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Troubleshooting Electronic Devices

Once we upgraded our home by adding a new sound system and home theater system, we found ourselves neck-deep in electrical device problems. It seemed like no matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't figure out how to troubleshoot some of the devices. It was frustrating. Fortunately, a friend of ours took the time to come over and teach us more about figuring out electrical issues. After a little work, we were able to get all of our systems working beautifully. I wanted to make this blog to help other homeowners who might be bad with electronics. Read on to learn how to troubleshoot your gadgets.

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Troubleshooting Electronic Devices

Is It Time For A Repair, Or A Full Replacement?

by Summer Li

The iPhone and Apple's approach to repairs and replacements has created a strange set of decisions. Taking the device in for repairs can be helpful, but it can only happen if your device is under warranty--and warranties can end either from time, or if the damage voids the warranty. In some cases, your iPhone will just get replaced, and the problem can persist if it's caused by a specific app or service that you need to use. Before tossing your iPhone into Apple's replacement system--or if you can't replace it at all--here are a few details about handling the issue yourself or getting your own, dedicated technician.

Slow Performance Causes

A slow smartphone is made even more jarring by the somewhat seamless, intuitive ways that smartphones have enhanced modern life. Apps should open up with a tap and at least have some meter that fluidly shows the delay, but if your device is stuttering, freezing, or moving slower than your fingers, it can be frustrating.

This slow performance can be caused by two major issues: app resource overuse or obsolete hardware. 

With app resource overuse, your apps are taking too many of the resources that make your iPhone "go". Smartphones are handheld computers with a small phone feature, and have the same performance limitations as computers. The processor is the brain of the system that handles a certain number of calculations, and can be over-tasked. There is also a limited amount of Random Access Memory (RAM. Not your SD cards) to deliver information to the processor.

Apps run by requesting a certain amount of memory. Some performance issues happen when that request is mistakenly open-ended, such as a single request for memory that grows far beyond what the app actually needs. This can sometimes happen because the app thinks that it's giving unused memory back, but is actually keeping memory and demanding even more.

Not all apps are created by professional programmers. The Apple culture didn't just create customers out of iPhone users; the app world is also a kind of crafty, artsy world where almost anyone can create an app as long as it works as intended and is legal. This means a lot of well-intentioned people who don't know programming best practices can make decent ideas that don't run well.

An obsolete phone simply doesn't have the power to run the newest apps. When new hardware is released that can do more, the same app developers who may not know best practices will take advantage of the new power and write apps for the newest devices. Established programmers will write their apps with legacy (old) devices in mind.

Solving App Problems That Replacements Can't Fix

If your device is out of warranty or fails after replacement, take it to an iPhone repair professional. These professionals can take more time with your device to figure out specific upgrade ideas, or to troubleshoot app problems.

One major issue is getting more memory to run apps more smoothly. When you purchase a smartphone, you get a device that can be modified in a few ways, but not in core areas such as processor power or RAM. A professional can, however, remove built-in apps that hamper performance or aren't efficient.

This isn't recommended for non-technicians, as it's hard to know which services are needed by the device and which ones have no other connections. Technicians can also speak with app developers to request fixes for certain issues. Contact an iPhone repair professional, such as at Refurb Kings, to find a more direct approach to making your device more efficient.

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