Is the age of your phone important?
When I wonder how old is my phone, I usually think about the fact that it becomes obsolete after a few years, and there are better options on the market. Also, the age of a phone also says a lot about security. Older models don’t receive the latest security updates, so you are prone to more attacks and hackers. Another thing to keep in mind is that older phones tend to love performance as well. They deal with slower performance and aside from that being annoying, it can also slow down your productivity as well. And, maybe the main reason why I am wondering how long have I had this phone is battery life. As time goes by, the battery life of a device decreases quite a bit. That alone affects the user experience a lot, and I can tell that firsthand since I have to take my charger with me anywhere I go due to the phone battery lasting only half a day or so.
Ways to identify the age of your phone
Manufacturing code
Checking the manufacturing code is actually a great way to learn how long have I had my phone. If you insert “##manufacturingcode##” in the dialing pad of your device, you should gain access to a service menu. This is where the device will show you the manufacturing country and date, model information, and many others. It’s a great idea because it works very nicely, and you will be impressed with its ease of use.
Dedicated applications
You can find applications that make it easy to identify your phone’s age. They acquire data like the IMEI number and go through various websites in order to figure out where the phone was created, the exact manufacturing date, and so on.
Check the phone’s settings
The advantage here is that your device’s settings are very accurate and they have all the necessary information in there. Within the Settings of your device, you can find About Phone, where you can learn all the necessary information. Granted, in some cases manufacturers will find this harder to access, but that’s definitely not always the case.
Your phone’s purchase box
Not everyone keeps the phone’s original box, but if you did, you should check its interior. Here you can find a sticker which shares details regarding the manufacturing date. In order to make sure that the manufacturing date is the right one, you want to double-check and see if the IMEI number in the phone settings is the same as the one in the box. There are situations when you might not have the same IMEI and that means you should use one of the other methods listed above. They will offer a more accurate insight into everything.
How do you know if your phone is unlocked or not?
If you own an iPhone, you just have to do the following:
Enter your phone’s settings and choose CellularIn case the phone is unlocked, the Cellular Data option is availableIf it’s locked, you won’t have that option available.
In case you own an Android phone, here are the steps to focus on:
Enter the Android phone settingsChoose Connections and then open NetworksNow you want to click Network Operators. If the phone is unlocked, you can see a list with multiple networks.When the phone is locked, you will just see one result.
The entire process is very simple, and if you follow these guidelines you will have no problem knowing whether you are dealing with a locked or unlocked phone.
How can you know the age of your iPhone?
If you’re like me and you’re wondering how long have I had my phone and you’re an iPhone owner, then it’s important to know a few things. iPhones in general tend to make it harder to know the age of your phone. Depending on the device, you might actually have the manufacturing date within the serial number of your phone. The third digit in your phone’s serial number is the year, so if the number is 6, the phone is from 2016. The two digits after that, mainly the 4th and 5th digits are represent the exact year when the phone was manufactured. If you want to find the serial number of your phone and thus identify its age, you just have to follow these steps:
Enter the phone SettingsGo to General, and then choose AboutHere you can find the serial number and other relevant information.
There’s also a website called Chipmunks that you can visit right now if you want. Click on the link, and enter your phone’s serial number in there. After that, you just press “Laat de informative” to share the info and then the website will automatically share the manufacturing date. Another thing you can do is to check the Warranty Query page from Apple. Visit this page, add the serial number and press Continue, then you will learn about the warranty expiration date. If you look at the warranty period and detract the 1-year warranty, you can determine the age of your device.
Identifying the age of your Samsung device
If you own a Samsung device, then it’s actually quite easy to figure out its age. Like most Android devices, it shows the overall age and manufacturing info in the Settings panel. However, there are apps that you can install on your phone which let you know the age as well. That’s why it can be a great idea to enter the Samsung Store and search something like “phone info app”, you should be able to find a multitude of tools that let you know the overall age of your device.
Telling the age of your LG phone
If you are asking yourself how old is my phone and you own an LG unit, there are some ways to learn the info you need. You can go to the Google Play store and download the LG phone information app. This is a great app that says pretty much anything you want to know about your phone. That makes it very easy to identify not only the age of your device, but also the exact manufacturing date, features included within the device, and so on. Alternatively, you can use an online IMEI checker. Go to the phone’s settings and find the IMEI, and then you enter the IMEI number into the online checker. This should help you learn all the info about your device, which is very handy since you will know all the necessary information firsthand. It’s a clever approach and one that makes a huge difference for any LG phone user.
Understanding the age of your Motorola phone
Motorola phone users won’t have a hard time finding the age of their phones. In fact, the phone age is in the Settings panel, in the About section. Most Motorola models also show the information right on the box as well. That makes it very easy to identify the phone’s age, and if it has any specific features that you may need.
Using Google to find your phone’s manufacturing date
While the methods listed above are great and very specific, there’s also a rather general way to identify the overall age of your device. You can enter the serial number or the model number for your phone in Google, and then you can browse the search results. Generally, there’s a lot of information about every phone model, so you can find that without looking too hard. Of course, the exact manufacturing date for the device might be a bit after the release date, but in general, it’s around that time. So even this general method can give you an idea of when your phone was manufactured.
Check the activation date in Google Play
Granted, this is not a very accurate method, but it’s definitely one of those alternatives that you can at least try out. If you bought the phone brand new when it came out, you can use Google Play as a way to identify when the phone was first activated. Again, this is not an accurate solution, but it can give you an idea of when the phone was manufactured. You can see that via entering the Google Play Store Settings and there you can see when a device was registered. It also shows when you last used the device as well. So if you were wondering how long have I had this phone, then checking these settings can give you some idea as well.
Activating FIND MY PHONE
While you check the device info and age, it’s also a sound idea to activate the Find My Phone function. In case you are using an iPhone, you must follow these guidelines:
Enter the Settings panelTap on your namePress FIND MYNow you want turn the Find My Phone option On
If you use Android, here’s what you need to do:
Enter your phone’s settingsChoose the Security optionNow you want to press Find DeviceHere you want to ensure that the Find My Device service is On.
Making sure that you use this service is very important. The truth is that you never really know when or how you might lose your device. This service allows you to track your device’s location quickly and without any worries. You will know the exact location of your device via accessing your account from another device or computer.
How do you know it’s time to buy a new phone?
As time goes by and your device ages, it slows down, the battery life is lower, and overall the experience itself is not the best one. That’s why the best thing that you can do is to acquire a new phone. But what kind of signs should you look out for? Let’s find out.
The touchscreen is not as responsive when a device gets older. That’s a clear sign that you need to prepare for a new unit.The phone performance is bad, people barely understand what you are saying. When that happens, it’s clear that the unit is not exactly.You don’t have enough storage. Here you don’t even have to check for how long have I had my phone, it’s clear the device is old and you do need more storage space to begin with.Video performance is very slow and laggy. Whenever that happens, you have to address the issue and changing your phone is the right thing to do here.The battery life is really short. Let’s face it, no one wants to take their charger with them anywhere they go. So yes, this is a sign that the phone is old and you need to replace it.In case your phone’s screen is busted and barely works, that’s also a sign you need to change your phone too.
Conclusion
I think it’s very important to learn how old is my phone, so it can be replaced properly. If you end up keeping it for more than you should, then you will experience lag and a vast range of other problems. We recommend using all the tips above to find the age of your phone and also check the telltale signs that show your phone is aging or it’s already too old. These will give you a good insight into when you must change the phone and if this is the right time to do so! Read more about How to track my lost phone for free?, Download and Install PlayBox HD for iOs iPhone and iPad, How to use Two Whatsapp in Dual SIM Phone
