Why update smartphone software?
If the thought of smartphone software updates is making your eyes glaze over - trust me, it's worth the minimal effort. Mobiles won't run properly without two things working in harmony - hardware (the screen, buttons and camera) and the software that tells it how to function.
Why are smartphone software updates important?
Software updates are free, virtually painless and do three important things: Fix bugs, update security protocols and add new features. Sometimes you'll hear that a certain phone has battery problems etc, which may seem like a hardware fault - but did you know that in most cases these kinds of issues are fixed with a software update?
Take the HTC one X for example - Geek Squad Agents up and down the country were reporting battery issues with this phone at first when it was newly released.
To their credit, HTC jumped on the issue fairly quickly and published a blog post to say they were working on the problem. Within a few days of this post they rolled out an update that improves battery life by around 20%, with the figures improving for each update after.
It’s for reasons like this that smartphone software updates are so important - companies aim to improve the overall experience of the phone with each and every update.
How to update your smartphone:
To update an Android smartphone
- Go to Settings
- Right down at the bottom of the menu you'll see 'About Device'
- Click 'Software Update' and then 'check for an update' (I recommend doing this over Wi-fi to save your data allowance)
To update an iPhone:
- Go to settings > 'General'
- Click 'Software Update' > your device will now check for an update
- Confirm, and the phone will reboot and load the new update
If you have any questions about software updates or you need help with your technology, give Geek Squad a call. We're available 24/7 via our UK freephone number, or you can visit an Agent in one of over 100 Carphone Warehouse stores across the UK.