A very Merry Christmas to you, dear reader! What’s that? You picked up a new smartphone for Christmas? Congratulations.
Actually, there are a couple of things you should do before getting stuck in with your new best friend. So just take a quick look at the checklist below to make sure you’re going to get the most out of your new device this Christmas, be it an iPhone, Galaxy, Nexus, Lumia or all other manner of gizmos.
[alert type=alert-blue]Charge![/alert]
Just with any new electrical device, you should check the phone’s user guide before even turning it on. Here, look for advice about the battery. It may be that the manufacturer suggests charging the phone for several hours before turning it on, or you may risk impairing your battery’s life. Don’t panic if you’ve gone and ripped it open already; the battery won’t be turning to mush any time soon, but it’s something to consider.
[alert type=alert-blue]Sync accounts![/alert]
The chances are you already have accounts with Apple and Google, and you can use those on your phone. When it comes to iOS devices, you can log in using your iTunes account, which will handily give you access to previous purchases and your music. The same goes for Google on Android and certain iOS apps – sync up your Google account to get instant access to emails and other purchases.
[alert type=alert-blue]Transfer![/alert]
Wondering how to get all your many, many contacts from one phone to the other? The answer isn’t magic, surprisingly. If you keep your SIM card in your original phone for just a moment, providing it’s unlocked, you’ll be able to transfer numbers to the SIM on a settings menu. Then plug the card into your new handset, find the similar settings and copy the contacts over. Now didn’t that save a headache?
[alert type=alert-blue]Apps![/alert]
Okay, now we can get to the fun stuff. Yes your smartphone does calls and texts, but the real magic is with apps. Think of these as like software you run on your computer just… smaller. We’d recommend starting with the basics like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and some brilliant messaging services like SnapChat and work your way up from there. Now that you have a smartphone you’ll be amazed at the sheer amount of things you can do with it, so get experimenting!
[alert type=alert-blue]Games![/alert]
Ah, the last piece of the puzzle. You might not think it at first, but smartphones are prime gaming locations. Some of the best and brightest titles are just a few taps away on each phone’s respective store, so make sure to take a look at what tickles your fancy. And keep it locked to What Mobile for ongoing monthly reviews of the best apps to hit phones.
