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Too good for the drawer: old smartphones and cell phones
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
Whether an annual bonus or a Christmas present - December is the month for new smartphones.
But what do you do with the old phone that was just good enough?
According to estimates by associations, up to 200 million old cell phones are lying unused in drawers in Germany - a huge waste.
The obvious solution in many German households: If you don't need your old smartphone yourself, you can pass it on to another family member.
Be it the grandfather, daughter or uncle, who is still the proud owner of a Nokia 3310 to this day, but now needs a digital vaccination certificate and a navigation app.
The family cycle
However, if you give away your smartphone, you should prepare it well. On the one hand, you don't want a new owner to discover old chats or indiscreet photos in the depths of the memory. In addition, it can lead to strange effects if you pass them on without being deleted. Who wants to mix their Spotify playlist with the music tastes of the eight-year-old offspring? With older Android smartphones, it is sometimes not enough to use the standard reset - as a precaution, you should turn on the device encryption here before completely resetting the device.
So that the gift doesn't end up in a drawer shortly after Christmas, you should give a few thoughts about the new owner. With just a few steps you can make it easier for seniors to get used to a new device: Many Android phones offer the "simple mode", which simplifies the operation of the complex devices: fonts and app symbols are displayed larger, the telephone function is easier to reach. If such a mode is missing, such a function can be retrofitted. For example, by installing the “Big Launcher” app. Their user interface makes a smartphone as easy to use as a cordless Siemens telephone.
However, if you pass the smartphone on to the next generation, you should also consider how it should be used in the future.
Both Android devices and iPhones offer family accounts that give parents some control over what content new owners can access.
New applications
Regardless of who the new cell phone is "bequeathed" to, it is worth taking a critical look at the hardware.
If the battery is so old that it can not last half a day, it may be worth replacing it - either with a self-repair kit or by a mobile phone repair shop.
After all, what use is the best mobile phone for senior citizens if it cannot be switched on in an emergency due to a lack of electricity?
If, on the other hand, the device becomes unusually hot while charging, it should be professionally repaired or disposed of.
If you have no relatives or friends who want to mess around with a discarded smartphone, you can find a new life for the old device in your own household.
With the built-in camera and microphone, even old devices are still usable baby monitors.
Or you can install it permanently in your car as a replacement for a navigation device and logbook.
With apps like »Wallflower« you can use an old iPhone or even an iPod Touch as a control center for a smart home.
Samsung has even built an "upcycling" function into its newer smartphones, which specializes specifically in such applications.
Unfortunately, they do not yet exist in Germany.
Just not in the trash
If you don't find any new application possibilities, you should at least not just throw a smartphone in the trash.
There is still a flourishing second-hand market for older iPhones in particular.
Apple itself still grants a credit of up to 120 euros for an iPhone 8 from 2017.
There are also numerous independent platforms that are interested in the devices.
Even if a smartphone is useless for anything, it is still good for recycling.
The devices contain valuable raw materials such as copper, cobalt and tantalum as well as silver, gold, nickel and rare earths, the degradation of which can cause enormous environmental damage.
Up to 80 percent of the components of a cell phone can be reconditioned.
If you want to properly dispose of an old smartphone, you don't have to look far: the trade is now obliged to take back old devices.
The large mobile network operators also collect the devices for good causes.
Organizations such as the Naturschutzbund and initiatives for those in need also collect old devices.
Even if they only get a few euros per cell phone when they are recycled - anything is better than the drawer.
