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  • Best Deals on Phones from Metro by T-Mobile

    Best Deals on Phones from Metro by T-Mobile

    Formerly known as Metro PCS, Metro by T-Mobile is a great cellular service provider for those looking for a good value. Seen as something of a budget mobile provider, Metro offers great rates on cellular plans. Today we’re looking at some of the best deals they offer on smartphones for savvy deal-seekers!

    Keep in mind, these deals are subject to change based on availability and time. Make sure you call ahead to your Metro dealer and confirm what deals they have available and whether they have the phone you want in stock.

    Best Phone Deals on Metro

    iPhone 6s Plus

    The larger and more powerful of the iPhone 6s line, the 6s Plus is a great phone for people who love a big screen. The 6s Plus sports a 5.5-inch screen with a gorgeous Retina display. The A9 processor running under the hood is something of a powerhouse, too.

    If you get over to Metro and switch to them from another provider, you can pick up this big iPhone for $249. While it might not be the newest phone from Apple, it’s here for a great price.

    Samsung Galaxy J7 Star

    If you switch from another provider to Metro, you can get a Samsung Galaxy J7 Star totally free. The large, 5.5-inch display is bright and sleek, and puts out a crisp HD image. There’s a 13MP camera on the back of the phone, allowing you to snap gorgeous pictures.

    32GB of memory in this Samsung phone means you’ll have tons of storage for those pictures, too! Not to mention your music and apps, so you can feel free to keep all your favorite tunes on hand. Make sure you get over to Metro fast while they still have Galaxy J7 Stars in stock so you can get yours for free when you switch!

    iPhone 6s

    It might not be the newest or shiniest phone in Apple’s lineup, but the iPhone 6s is available for $150 from Metro. This sleek little smartphone has a lot to love. The 3D Touch technology is here, the phone still sports a conventional headphone jack, and it has a fingerprint scanner for unlocking your phone.

    Likewise, a 12MP rear camera means your pictures will look awesome. You also get 32GB of storage in this smartphone, so you can download tons of music and apps. This is a hard-to-beat deal. Keep in mind you need to switch to Metro from another carrier in order to qualify for this discount.

  • Cracked Phone Screens are the Worst!

    Cracked Phone Screens are the Worst!

    You’ve got that fancy, expensive smartphone in your pocket. You know, the one that cost you hundreds of dollars but is also incredibly fragile and prone to developing those unsightly cracks. Yeah, that smartphone.

    If your phone has developed a series of spiderweb cracks following an unfortunate high-speed encounter with the floor, it’s frustrating. However, you need to get it repaired as soon as possible. You see, it’s not as expensive as you might think, and you could be causing more damage to your phone by leaving it cracked and still using it.

    Fix Your Cracked Phone Screen Right Away

    Cracked Screens are Even More Fragile

    So, as you well know, a glass screen is a fragile thing. It’s glass, after all. When your phone takes a high-dive off of a table to the hard floor, it’s going to crack. However, this isn’t the least of your worries when it comes to phone fragility.

    Here’s the thing: even the most durable Gorilla Glass has a finite lifespan. Your phone might be rock-solid for the first several drops, but once the first cracks start to show, it’s likely not far from shattering completely. You see this in spiderwebbing damage that spread out from smaller cracks in some situations.

    If your phone screen gets cracked, it’s not enough to simply put it in a case and hope nothing bad happens. You need to get the screen replaced entirely, which can be a tough ask, as it’s often expensive to go through this kind of repair procedure.

    Say Goodbye to Waterproofing

    If your phone is a newer model with a high waterproofing and dust-resistance rating, then we’ve got bad news for you. Once the screen is cracked, it’s unlikely your phone resists these outside materials anymore. Much like when your body has a cut, any open exposure to the outside world is terrible for your phone.

    Where before water would simply roll off of your phone and cause no damage at all, now it can flow straight into that hairline crack. Even if your phone doesn’t get wet, it could be getting dusty. Dust and debris can get stuck in your phone’s internal components after entering through an external crack. That’s because your phone’s normal dust resistance is compromised.

    You don’t need us to tell you how much of a problem these things are. Your phone is already damaged, so getting it repaired right away is your best bet. If you don’t, leaving it damaged and accruing dust and water damage could result in an even more expensive repair process. When it inevitably fails thanks to the buildup of damage, you’ll wish you had gotten it fixed right away.

    Resale

    When it’s time to upgrade to the newest model, you really don’t want to try to sell a phone with a cracked screen. No one wants to buy a phone that looks like it was owned by a butter salesman with no thumbs. After all, the most common way to get money to upgrade is by trading in, so why hurt your phone’s resale value?

    What’s more, all phone resellers know that a cracked phone could be evidence of more damage inside the device. Like we mentioned, water and dust damage is much more common among phones with cracks.

    On top of this, it’s much more likely that someone clumsy enough to have a cracked phone is clumsy enough to have more damage inside the phone than is showing. At least, in the eyes of a phone reseller this is the case.

    Health Risks

    There are also notable healthy risks associated with keeping a phone with a cracked screen for months without fixing it. For one thing, you could accidentally incur a cut from the sharp glass of your screen. If you’re rolling your eyes, don’t. Your phone’s cracks could spiderweb and result in small shards coming loose, resulting in potential injury to your fingers or hands.

    Further, trying to read text through a cracked screen puts further strain on your eyes. It’s already been shown that staring at a phone screen for too long can result in poor vision, so imagine adding a cracked screen on top of that.

    Consider the costs for either of these things. If you get badly cut by your phone screen, you might need to visit a doctor’s office, which is expensive. If you end up needing glasses from straining to look at a damaged screen, that’s pretty expensive.

    Bottom line? Get your phone screen fixed right away if it cracks. There’s no reason to limp along with a broken phone.

  • Phones that Make Life Easier for Seniors

    Phones that Make Life Easier for Seniors

    It’s a simple fact of life that everyone needs a phone. It’s surprising, then, that so many seniors are so resistant to upgrading to a new smartphone. After all, smartphones are deceptively simple devices to use and operate. However, many people don’t realize just how senior-friendly these devices are. Most modern smartphones sport huge, bright displays and bold, easy-to-read text. Even phones that aren’t marketed for seniors have settings that can be activated to make them that much easier for seniors to use! Here are some of the best phones that make life easier for seniors.

    Phones that Make Life Easier for Seniors

    GrandPad

    First things first, let’s talk about that adorable name. GrandPad. Doesn’t that just make you start grinning? As that name suggests, this is a device that is geared for seniors specifically, not just one that happens to be a good device for them. This one is a great pick due to its big screen and easy, intuitive controls. It’s really, really big, too: it’s something of a cross between a cellphone and a tablet. Those who want something with lots of screen space and a huge base font are in luck with this one.

    The device, unsurprisingly, handles calls, internet browsing, email and all of that good stuff. It supports video calls as well as voice, which is great for distant grandparents who want to video chat with their grandkids. Another cool feature is the ability to view social media streams without needing to have an account. This lets grandparents keep up with family without having to navigate complex social media profiles, which is awesome in our book.

    Other awesome features of this phone/tablet hybrid that make it great for seniors are the wireless charging dock and 4G LTE connection. The wireless charging, for its part, is great since you don’t have to keep up with any wires or fiddle with trying to fit the charging cable into a port. All-in-all, this is one of the best phone options for seniors.

    iPhone X Plus

    The iPhone X line of smartphones has a huge design benefit for seniors. That’s the lack of any face buttons. However, the base iPhone X and XS phones are a bit small when compared to phones that are ideal for seniors. The iPhone X Plus, however, is a great size for seniors. Apple’s iOS platform is very intuitive, and gesture-based commands are easy to learn. The FaceID unlocking method is also great for seniors, as it make it easier for them to unlock their phone without needing to always input a password.

    Apple offers a number of great features for seniors through their iOS platform. For instance, if a senior user is having a hard time finding a function, they can call “hey, Siri” and call up the voice command assistant in their phone. This will allow them to use simply commands like “call Susan” or “text Bob,” which lets them get around some of the tougher parts of navigating an operating system.

    Another feature that senior users love about Apple’s iPhone line is the built-in FaceTime video calling feature. FaceTime features crisp, clear video and sound quality and makes you feel like you’re really in the room with your family when you call them up. Generally speaking, Apple’s products are sturdy and you can expect them to last a long time. They are also very responsive, with snappy menus and short loading times. All in all, iPhones are great for anyone, not just seniors.

    Galaxy Note 9

    Another great smartphone for seniors is the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. This massive phablet is a great cross between a phone and a tablet and sports a handy stylus. The pen is a favorite of older phone users who love to have precise control when it comes to touch screens. Tight, tactile and easy-to-use, the Note 9 is an example of everything a phone should be.

    The Note 9 also uses biometric scanners to unlock the phone. You can opt to use either fingerprint scanners, iris scanners or both to open the phone, meaning you don’t have to constantly enter a password over and over to access your phone’s information. Much like the iPhone, there is also an integrated voice assistant in the form of S Voice. This allows you to use your voice to make calls, video chats or send text messages.

    In all, there are many great options for phones for seniors out there. However, these are some of the best overall options. Big displays, easy access and great video chat services all make these ideal choices for seniors.