Category: News

In this day and age, our cell phones are almost like a child or part of the family. Your phone is where photos and memories are kept, how you connect with family and friends, and often how you conduct work. It’s extremely important we take safety precautions to ensure our device remains intact and in working order. When mistakes happen luckily iDropped offers Wilkes Barre phone repair to quickly get your phone back to new! To avoid these mistakes, follow a few simple tips.

Keep Your Cell Phone Away From Water

Even though we are in the midst of summer and staying connected while in the pool or at the beach is preferred, water can do serious damage to your phone. While some phones are now made to be splash-proof or mostly water-proof, you are still running the risk of causing damage to your phone. For example, some cell phones are waterproof only up to a certain depth. This means if the phone falls further than so many feet or meters, water pressure can cause many issues. If you must have your phone near water keep in a ziplock bag or waterproof case with a floating device attached. 

Always Use a Protective Case & Screen Protector

While some prefer the sleek simple design your phone has to offer, a protective cell phone case is essential in keeping your phone safe and long-lasting. We know there are many stylish cases out there, but it’s important you make sure they will also protect your phone. Finding a case with raised edges to protect your screen is crucial. A case with extra shock protection is also helpful in protecting your phone from damage when dropping. A screen protector adds an extra level of support to your cell phone screen. Of course, when accidents happen you can rely on iDropped’s Dickson City iPhone repair.

Keep Your Cell Phone Clean

Besides the fact we are in the middle of a global pandemic, keeping your cell phone clean is very important. Did you know that your cell phone has more germs on it than a toilet seat? Now that we’ve completely grossed you out with the facts, it’s time to clean your cell phone! Unlike washing your hands, you can’t use soap and water to clean your cellular device. Start by removing your case, turning off and unplugging your cell phone. Next, thoroughly wash your hands using soap and water. Using an anti-bacterial wipe or alcohol-based disinfectant cleaner and scratch-free cloth, gently wipe down the outside of the phone, including the screen. Find a cleaner that contains 70% isopropyl to clean your phone. This ratio of 70% alcohol is important as that’s the amount needed to kill any germs on the phone’s surface. Be mindful NOT to use 100% alcohol cleaning products as they can damage your phone’s protective coatings. Be sure to avoid getting any moisture or cleaner in any open ports. Keeping your phone clean will avoid dust build up on your phone which causes issues later on.

Don’t Overcharge Your Cell Phone

When your phone reaches a 100% charge, unplug it from the charging cord. Excessively charging your phone can actually reduce your battery power over time. Investing in a portable charger to keep handy for charging emergencies is the best route. 

Have an issue? Visit an iDropped Franchise Location!

Accidents happen, and while following cell phone safety precautions will help extend your cell phone’s life, you still may need the assistance of cell phone repair expert to fix minor problems. Battery life, cracked screens, and cell phone exteriors can all be fixed at your local iDropped franchise location. Visit, message, or give us a call today!

While there are many resources and kits available online to help repair your broken phone, there are also many reasons why you should seek the help of a phone repair expert over trying to fix yourself. Your first instinct may be to start searching “DIY cell phone fixes” to see what can be done from the comfort of your own home. However, trying to fix your device on your own can lead to more problems and damage to your phone.

Here are our top three reasons for having an expert fix your phone over DIY solutions.

Experts have the right tools.

Device repair experts have the right tools and experience to repair your device correctly and efficiently. At any iDropped location, you will find specialized machines that fix cracked screens. We also use specialized tools that can easily take apart and fix any device.

Save time and money.

At iDropped, we have seen several customers bring their phones in after they have attempted fixing it on their own. And what happened to those phones? The damage was so extensive that the customers eventually ended up having to replace both the broken screen and repair other parts of the phone that were damaged by the attempted repair. It actually can end up costing more, in the long run, to try to DIY repair your phone’s screen.

Accurately determine the issue.

Don’t spend hours searching online to figure out the main reason your phone isn’t working properly. Usually, the problem may be more extensive than what Google says is the cause. However, when bringing your device into the experts at iDropped, we can do a scan of your phone if something internally is happening. For example, a simple change of your battery may not stop your phone from overheating. But finding the reason behind the overheating with iDropped, you’ll see that you’ll save time and money working with our team.

It may seem logical to try and fix something on your phone first, but it really could cause you more time, money, and resources than you had originally planned. The team of experts at iDropped is here to help you have your phone back to perfection! Contact us today for more information.

The world is getting more connected now than ever due to the popularity of mobile devices. However, this can spell trouble for people as well. The more people with access means more people trying to access your data for malicious purposes. Start the new year off by protecting yourself with these cyber security tips.

Cyber Security Tips You Need to Know

Don’t Charge Your Phone in Public

This is one of the most unheralded cyber security tips. So pay attention. If you go to the mall or any large public space, you’re bound to find one of those charging stations. As you can see, people are likely to need a quick charge on their phone so these things are really popular. Unfortunately, there is a way these kiosks can hack into your phone installing malware on your device.

It’s through popular hacks called juice jacking and video jacking. Hackers will set up these charging stations in public spaces, people will need to charge their phone and use these devices. However, what users don’t know is that the minute your phone is plugged in, malware can be passed through the charging cord and uploaded to your phone.

As you can see, you should avoid these charging stations like the plague. Rather, bring your charging cord with you and be on the lookout for outlets. Nowadays, more places have easier access outlets to accommodate making the mobile device user comfortable. For more battery saving tips, check out our previous blog with more useful tips and tricks.

Download Anti-Virus Software on Your Phone

The chances are if you own some kind of computer, you have downloaded an antivirus software on it. You’d be correct in doing so considering the amount of sensitive information shared on phones. However, a survey by Kaspersky says we vastly under protect our phones from viruses. Kaspersky says only 43% of iPhones and 53% of Android phones are protected.

Additionally, due to the open-source nature of Android, Kaspersky estimates 99% of malware created through apps exist on Android. Apple has a stricter time limiting the apps it lets in on its App Store whereas Android’s more free with their app selection. Protect yourself and download some antivirus security apps on your phone.

Encrypt Your Data

Your phone passes so much data through it that you can’t afford to not have your data encrypted. It’s rather easy to do so too.

Encrypting Your Data on iOS

• Go To Settings
• Click Touch ID & PassCode
• Click Enable Data Protection

Encrypting Your Data on Android

• Go to Security
• Tap Encrypt Phone

Now, the process to go through with this is quite exhaustive when you compare it to iOS. You must charge your device up to at least 80% battery since the process takes a little over an hour. Additionally, the device must not have root on it or not jailbroken. If you decide to encrypt your data, you can’t stop the process since you risk losing all of your data.

Contact iDropped Today for Phone Protection

These cyber security tips will hopefully protect your phone from all of the bad people trying to use your data. However, these tips can’t fix a broken screen or water damage. That’s where iDropped comes in. Our mobile device repair experts will bring your device back to new! Contact us today for more information.

It’s time to deck those halls. Tis the season to shell out lots of money. The holidays are great for lots of things. All of the fun, kinship, and kindness we all experience in this time is remarkable. What the holidays aren’t so great at doing is saving us some money. With Americans expected to spend more than ever, the rising cost of tech, where can we catch a break? Instead of spending thousands on new tech, here are some battery life saving tips you need to know.

4 Battery Life Saving Tips You May Not Know

Step Back & Think About The Way You Use Notifications

The great part of having your phone always around is that you’re connected to anything, anyone, & anywhere. There’s legitimately an app for everything. However, the more apps you have on your phone, the more problems there could be.

You absolutely need notifications for texts, calls, emails, and or crucial updates. However, do you really need notifications from Angry Birds every 10 minutes? A lot of this tip depends on what you need from your device. Do you need to constantly have work emails come through the minute they hit your inbox? Or can it wait an hour? Believe it or not, spending some time thinking about this can do some wonders to help your battery.

Your phone spends lots of battery every time it needs to refresh the data it ends up receiving. So if you limit your phone pulling that data, over time you’ll see decreases in battery usage.

Silence Unknown Callers

Keep getting those “robo-calls” about federal student loans or IRS Predatory scams? They could potentially be costing more than just money. Consistent calls to phones end up losing large amounts of battery!

When a call comes in, your screen lights up, the speakers turn on, and vibrations occur. This all adds up to the battery being used. It’s one thing if it’s for calls you want. It’s another thing if you don’t even want the call in the first place. Fortunately, carriers and private companies have come up with solutions to combat this. Even in iOS 13, they have a button literally called Silence Unknown Callers.

Some More Commonly Known Battery Life Saving Tips

Run Down Your Battery As Much As Possible

Sometimes technology can be considered too smart for its own good. Smartphone batteries aren’t any exception to the rule. For instance, if you charge your phone at 89% consistently, your phone is going to think that 89% of your battery is the full capacity of the battery. It notices patterns when you charge it above a higher threshold and for some reason, it takes action. As for what you should do? Wait until you actually need to charge your phone at about 20%.

Don’t Close Out All Your Apps All The Time

But wait? In the decade-plus that smartphones have been around, hasn’t the old battery saving trick has always been to close your apps from running in the background? Well, in moderation it can be helpful. However, running one app followed by going to the home screen and closing the app you just used doesn’t save battery. It actually uses more battery than you’d think. Be sure to wait until you build up a backlog of apps you could use.

Save During The Holidays With iDropped

We all like new things. It’s only natural. However, we’re at a weird moment in technology. 5G Service is being worked on by major carriers but isn’t nationwide nor does it pretend to be. Buying that new iPhone right now to become 5G ready isn’t possible since they aren’t 5G ready. So in the meanwhile, have iDropped look at your device and make it run like now. Contact us now to get a quote on your device repair. Do you have any more battery life saving tips you’ve seen that have worked? Let us know what you’ve found!

Nothing is as terrifying as when your phone slips from your hand and you hear that inevitable sound of your brand new iPhone hitting the ground. You reach down and pick it up with sheer terror, knowing that it’s not going to be good. You flip it over to find that just as you were expecting – the entire screen is covered with “cobwebs”. Now what?

Whatever you do, don’t shell out a ton of cash on a new one. At iDropped, mobile device repair is what we do. So no matter how scary the job is, iDropped will take care of it for you, even these scary issues.

4 of the Scariest Mobile Device Repair Issues

Broken Glass

Don’t sweat it with broken glass – believe it or not, this is the most common mobile device repair needs an iPhone, laptop, or any device has. It’s also the easiest to repair. That’s why devices that only have a broken screen will still end up going for a high bid on auction.

Backlight Leakage Problem

Backlight leakage can happen when the light behind the screen isn’t fully covered. This can lead to spots of lighter areas when you have a dark screen. It’s like shining a flashlight on your hand – you’ll still be able to see some light through the cracks between your fingers. Just as with a dead pixel, devices with backlight damage are still repairable (although it’s more challenging).

Touch Screen Not Responding

When the touch screen on your device is not responding, it could be caused by a number of things – like cable damage, or broken LCD. In some cases this is repairable. Bring your device into iDropped to have one of our trained technicians take a look and evaluate it.

Pressure Spot

A pressure spot is a circle “bubble” on the screen of your device. Often it is caused by extreme pressure on the screen of your device which damages the LCD screen. It can happen when you drop your phone if something heavy were to fall on it or be pushed up against your phone with extreme force. Unfortunately, these screens are not replaceable.

Whether it’s a broken screen, an issue with the display or your screen isn’t responding as it should – bring your device into iDropped. One of our trained technicians with evaluating and repair your device saving you a ton of money! Contact us today for more information.

Earlier in the month, we got our first look at the new Apple products unveiled at its annual new product showcase event. The line-up includes the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, Apple Watch, iPad and even details about the Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. Let’s find out a little more about how much of a difference the new products show versus the previous generation.

iPhone 11 vs. iPhone X vs. iPhone 8 Base Models

Price

The iPhone 11 retails starting at  $699 whereas the iPhone X is currently selling on Verizon starting at $899. The iPhone 8 is for sale starting at $449.

Camera

This is one area in which the new iPhone 11 seems to be head over heels above the other models. All three of these phones offer 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, & 60 fps. Where you are going to notice the difference in is the cameras. iPhone X has more cameras than the iPhone 8 but the iPhone 11 has more cameras than the iPhone X. Apple revamped the camera on the iPhone 11 with triple-lens which includes a telephoto camera, one that lets in 40% more light, as well as an ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view. When comparing all three of these models, the iPhone 11 is head and shoulders above the others in terms of technical capacity.

Battery Life

The iPhone 11 Pro gets four more hours of battery life compared to the iPhone XS and the iPhone 11 Pro Max has five hours more battery life. Compared to the other models, there is shown to be slight improvements in battery life.

Colors

Both iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max come in green, space gray, silver and gold with a new matte finish to the back panel. The standard iPhone has more color options for users including purple, green, yellow, white, red and black.

Final Thoughts

These are the base models and there are certainly more expensive options out there. This is just to give you a general overview as to what to expect across generations. Since the new items just came out, of course there are going to be missing long term effects of the new vs. the old ones. As you can see, Apple consistently offers more features with its more expensive models.

Apple Watch

Apple also released its Series 5 Watch which begins at $399 for the standard GPS version and goes up to $499 for the 4G network-enabled device. Some of the exciting new features that users will get to enjoy include the always active display, extend the battery life of 18 hours. There isn’t a significant difference between series 5 and series 4. Series 5 does include a compass, rather than just GPS. This will tell you which direction you are facing.

iPad

Apple released its newest iPad with a whopping 10.2-inch display compared to the 9.7-inch of its predecessor. The seventh-generation device features a Retina display, an 8-megapixel camera and it has Apple’s A10 Fusion chip built which claims to be faster than the fastest PC. It’s also compatible with Apple’s smart keyboard and the new Apple Pencil to give users a full PC experience. The device starts at $329. The iPad 10.2 is quite similar to the iPad 9.7 which a noticeability larger screen. But acts a full function CPU for users when they need it – making it a great value device.

What The New Apple Products Mean

At iDropped, it’s our job to make sure we can repair the latest technology when it comes out. We repair iPhones, Android, Samsung, Laptops, iPads, etc spanning many generations. In our years in mobile device repair, we notice the rapidly increasing price of these electronics. It’s becoming more of a financial burden for some people to get their upgrades year to year. This is opposed to dealing with what you have. In most cases, there’s not too drastic of a difference in product functions. However, there’s a massive difference in price.

At iDropped, we ask why spend thousands on the new Apple products when you can continue to make your used look as good as new? Especially considering the new iPhone’s lack of 5G network compatibility, now may be a much better time just to repair your phone vs. buying a new one. Contact us for more information about what we can do to help you.

Source Link

https://www.apple.com/

From family vacations, weddings, and keepsake moments, we’ve all had our fair share of throwaway photos taken on our mobile device. Unfortunately, we can’t go back and fix these photos. Plus, a filter can only do so much! Check out these tips for top quality shots before you next big outing and ditch the filters.

Mobile Device Photography Tips

Using HDR Mode

Most times we turn off HDR (high dynamic range) mode since HDR mode is known to take up more memory when in use. However, they take up more room for a reason! They’re actually made up of the best parts of multiple photos taken in rapid succession. Essentially it brings out the details in the darkest and lightest parts of your picture and balances everything out.

Capturing the Right Lighting

The right lighting is key to capturing the perfect photo. Unless you’re a professional photographer, chances are you’re not carrying around a lighting set. However, great news – You can still get a great picture just by using your hand! Just hold your hand out vertically in front of you as if you were going to give someone a high five. Then just move around until that entire side of your hand is evenly covered with soft light lacking any shadows, or particular spots of light.

Zooming In

You should know that zooming in with your camera feature will drastically lower your picture quality. If possible, just step closer to get a better shot rather than using the zoom in on the camera.

Taking More

Getting the perfect shot with a group of people or kids can sometimes seem like an impossible task. By holding down the shutter button, your camera will automatically take a series of photos back to back. This way you can choose which one is best!

Stepping Back

Ever wonder how the professionals get so many good shots? They take so many of them! And, they take the same exact one from many different angles and distances. You can take a few steps back and get more of the background or take a few steps closer to get more of someones face to capture emotion.

Steadier Shot

Smartphones are infamous for leaving you with many shakey photos. You could use a tripod but it’s not the most convenient setup and chances are you’re looking to eliminate unnecessary baggage. As an alternative, you can easily just lean upon a sturdy surface. This is especially important in low-light situations.

Now you can go ahead and leave your professional camera at home and get some great memorable photos without the hassle of adding a filter. Should your equipment break, feel free to contact iDropped and see what we can do to repair your mobile device.

Smartphones truly are multifunctional and powerful. They can be used to replace dozens of things you might need to carry around with you – like a flashlight, calculator, games, entertainment to checking your email and taking work meetings on the go. But did you know that your smartphone can also be used as a desktop computer? That’s right! With the help of a few external tools, you could easily learn how to turn your smartphone into a desktop. A few components you’d need to do this are:

• External Display
• Mouse
• Keyboard

Connecting to an External Display

We all know smartphones are basically miniature sized PCs that we carry around with us. However, one of the biggest things limiting smartphones is their screen size. Connecting to an external display will not only give your phone more of a desktop look and feel but also provide a better viewing experience.

Whether it’s an oversized TV or a more traditional PC monitor – the easiest way to connect is the use of a Bluetooth plugin or device like ChromeCast (for Android devices). Otherwise, you may need to use an Apple TV if you own an Apple phone with AirPlay. You can cast your phone screen onto the external display. No cables or mess required!

Wired Connections

Although using wired connections might seem more appealing due to no latency, they can often be more of a hassle due to the initial set up. Between different makes and models of phones, there are varying ports which can make using wired connections a bit more challenging. The Lightning port is the single standard among iOS devices while Android smartphones have slowly transitioned from micro USB to the newer USB Type-C format.

USB Type-C connections, you may still need to buy an adapter if your external display doesn’t feature USB Type-C ports. However, if you have USB Type-C adapter hubs that may have come with a newer laptop, you could use that to connect to an external display using an HDMI connection. iOS devices would require a Lightning to HDMI adapter so you can connect your iPhone to your TV easily.

Setting Up Mouse & Keyboard

In order to complete learning how to turn your smartphone into a desktop, you’ll need to connect to a mouse and keyboard. Hands down, the easiest way to do this is by using Bluetooth enabled ones. With an Android device it’s pretty simple – just connect as you would any laptop. However, for iPhones, not all mouses will be able to connect. You’ll need to make sure to find one that is compatible. You shouldn’t have this problem with the keyboard

However, if you still preferred to use wired tools – you’re going to need to purchase additional adapters in order to achieve that. With an Apple device, there are no options for this. You must use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard!

Ready, Set, Go!

Now that you have everything you need to create the true desktop experience, you’re ready to start computing on the go! Even though this solution won’t entirely replace a desktop computer – it’s an option that is worth checking out. If you’re on the go and really need to get some work done that you feel you can’t with limited screen size – just bring along a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and a ChromeCast (if you have an Android) that you can plug into most screens. Then you’re ready to go! You can basically set up anywhere!

No matter what device needs repair, iDropped is there for you. Learn more about our mobile devices repair services.

This year, two new 5G phones will be making their way into the US market. However, that doesn’t mean you should be lining up outside your local carrier’s doors anytime soon.

That’s not because there is no added value for smartphone users. Although the 5G wireless broadband will bring much faster speed and lower latency, the first round of phones will come at some serious tradeoffs and have limited access to 5G service. You may want to consider holding out on purchasing for another year or so.

1. Limited AvailabilityRemember when 4G rolled out years ago and it really didn’t make much difference except in a few select areas. Most likely this will also be the case with 5G. AT&T, which is said to be the US’s leading carrier, will have just 19 cities up and running with 5G capabilities by the end of 2019. Adaptability may not be as easy as expected as 5G is short range technology. The estimated range of a 5G tower is just a third of a mile, compared to a 4G tower which can reach as far as 30 miles. The signal also has trouble making it through walls and other interferences.
2. Service PricingAlthough better service may not be available everywhere you go, it may also come at a bigger ticket price. AT&T is considering offering tiered service levels for its 5G plans including the possibility of having separate pricing tiers for different activities you perform on the phone. Sprint has also been hinting at a similar model.
3. Limited Options
   Thus far, there are two phones set to be released into the US market in 2019. These are the LG V50 ThinQ and Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. Both have been confirmed to be supported on Sprint and Verizon’s wireless networks. It’s also figured that these 5G phones might come at a higher price point averaging $200-$300 more than their non-5G counterparts. Apple users might have to wait some more time before the first Apple 5G is set to be released!
4. CompatibilityIt took time, but we’ve finally reached a point where consumers can buy an unlocked phone that can be supported by just about any carrier. This means if you change carriers, you won’t have to purchase a new phone. With 5G phones, we can expect that luxury to fade away. For now, it appears every carrier will be adopting its own 5G standard meaning the device will likely not work with any other service carrier. For international users, this might cause more headache.
5. Trade-OffsRemember just one more time that transition into 4G. Many early adopting phones had many issues with battery life and performance. It’s very likely that new devices taking on the 5G network will come with the same troubles. It’s also very likely that those devices will mostly become very outdated by 2020 when new phones are released into the market. In all, although you might want the newest phone with the fastest speed, you might want to save yourself some money and hold off for phones that come out next year or so. The early adopting 5G phones are likely to have trade-offs and come at a higher price point and will quickly become outdated as new tech emerges.

No matter what type of phone you have or decide to get, iDropped will continue to be the top provider of mobile device, laptop, and phone repair services. Stop by any of our iDropped Repair Center locations to have your damaged mobile device or phone repair completed quickly and efficiently by our experts.

The most romantic day of the year is finally here and it’s time to celebrate! Whether you want to plan a dinner for two, order flowers, or find the lyrics to your sweetheart’s favorite song … there’s an app for that. Check out the best Valentine’s Day apps for 2020 and get your romance on right!

The Photo Cookbook

Get inspired and make some homemade sweets for your sweetie. The Photo Cookbook has a ton of great recipes that you can whip up in a snap and impress that special someone with your prowess in the kitchen.

Flixster

One of the hardest parts of celebrating Valentine’s Day is deciding where to go, but Flixster is here to help. If you’re interested in seeing a moving, a theater show, or concert, Flixster is ready to hook you up with all the latest movies, reviews and trailers to make the decision process a little less painful.

Open Table

If you’re planning dinner for two out on the town, finding a last minute reservation at a great restaurant can be a huge headache. Open Table can help you find seating availability and secure that spot within minutes.

30 Day Relationship Challenge

If you’re one of many people who doesn’t like Valentine’s Day because you think people should show their love all year ‘round, then the 30 Day Relationship Challenge app is for you! Find out if you and your partner can do romantic things for each other 30 days in a row or 365 days a year.

Genius

Never fumble over the lyrics to your sweetie’s favorite song again. Check out Genius for the world’s largest collection of song lyrics and crowdsourced music knowledge, and get ready for that unforgettable, romantic serenade.

Do you have any suggestions for our list of Best Valentine’s Day apps? Leave your suggestions in the comments below!