Your Old School Cell Phone (And What to Do With It!)
If you’re like most people these days, you have a drawer somewhere with spare cords and cables you couldn’t identify the use of if your life depended on it. Likely, mixed within this electronics graveyard drawer is your discarded old school cell phone. Or maybe a few of them. That’s because…well…what else are you supposed to do with them?
Simply throwing them away seems wasteful and probably bad for the environment. But you’ve definitely moved on to much shinier, newer, smarter, less flippable models. So…what do you do with that old cell phone claiming squatter’s rights in your drawer that you just can’t seem to get rid of?
We have a few suggestions! Here are five of our favorite practical uses for repurposing (or finally letting go of) your old school cell phone.
- Use an old school cell phone as an emergency phone
- Your kid’s first cell phone
- Give your old school cell phone to a charity
- Sell it
- Recycle it
1. Use an old school cell phone as an emergency phone
It’s always good to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies. And after a worldwide pandemic, sudden and devastating weather changes (hello, Texas winter storm 2021), and potentially uncertain times ahead, that has never been more true than now. Who knows what tomorrow might bring?
In any potential emergency, the ability to communicate with your family, the people you care about, and emergency services is absolutely essential. Most of us rely on our smartphones for just about everything. But in the case of power outages or shortages, that phone charge will only last you so long, and you might not be able to rely on an internet connection. In these situations, your old school cell phone could actually save the day!
Keeping your old school cell phone charged and in your car or somewhere safe as an emergency phone is an excellent use for it, and is just a smart idea in general. Whereas these days we rely on our phones to be so much more than just phones, in an emergency situation, an old cell phone that only functions as just…well…a phone, might be just what you need.
2. Your kid’s first cell phone
Having a smartphone has become an essential part of the way modern society functions. This is why one of the most highly debated parenting topics these days is when and if your kids should get a phone. With access to questionable content online, exposure to social media, cyberbullying, unsupervised texting, and a slew of other potential hazards, it’s no wonder many parents are hesitant.
However, there are also a few ways in which having a cell phone can improve your child’s safety. Having a phone allows you to know where they are, gives them a way to call you and check in when traveling alone or with another adult to let you know they are safe, and provides them with a way to communicate in the event of an emergency.
With this in mind, if you’re struggling with whether or not to get your kid a smartphone because of online exposure, but it would ease your mind if they had a way to communicate, consider giving them your old school cell phone!
Most old school cell phones function without access to the internet while providing basic phone capabilities such as audio phone calls and limited texting. Because of this, your old cell phone makes an excellent first phone for your kid. Not only does it give them communication capabilities without internet exposure, but you also won’t be out several hundred dollars if your young first-time cell phone user damages it.
3. Give your old school cell phone to a charity
If you already have your emergency phone taken care of, or maybe you don’t have kids that need phones, or if you simply just have more old school cell phones collected in your electronics drawer from over the years than you can find uses for, consider giving them away to charity!
There are plenty of charities that are always looking for donations of phones that are still functional, but being discarded for newer models. By donating your old cell phone to specific charities, you can help get a phone into the hands of needy veterans, senior citizens, victims of domestic violence, missionaries, and so many more people in need!
Check out this list of some excellent charities that repurpose old phones and consider donating your old cell phone to one of them.
4. Sell it
Everyone could use a little extra cash, right? If you have an extra old school cell phone (or maybe even a few!) laying around not being used, you might as well sell it! There are plenty of places online that refurbish phones and will pay for your older model phones. Or you might try selling your old phone directly on sites like eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace. The price you can get for an unused phone depends on how old it is and its condition. But if you have an especially old school cell phone you never know – there might be some collectors out there who want exactly what you have!
5. Recycle it
If you have an old school cell phone that is damaged, first take it to a skilled cell phone screen repair shop to see if they can extend the life of the phone so you can use it in one of the previous ways. But if your old school cell phone is just too damaged or obsolete to use, repurpose, give away, or sell, you might just need to get rid of it entirely. However, your trash can is not the proper place to get rid of old phones. When you need to get rid of an old phone, recycle it!
If you need to recycle your phone, check out electronics stores such as Best Buy for their recycling centers. Or, circling back to charities, some charities take not only your old phones that still function but those that are damaged beyond repair as well. They can recycle them and use the profits for their cause.
Do you need screen repair to help extend the life of your old school cell phone? At Houston iPhone Screen Repair we repair screens for any of your devices, and even offer a mail-in repair service for your convenience. Contact us today and see how we can help you!
Like this content and want more? Check out our blog for more tips and information about your smartphones and other devices!
