#but in the past few years dating apps have degraded to be designed for users to find it harder to meet other ppl which 1 super sucks

[mejomonster]

I am yet again debating if im willing to wade through dating apps to try and meet someone

[ynsespoir]

What will be the Healthcare Innovations in 2020?

Healthcare Trends for 2020? 

As technology and innovation are continuing to grow, researchers are driving the pace of progression in the healthcare and biomedical fields. Fortunately, the conventional line between medical sciences and biomedical engineering is becoming thinner and is expected to blur with time. Medical devices and industrial equipment are becoming faster, smaller, smarter, and easy to use, making it beneficial for doctors, valid for users and patients, and most prominently; economical for the healthcare system.

Thanks to the industry experts, the last decade has proven to be advantageous in the convergence of consumer-focused technologies towards a once rarified world of innovative design and usage. Also, the improvements in quality of life and life expectancies are fueling the drastic change in aging, illnesses such as dementia, heart diseases, diabetes, and cancers.

Additionally, these technologies enable health care providers to detect and treat the early signs of chronic diseases that may lead to death and serving as front line defense against illnesses. Exceptional devices are designed to improve the quality of life and help patients manage their conditions. Also, they are successful in reducing the demand for advanced treatments while considering the development of resistance.

There is a range of consumer-friendly wearable and unobtrusive devices that have the authenticity of sensors to detect even the smallest variation in monitoring variables — these help in changing the way of treatments and making sure the outcomes to be more beneficial.

To get a good sense of the latest trend in technological innovations manifesting today, we have listed the top ten fixtures of technological innovations in medicinal sciences that are expected to drive the future of healthcare.

1. Genome editing

CRISPR, also known as “for clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat,” has emerged as the discovery of the century. The technological innovation has become a breathtaking disruptor, revealing the utility and ease in genome editing. With the help of CRISPR, scientists have found innovative ways to alter the genomic coding of an organism to get the desired outcomes.

The precision of DNA is still a challenging task; however, it has reduced the cost and time of gene editing, ultimately affecting a wide range of biomedical realm in engineered devices. Comparing with the traditional PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique, CRISPR has been succeeded in adjusting real-time genome coding to get the desired outcome, including the eradication of pathogens and the elimination of genetic diseases.

2. Cancer Nano therapy

The need for more precise treatment options, including low-cost therapy, less invasive methods, and less complicated procedure than conventional ones, have been fulfilled with the innovations in nanotechnology. Thanks to the researcher, health care professionals can translate technology into lower health care investments, better patient outcomes, and broader access with maximum available resources.

It is surveyed by Mark Brown (a system analyst for Crowd Writer) that nowadays, Nano-devices are in widespread use. The inorganic nanoparticles that are synthesized from silver and gold are used in tumor imaging and subcellular functional study. Unfortunately, not all applications in medicine are as useful as alternatives, including organic dyes, fluorescent proteins, and radioisotopes.

Fortunately, treatment technologies emerging using Nano-materials are not much hands-on but more downright and aggressive in applications. NanoBots are the perfect example of the targeted drug delivery to defective cells while leaving healthy tissues unharmed. These devices are made from single-strand DNA and can be molded into desired shapes and structures. Just like a clamshell shaped strand can be used to protect a drug on an EN route to the desired site of action while releasing the active ingredient upon arrival. Today, there are DNA robots that can detect more than ten different types of cancers and are now applicable for tissue and nerve repair.

3. Brain-machine interfaces

In the past few years, there is renewed development of prosthetic limbs and devices. Currently, it is estimated by a research analyst of Academist Help named Walter Martin that 100,000 people in America have an upper-arm amputation, while around six million people are still paralyzed or handicapped. Many reputed organizations have doubled their efforts to reduce prices and drive performances for existing devices, translating neural signals into controlled limb movements.

The brain-machine interface (BMI) technologies have also been redesigned and many groups have launched and published clinical trials of these newer devices. The innovations are easy to use, safe to handle, and are specified for the home environment instead of the need for technical assistance.

Several approaches involve the conventional implant of sensors into the brain itself. However, new researches have more focused on the use of external sensory devices to transfer brain signals to the limbs and muscles with the use of assistive technologies.

Another interesting twist is to seek repair and regenerate damaged spinal cord with implants. They are made from polymer fibers that are multifunctional and thinner in size from human hair. They can be placed alongside the damaged neurons and can be used to transmit signals, deliver drugs, and guide light beams that are beneficial in optical nerve switches.

Also, these nerve repair fibers can be assembled and placed as 3D structures to assist and support natural nerve tissues and promote their growth. It is predicted that the technology can be used to improve and may treat spinal cord injuries along with neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, including schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.

4. Wireless implants

With the advantage of non-degradable and degradable plastics, scientists and biomedical engineers can create bio-absorbable devices. These can be placed in a human body, anywhere, and can be taken out or dissolve as per the need of the therapy.

The tools are continuing to aid doctors in measuring the pressure, temperature, and changes in the tissues within the vital organs. Additionally, as these devices are made to dissolve on themselves, they ultimately reduce the need for an additional cost and demand for surgeries.

5. Smart device apps

We live in a technology-driven world of artificial intelligence. Here most of the people prefer digitally-led services. Innovatively emerging technologies allow patients to get health care via digital devices. Hence, now they don’t have to wait in long queues and pre-booked appointments.

https://www.healthcareitnews.com/sites/hitn/files/MobileHealthAppHITN.jpg

Some of the highly personalized apps allow patients to virtually communicate with health care providers and get instant medical advice. Also, patients can have beneficial access to healthcare whenever and wherever they need it. They are extremely useful in managing chronic illness by providing consistent, cost-effective, and convenient care.

6. Smart inhalers

As we all know that inhalers are the first-line treatment for asthma, but only if taken correctly. It is proven to be effective in more than 90% of the patients. However, according to research, only half of the patients have control over their condition, while most of them (94%) don’t know how to use inhalers correctly.

Hence, to aid the people living with asthma, Bluetooth enabled smart asthma inhalers have been developed to manage them better. A small device is attached to the inhaler, which keeps a record of every dose with accurate date and time and notifies the user if the treatment is correctly administered or not. The data is connected with an app on the patient’s smartphone to store and track the data. Moreover, it is proven to reduce the rate of reliever medicine and can offer more carefree days.

7. Robotic surgery

Robotic surgeries are successfully used as a minimally invasive technique to aid in control, flexibility, and precision. It enables surgeons to perform complicated and complex procedures that can be impossible to do with human hands and are highly tricky otherwise.

Fortunately, with the development of technology and its invasion into augmented reality, robotic surgery allows surgeons to get real-time information of the patient during an operation. However, these inventions have raised some serious concerns regarding the replacement of human surgeons. Hence, they are more likely to be used to assist surgeons and leverage their work to enhance productivity now and in the future.

8. Artificial organs

Undoubtedly, bioprinting is an unbelievable yet useful technology that emerged as a miracle in biosciences. Initially, it was considered a groundbreaking technology to regenerate skin cells, especially for burn victims, and has given more exciting possibilities to get better outcomes.

Surprisingly, scientists can create synthetic ovaries, blood vessels, and pancreas with high accuracy. These synthetic artificial organs are capable of growing inside the patient’s bodies and can replace original damaged organs with compatibility.

Fortunately, the body’s ability to adapt to the artificial organs that are not rejected by the immune system is revolutionary in the history of transplantation. Also, it has been saving millions of lives that are dependent on the life-saving transplantations every year.

9. Wearable monitors

There is being an increasing demand for wearable devices since their launch in the last decade. Patients can use their smartphones to monitor and track their health and fitness, including heartbeat, walking steps, and sleeping patterns.

In conjunction with the rise of chronic illnesses, including heart problems and diabetes, these advanced wearable technologies are more focused on combatting them by supporting patients to track and improve their quality of life.

The need can be estimated with the example of a groundbreaking Apple Series 4 that made headlines in 2018. The watch was designed with an integrated ECG monitor and a heart rhythm detector. It was capable of detecting some of the potentially dangerous heart diseases earlier than usual diagnostic tests. Also, customers were raving the lifesaving technology within few days of its launch. The device is estimated to cross the sales forecast of $32B by the end of 2024.

10. 3D printing

3D printers have been top-notch and quickly showed the hottest innovations in the market. They can be used to create implants and reliable joints for replacements. Prosthetics that are made through 3D printing are being increasingly popular with their differentiating features and functioning of being bespoke for digital applications. They can be custom made to match the individual needs of patients with the flexibility of measurements down to the millimeters. This gives an unpredictable level of satisfaction, comfort, and mobility to the user.

Additionally, they are designed to create both soluble and long-lasting items. It can be used to create a variety of models, including print pills having multiple drugs. They are likely to aid patients with the timing, dosage, monitoring, and scheduling of poly medication.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, this is just the beginning. When it comes to combining engineering efforts with the medical science innovations, possibilities are endless with the opportunities being ready to be explored.

  from Health Care Technology – ReferralMD https://ift.tt/2oyVVJr via IFTTT What will be the Healthcare Innovations in 2020? Health Care Technology from topofbestone https://ift.tt/36lQvme via IFTTT

[stevejobstheapplelegend-blog]

How the iPhone has transformed over 10 years

It’s hard to believe that it’s a decade since the iPhone was first unveiled, such has been the impact of the first modern smartphone.

On January 9 2007, when Steve Jobs took to the stage to show off this iPod / phone combo, the Motorola Razr V3 was the must-have handset, Nokia, BlackBerry and Sony Ericsson were all still a big deal, and the bulky, screen-sliding Telstra hiptop 2 was pegged as “the next big thing”.

Flip phones were still popular, physical buttons obviously had to be there and a 3MP camera was considered to be extravagantly high-end.

Now, however, almost all phones follow the foundations laid out by that original iPhone and we’ve had 14 new models of Apple’s handset since then.

But exactly how much has the iPhone changed over the past ten years? Despite being described at the time by Jobs as a “magical device” that would “revolutionize the industry,” what was announced on stage was hardly the best technology around - and by modern standards, it’s positively antiquated.

So let’s see how much more power is packed into Apple’s most powerful phone, the iPhone 7 Plus, compared to the original.

Screen size

Pick up an original iPhone now and you’d wonder how we ever lived with such small, squat handsets. At the time, however, its 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen (that accounted for 52% of the phone’s form) was a revolution.

One of the first mainstream phones to fully trade in physical buttons for a touch panel, it offered an expanse of visual real estate unseen at the time.

Today it’s more a surprise when a phone actually has keys, and screen sizes have expanded massively.

The iPhone 7 Plus plays host to a large 5.5-inch panel, and that’s far from the biggest on the market.

Though Apple resisted the trend for larger screen sizes for years. The original iPhone’s 3.5-inch form was retained from 2007 right up until 2012, and even then the iPhone 5 only adopted a 4-inch display.

It was then a further two years before the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 launched alongside the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, which is still Apple’s biggest handset size today.

Resolution

Since the launch of the first iPhone, screens haven’t just got bigger, they’ve become sharper, brighter, smarter and more vibrant too.

The original iPhone’s 320 x 480 resolution packed in more pixels than anything else around at the time, but thanks to the much vaster screen size, its 165 pixels-per-inch image density wasn’t the sharpest.

Now tech users are strapping screens with a similar resolution and much higher pixel density to their wrists, and phones like the iPhone 7 Plus are as pixel-rich as the TV that takes pride of place in your living room.

The Plus’s 5.5-inch Retina HD display boasts a 1920 x 1080 resolution and 401ppi image density that, combined with a 1300:1 contrast ratio and boosted brightness over past models, make it Apple’s best-looking yet.

While both phones run on capacitive touch (registering the finger’s electrical impulses rather than pressure to make the screen work), those touch elements have been enhanced and refined over the years.

Improved multitouch capabilities have been added and now 3D Touch means the iPhone 7 Plus’ screen is pressure sensitive too, comedically bringing back one of the features of early touchscreens that the first iPhone did away with.

Build

When the original iPhone was unveiled, its design and build was unlike anything seen on a phone, pairing an all-glass front with a largely metal back.

Lining up at 11.6mm thick and 135g it stood out from a sea of flip phones, sliders and boxy candy bar handsets that all favored plastic over sweeping curves.

A decade on, you can still see the original iPhone’s design DNA in the iPhone 7 Plus. At 7.3mm thick and 188g, the 7 Plus is finished with an all-metal body, in a choice of five colors. It’s also water-resistant to survive dips and dunks without succumbing to a liquid demise.

Apple’s phones haven’t been without design flaws though: from the iPhone 4’s "just don’t hold it that way" Antennagate issues to the Bendgate woes that saw some iPhone 6 Plus models warping, the company’s hit a few design stumbling blocks along the way.

Camera

When the original iPhone was announced, cameras were still a luxury addition to smartphones.

However, Apple was planning to compete with the best in the market with its expensive phone, and with devices such as the Sony Ericsson K800i already featuring 3MP snappers and the forthcoming Nokia N95 offering a huge 5MP sensor, the iPhone’s flash-less 2MP camera was a solid if far from ground-breaking addition.

Now, the quality of the integrated camera is one of the main reasons we all buy new phones, and the iPhone 7 Plus has not one, but two sensors that take great photos - and that’s just on the back of the device.

With the phone pairing a wide-angle, wide-aperture f/1.8 lens that helps boost the phone’s low-light photography skills with a second, f/2.8 telephoto lens that takes you closer to the action without degrading the image, the 7 Plus’ dual-lens camera would have been unthinkable a decade ago - and Live Photos or 4K video recording would have caused the first iPhone’s CPU to melt.

And where the original iPhone featured just the one camera, the iPhone 7 Plus has them both front and back - in 2007 selfie wasn’t even a word.

Battery

If the original iPhone’s screen, interface and design got people excited, its battery life filled any user with dread.

Back in 2007, phone batteries were able to last around a working week between charges, and yet Apple had to convince users that daily recharges and just eight hours of talk time on a single charge was worth paying a small fortune for.

The functionality of the phone won through, and now almost all smartphones are subjected to a nightly visit to a charger.

The iPhone 7 Plus’ oversized form has allowed a much bigger battery to be squeezed in - but despite almost tripling talk time to 21 hours, with so much more that the phone can do when it comes to web browsing, game playing and video streaming, you’ll still be running out of battery come the end of the day - some things do never change.

Power

For a first smartphone attempt, the original iPhone packed a serious computing punch. The 412MHz ARM 11 CPU that powered the handset was faster than had previously been seen in phones, and was paired with a PowerVR MBX GPU.

It essentially put a computer in your pocket, and birthed a range of more power-heavy handsets.

Computing power is an area that truly highlights how far phones have come over the past decade though: the 64-bit A10 Fusion chip found within the latest iPhones isn’t just 10 or even 20 times more powerful than the debut iPhone, but a staggering 120 times faster.

Featuring four cores and 3.3 billion transistors, it’s a 2.34GHz quad-core, computer-rivaling chipset that will breeze through almost any task thrown at it, as you can see in the speed test below.

From intensive gaming to work-beating multitasking, the iPhone 7 Plus is a caged beast to the snail of the original iPhone.

Storage

Just like the iPod, which gave users the chance to put thousands of songs in their pocket when CDs were still the main way of carrying music, the first iPhone upped the storage stakes in the phone game.

In 2007, leading phones were packing anywhere between 64MB of expandable storage to a 2GB inbuilt capacity.

Apple shook this up with a trio of storage capacity options, with the entry-level 4GB model already twice as large as most other phones on the market - it was a bold move that drove up cost.

This was just the base level, too, as more expensive iPhones could be had with 8GB of storage, with a larger 16GB device released at a later date.

You can’t even buy a 16GB iPhone 7 Plus. The base model has moved to 32GB over the past 10 years, as files have become greater in size and quantity. This is just the foundations for laptop-rivalling levels of storage though, with the other two jumping off points now being 128GB and a staggering 256GB.

One thing’s not changed over the past decade though. Like the very first iPhone, the latest models still lack any microSD expansion options.

Connections

Due to their mass adoption, iPhones have regularly caused uproar when connection ports have changed. The first iPhone launched with the same 30-pin power and transfer connector as had been on the company’s iPods for a number of years.

That meant that it seamlessly worked with all the accessories and docks iPod owners already had and dovetailed nicely into an established ecosystem.

But Apple fans were upset in 2012, when the iPhone 5 appeared having ditched the longstanding 30-pin connection for a faster, smaller, more multipurpose Lightning port.

Suddenly all these add-ons were redundant and the cost of the phone was going to be enhanced with all the new accessories needed.

The iPhone 7 Plus has seen a similar uproar caused, thanks to the culling of the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack - although, ironically, the first iPhone couldn’t handle most 3.5mm headphones anyway, due to the connection being recessed into the phone.

Software / UI

As much as its innovative design and mass of high-end components set the first iPhone apart, combined with the touchscreen, it was its iOS operating system (back then known as iPhone OS) that made the iPhone a star.

Instead of endless fiddly menus and lists of options, the first Apple phone introduced a more simple, elegant point and shoot interface.

However, while the same grid-like structure remains, the first wave was of skeuomorphic, real-world designs displayed as apps - and there were very few of them indeed. The iPhone couldn’t do a lot out of the box.

It wasn’t until a year later, with the launch of the iPhone 3G, that the iPhone’s main software selling point dropped - the App Store. By opening up its software to third party developers, Apple started what would quickly become the smartphone standard, with its App Store now offering more than 2 million apps.

New software features have continued to drop year-after-year over the past decade, with simple additions like copy and paste in the early days making way for Apple’s digital assistant, Siri, in recent years.

The iPhone 7 Plus is a different-looking beast to the first device, with iOS 7 changing the look of Apple’s phones to a brighter, flatter and more clean design, which has been maintained through to iOS 10.

Now users can swipe from the top, bottom and left of the screen to get access to more controls, where the first iPhone could… well, you didn’t need to swipe anywhere as there were no apps.

Connectivity

It’s not just the physical connections that have changed with the iPhone either. The connectivity has also come on leaps and bounds since 2007, when the original iPhone overlooked 3G for sluggish EDGE cellular connectivity.

3G compatible phones had been available since late 2004, but Apple didn’t add such support until its second-generation phone, the aptly named iPhone 3G, in 2008. The first iPhone lacked GPS too, with just Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g rounding out its connectivity options.

Subsequent iPhones have continued what the iPhone 3G started and carried on offering faster, more reliable cellular connections as the infrastructure has grown, with the latest models supporting LTE-Advanced Pro, or 4.5G connections, meaning you can download apps and even full length HD movies in a matter of seconds.

Support for new, faster Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards have also been added, GPS is combined with GLONASS for extra reliability with location tracking, and stronger, speedier, more reliable Bluetooth 4.2 has also joined the mix.

Even NFC is on board now, although its use is limited to paying for things with your phone.

The iPhone 7 Plus is one of the fastest phones on the market when it comes to downloading content to your handset - it’s hard to imagine that back in 2008, Steve Jobs was standing on stage for 59 seconds silently while a web page loaded:

Will the iPhone influence human evolution?

Main image credit: Getty

read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/how-the-iphone-has-transformed-over-10-years

[infotainmentplus-blog]

Why is my phone so slow? Common causes explained Why is my phone so slow? This is one of the most commonly asked questions about aging handsets. It seems our phones almost inevitably transform from fresh and nimble into bloated and sluggish without any obvious reason why. There are a number of possible causes for your smartphone slowing down with age. Fortunately, a number of them are fixable or preventable with the right knowledge. Here are some things you can do. Background apps You’ve probably heard this one before but too many apps running in the background is a key cause for slow phones. We all accumulate apps over time and probably forget to delete the many we seldom or never use. Many of these apps require background resources, refreshing their data, connecting to the net, or monitoring some part of the system in the background for when it might be needed. Phones have limited resources (RAM, CPU, and the like), which have to be split among all the background and high priority tasks. So lots of stuff running in the background can slow down your system when it comes to a more demanding application like gaming. Android is pretty good at managing resources, but it can’t work miracles on a bogged down system. When Android P arrives things will change, with Background Execution Limits and limited access for apps not actively in the foreground. In the meantime there are a few things you can do. Removing old and unused applications is an important and super simple maintenance practice. Fortunately, recent versions of Android make this easier than ever, offering storage cleanup tools that can automatically delete apps you haven’t used in a long time. Editor's Pick How to stop Android apps running in the background A frustrating problem with any smartphone is a battery that drains faster than you expect. Having to recharge during the day after a full charge overnight is always a sad feeling. Maybe you've also noticed … To check out the services currently running on your phone, enable Developer Options by tapping seven times on the build number under Settings > About phone. From there, go into Developer Options and tap the Running services tab. Alternatively, you can run a service tracking app like Greenify or Servicely to see how these services affect your resources and battery life over time if your device is rooted. This will help identify the worst offenders, which you can uninstall to improve performance. Full storage and fragmentation The write speeds of NAND flash drives (internal storage memory) slow down as you fill them up, which can be why your phone feels sluggish once its memory starts to fill up. This can come about from a backlog of apps, years of undeleted photos and videos, and app cache files that get out of hand. Fortunately, Android will display a notification once you’re running out of memory, presenting you with options to clear out unused media and app files. It’s best to keep on top of the situation before that occurs though, either by removing files manually or using your phone’s built-in storage cleaner. Even if you don’t spot one of those “free up space” notifications, memory cluttered from age and old deleted apps can still slow down the system. This is known as fragmentation. Fragmentation also occurs due to failed memory areas that result from age and approaching the drive’s read and write cycle limit, where failed sectors can no longer be accessed. Flash memory and SSDs don’t have moving parts like older hard drives so the random read performance penalties aren’t a problem, but there can be increased latency from retrieving data from multiple unorganized blocks. Keeping track of fragmented files on a very large drive can increase scanning time and there is a notable performance penalty for writing data to fragmented flash storage, as locating available free spaces is a problem. Android and drive controllers do a reasonable job of keeping flash memory from becoming too fragmented via trimming. However, as your memory fills up, it becomes increasingly difficult to move and save new files and apps due to the lack of spare space. If your memory is full or sluggish, a factory reset to wipe it clean (after you’ve saved your data elsewhere, of course) should solve the problem, unless the flash drive is simply too old. It’s also better to save pictures, music, movies, and other files that are changed regularly to a microSD card rather than flash memory because microSD cards can be replaced once they age. Cloud storage is another good option for large files like music, videos, and so on. Battery age Batteries age too — it’s one of portable electronics biggest problems. After two or maybe three years of service, battery capacity falls and our devices can no longer last a day on a full charge (check out these battery charging tips to prolong that). Another part of this aging process is an increase in internal resistance within the battery from electrode film build-up. Internal resistance has two effects on performance. Higher resistance causes the output voltage to fall during a high current draw (V = I2R if you remember your physics lessons). This is known as voltage droop. This wasted energy is then dissipated as heat, causing the battery and other phone internals to warm up, which is bad for performance. CPUs are sensitive to temperature, so the phone’s power management controller might dial back the processor’s speed if the phone becomes too hot due to an old battery. CPU and memory running at high clock speeds also require more current and therefore induce a higher voltage drop. A very old battery might not be able to provide both the required current and a stable voltage, which means further dialing back peak speeds or risk execution errors. Aging batteries have a knock-on effect for processing and storage components. Last year’s iPhone CPU throttling update issued after degrading batteries is a prime example of this type of problem. A number of Android manufacturers claim they don’t follow the same practice, at least not with software updates, and it’s unlikely they’re driving their chips so hard they can’t accommodate eventual drops in battery voltage. Nevertheless, a less stable power supply makes it tougher for CPUs to maintain their highest clock speeds and is just as problematic for RAM and ROM reads and writes. Editor's Pick iPhone CPU throttling is another argument for replaceable batteries Reddit has struck again, this week correctly identifying that Apple is slowing down its older iPhones with iOS updates that throttle peak CPU speeds. The reason, according to Apple itself, is that it needs to … At its worst, a failing battery can cause enough power issues throughout the system that a phone will reboot. The only solution to this problem is to replace the battery with a new one. Unfortunately, the latest high-end smartphones seal their batteries in, meaning difficult DIY repairs or sending your phone away for an expensive replacement from the manufacturer. Failing memory As well as aging batteries, flash memory and RAM suffer from the effects of time too. Flash memory is graded with a maximum number of write cycles. This is because the program/erase process causes a deterioration of the oxide layer that traps electrons in a NAND flash memory cell, eventually making them unsuitable. Just like batteries, memory capacity degrades over time. This certainly doesn’t help with the fragmentation issue mentioned above, and it increases the number of writing errors as time goes on, which slows down the memory from the user’s perspective. Some level of redundancy is built into memory chips so new sectors are introduced as old sectors become worn out. Ultimately, the lifespan of your memory will depend on how much new data you save. In general, you should easily see between two and three years of use. Many chips can last between five and 10 years. OS and app updates? Another very common theory for devices slowing down as they age is that operating systems like Android and iOS, as well as the applications that run on them, become more resource heavy as they are continually updated, to benefit from the latest and greatest hardware. Therefore our old smartphones with dated hardware struggle to keep pace. I am personally skeptical about this theory, at least in the Android space. Most devices don’t see OS updates past two years, so they aren’t running more demanding versions of Android anyway. Additionally, the minimum requirements for Android haven’t massively changed between iterations. An old phone with 1GB of RAM isn’t suddenly unable to run Oreo or Android P. IOS is a different matter. Very old phones might struggle with newer apps and games. It’s possible some apps become more demanding over time as more features are added. Facebook is definitely more bloated than it was five years ago. However, most apps only consume tens or low hundreds of MBs of RAM, rather than GBs. Most applications are also designed with battery life in mind, rather than peak performance, because consumers will likely remove major battery drainers — especially now that Android alerts users to battery draining apps (games being the obvious exception of course). While more demanding software is a potential contributor to devices appearing to slow down, I think it’s a minor factor. The nocebo effect If none of the above is crippling your phone’s performance, it’s possible expectations are playing a role in our perception. We’re constantly being told how fast and superior new products are, which can instill the notion that old products must be slow by comparison. In reality, generational performance improvements are negligible in day-to-day tasks. Older devices that have been well looked after can function just fine for years. Time spent with a phone lets us pick out the niggles and problems we simply didn’t spot when they were shiny and new. We inevitably become more aware of those slightly longer than ideal loading times and app stutters, but it doesn’t mean our phone is broken. Editor's Pick Speed up my phone – what can I do to make that happen? Android devices have a tendency of getting old. And not only in the physical way, prolonged usage can also take a toll on performance, making it seem like you need to upgrade your phone sooner … Smartphones do slow down over time, that’s just an unfortunate fact due the lifespan of the components inside them. But we can take steps to keep our handsets in good shape, so be sure to check out our guide to keep your phone in tip-top condition., via Android Authority http://bit.ly/2zhntYr