Even if you exercise admirable self-restraint and opt not to not upgrade your mobile phone every year, old devices still tend to accumulate, cluttering your digital drawer (or cupboard).
Sooner or later, you will have to stop and ponder one of the most important questions of digital age:
What to do with the old mobile phones?
Here are six options you have at your disposal:
- Sell it on bidorbuy. On an average day, bidorbuy has several thousand mobile phones listed for sale, of which several hundred are second-hand. So, you won’t be the only one who’s had the bright idea, but the competition won’t be unbearable either.
- Keep it a as a back-up. Mobile phones do tend to get lost or stolen, so always have at least one to see you through the tough times.
- Re-purpose it. With the right drivers (and technical knowledge), you can use your old smartphone to make your desktop PC wireless. Alternatively, use it as a MP3 player, GPS device, media centre remote controller, baby monitor, security camera – or as an alarm clock.
- Give it to a toddler. An old, obsolete phone makes a great toy.
- Give it to an elderly relative. (Their handsets are even older.)
- Recycle it. If your old phone is broken or so obsolete that even your mom won’t have it, you’ll have to dispose of it. Not by throwing it into a trash bin, but by giving it to an electronics recycler.
Before selling or giving your old phone, it is wise to delete all contacts, photos, to-do lists… Although no method (besides physically destroying device) is 100% foolproof, this will reduce the risk of personal data falling into the wrong hands.
