Recently I was clearing some of my old stuff when I came across a box of old mobile phones that have been accumulated over the years. Its quite a large box. This got me thinking about how frequently we change our mobile phones these days.

On an average, I change a phone every 1-2 years. This is largely due to the way mobile phone plans work in Singapore, where your telco provider will give a hefty discount every 1-2 years on the latest mobile phones, if you commit to a 2-year contract renewal. This has been the way it is in Singapore for as long as I can remember, given my large box of old mobile phones.

So, what happens to the old phones?

1. Sell it to 2^nd hand dealers
2. Give it to your kids
   1. Some phones have a kids’ mode to ensure the content is restricted
   2. Can even set the time where they can access certain apps
3. Give it to your parents
   1. There is an accessibility mode that you can activate so the buttons become larger and the phone becomes simpler to use for elderly
4. Use it as a digital photo frame
   1. Download some apps that will play a slideshow of your favorite photos
   2. Photos can be synced with a cloud drive, so you can add new photos easily over the air
5. Put it in the car and use it as a media player
   1. Download all the favorite tunes into the mobile and start streaming in your car

Regardless of what you do with your old phone, remember to securely erase the data to prevent data theft. A simple format or factory reset will not be enough as the data can still be easily recovered.

At Force 21, we offer products that will guarantee the secure erasure of your devices. Contact us for more information.

Jason Wei, AGM
Technology
dyjason@force21.cwtlimited.com