Before you do, though, consider getting it fixed for less. Repairing these issues instead of opting for an upgrade can save you hundreds of pounds.
But if you decide it is time to upgrade, don’t throw your old phone out with the rubbish.
We hope you’ve found our musings on upgrades and ‘stuff’ in general interesting – it’s food for thought. We wish you a Happy New Year for 2017 - and may it be clutter free and full of simple pleasures. We’re now off to embrace the slow living mind set and take Clover the office dog out for a walk.
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