24 Smartphone Myths Debunked That Are Not True

There are more than 5.11 Billion smartphone users globally. This counts to be around 65% of the world population. More new smartphone users lead to more myths.

Not only the new users but I have seen regular users having some myths. So here is a complete collection of common smartphone myths. Let’s debunk them one by one.

Most Common Smartphone Myths

It’s often surprising that we don’t really know much about our smartphones. Although we tend to think otherwise.

Most of the common smartphone myths revolve around the battery, camera, RAM, and wireless communications.

Here are the top myths about smartphones that keep surfacing everywhere.

1. More RAM Means High-Speed Performance

This is most common when people ask me for smartphone recommendations. People need the highest RAM just for high-speed performance.

No. RAM is not the factor that decides the speed of your smartphone. That task belongs to processors.

However, RAM only ensures that you can have too many apps open at the same time. In short, you won’t lose your ongoing work while switching to multiple tabs.

You Should Not Miss | 5 Reasons Why A Smartphone Slows Down

If you are buying an 8 GB RAM just because you want a seamless gaming experience of PUBG then it is a wrong decision. Get a better processor instead.

Have you ever seen Apple running in the race of RAM? Chinese smartphones do that with their 8 GB RAM and 16 GB RAM.

Check out | Why iPhones Need Less RAM Than Android Phones?

This is one of the biggest and most common smartphone myths I get to hear.

2. App Clearing Enhances Performance

Have you seen people who keep killing their running applications from time to time? Probably you might be the one.

Your phone does not even require those cleaning and performance boosting apps. Uninstall them or disable them.

Clearing apps does not boost the performance of your smartphone. In fact, it damages your battery and consumes more Internet for recovering those apps.

Avoid clearing your RAM again and again. Let your smartphone breathe.

3. Apps From Google Play Store or Apple App Store Are Completely Secure

No doubt I always keep telling you that you should only prefer installing apps from authorized Apple or Google stores.

Avoid 3rd party installations. But that doesn’t mean all the apps are completely safe.

Google and Apple keep removing thousands of applications daily due to security threats. Hence, always verify the apps that you install even from the Play Store or App Store.

For example, Google removed 36 apps from Play Store between July and October.

4. Software Updates Are Always Good For Your Smartphone

Depends. Most of the software updates are good in terms of security patches but that doesn’t mean they are perfect.

Most of the software updates lead to another set of bugs.

So, always check the reviews of the latest updates on online forums before updating your smartphone.

Moreover, some brands deliberately slow down old smartphones by pushing software updates. It’s bad for those old smartphones.

Apple was fined $113 Million for slowing down older iPhones. There are many such brands that slow down the older versions of their phones so that people can buy their latest phones.

5. Smartphones With Dolby Atmos Have High-Quality Sound

Dolby Atmos gives an amazing experience to the smartphone’s sound quality. It creates a surround sound effect that gives a realistic feel. But it has a condition.

Your smartphone needs to have stereo speakers instead of mono speakers. And I see many brands giving Dolby Atmos features using a mono speaker. It does not make any sense.

You can enjoy that using your headphones but again, it does not guarantee an immersive sound experience. The quality of the headphones must be decent.

Check out | Best Headphones Under 1500 Rupees

6. More Megapixels Imply Better Camera

Megapixels are not the only components in any camera.

Picture quality is dependent on too many things like – sensors, apertures, lenses, software, image stabilizers, processing, etc.

This is the reason why Apple and Google give better picture quality with their 12 MP cameras. Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone brands are still struggling with their 108 MP cameras.

I don’t need to mention that this is another of the biggest smartphone myths.

Also Read | Is Megapixel Everything?

7. Keeping Credit Card Next To A Mobile Phone Harms The Card

No. Your smartphone does not demagnetize your debit cards or credit cards.

I don’t know from where this myth started coming but seriously this is a huge myth. There is no evidence.

It seems to be another fake forward from Whatsapp University.

However, this is true for only folding phones with strong magnets – like Samsung Galaxy Fold. In this case, Samsung gave instructions.

In other cases, you are free to keep your cards and smartphone together.

Related Post | What is carding?

8. Full Network Range Gives Best Call Quality And High-Speed Internet

You might have seen that your calls keep on breaking even after getting a strong network signal.

Also, your Internet data speed is often too low in spite of having full strength of the network.

Well, it highly depends on the number of users that are connected to a particular tower. Irrespective of your signal strength, you are bound to get lesser quality if many people are using the signals.

This is known as congestion.

I hope you won’t fall for such smartphone myths from now onward.

9. 4G Uses More Data Than 3G

For some reason, most Internet users feel that 4G consumes more Internet and it gets exhausted quickly.

You need to read this | 10 Data Saving Tips

I understand where this perception comes from!

This is a myth and 4G does not consume more data. However, the high-speed Internet exhausts quickly.

A 100 MB file will still take 100 MB data to download from a 4G connection. Since the time taken is less, you end up feeling that 4G sucks more data.

That is not true.

Related Post | What is 5G?

10. Incognito Mode Means No One Can Track Your Internet Activity

I have explained this long time back that incognito mode does not mean you are anonymous on the Internet.

It merely avoids storing cookies and cache data on your browser. Your ISP and Internet still know what you are doing on the web. Some companies like Xiaomi even track that.

Recommended Post | Xiaomi Browser Incognito Mode Controversy Explained

If you really want to remain anonymous, I would recommend you to use the TOR browser or a good VPN.

Check Out | Can I remain anonymous by using Incognito, VPN, or TOR?

11. No One Can Track Your Smartphone If You Switch Off The Smartphone

That surely becomes difficult to track but it is not impossible.

Authorities or hackers can still monitor your mobile phone even if you switch it off or put it on flight mode.

According to the Washington Post, NSA is capable of tracking cell phones even when they are turned off.

Refer: Washington Post Report

There are only 2 solutions:

1. Take out your battery if it is removable.
2. If not, use an anti-tracking pouch for your phone that messes up with the radiations and signals.

You might like | How Police track us?

12. You Should Turn Off Your Mobile Networks Like Bluetooth, GPS & WiFi When Not In Use

There was a time when these wireless signals used to consume battery but today’s smartphones are smart. They are optimized to consume a lesser battery.

Moreover, they don’t keep working with the same power while being disconnected.

Of course, there is a slight power loss but it is almost negligible.

13. Airplane Mode Charges Your Mobile Phone Faster

Once again, this is a theoretical thing and does not work in the practical world.

Sure, airplane mode disconnects you from all the wireless signals and hence saving battery. This ensures faster charging.

But when? In theories and books.

Practically, the difference is so less that you would rather prefer charging with the connectivity.

14. You Should Not Charge Your Smartphone Overnight

This is another myth that came from Whatsapp University.

There were a few cases of phone blasts but they were not due to the overcharging. They were due to the faulty chargers.

It is completely safe to charge your smartphone overnight because they are smart enough to prevent overcharging.

If you are someone who is busy all through the day to charge a smartphone, plug it at night when you are asleep. No worries.

15. You Should Only Use A Charger That Comes Along With The Original Packaging

It is a myth. It is completely fine to charge with any charger under 2 conditions –

1. The charger should be coming from a reputed brand from an authorized store
2. The input ratings should match

As long as you are using the right charger, it is not necessary to use the same charger that you get with the packaged box.

Also Read | Tips For Saving Battery Life

16. Power Banks Are Not Safe

Power banks are completely safe but you should buy a good power bank. Never fall for those roadside cheap power banks.

Get a good power bank from a reputed brand and you are good to go. It is applicable to all smartphones.

Highly Recommended: Best Power Banks

17. Type-C Cables Are Faster Than Micro-USB Cables

Type-C and Micro-USB are just types of cables and nothing else. No doubt, I love and prefer Type-C cables but that is because of the convenience and not due to the fast charging support.

Fast charging depends on the fact whether your smartphone supports it or not.

It depends on the charger, output rating, input rating, and many other factors.

18. It Is Good To Let Your Smartphone Battery Drain Before Charging It

Not at all. Why would you waste the time draining the battery and powering it again?

To get optimal results, it is always good to start charging your phone once it reaches 15% of the battery capacity.

This is also one of the reasons why most of the phones warn you as soon as the battery level reaches at 15% and not at other random numbers.

19. Heating Of Smartphone While Charging Means Something is Wrong

This is completely normal. Every smartphone heats a bit while it is charging and there is nothing to worry about it.

Especially the smartphones having fast charging support heat more. That is because more current is being flown to increase the speed.

Also, some smartphone brands have started using a technology where the smartphone does not heat but your charger does. No matter what, something is going to heat.

If you are concerned, avoid using it while charging.

20. IP Certification On A Smartphone Means It Is Water Proof

IP Certifications and Smartphone Ads always claim for water resistance and not for being waterproof.

Also, you missed a major point. They only test it in freshwater and that too at idealistic conditions.

You cannot use it on the beach and spill coffee over it.

Mind you, not a single company covers water damage under warranty. You need to pay for that.

Read | How To Protect Phone From Water Damage?

21. You Can Use Hair Dryers To Dry Up Your Smartphone

Since we were talking about mobile phone damage due to water, let’s talk about this important point.

People tend to dry their phones using a hairdryer when it gets wet. However, this is the wrong way.

The heat of the hair-dryer can in return melt and damage the small components on your phone. Always be aware. Don’t do it.

22. Smartphones Attract Lightning & Thunderstorms

You might have heard this several times from your parents or elders.

“Switch off the smartphone when there is lightning. If you call using your phone during a bolt of lightning then it will get attracted to your phone.”

This is another myth. There are thousands of smartphones operating while thunderstorms occur. If that had been the case, lightning would keep striking everyone.

Stanford University has cleared this myth in one of their articles. Here is a snippet from the article.
“The chances of a cell phone being struck by lightning is less likely, it can happen, although probably more as a function of the person using the phone being the tallest thing around when lightning strikes rather than anything having to do with the phone itself. Cell phones (and cordless portable phones) used indoors during electrical storms are perfectly safe because there is no wire through which the electric discharge could travel. (The belief that lightning can follow the radio waves is completely unfounded.)”
You can read the complete article here: Lightning Effect on Cell Phones

23. Smartphones Radiate Harmful Radiations That Cause Cancer

This is the most common misconception that has been widely circulated over the Internet. Bollywood even made a movie that was based on the concept and it was equally stupid.

There is no evidence of this claim. Don’t believe me? I knew it!

Here is an official statement by National Cancer Institute, “there is currently no consistent evidence that non-ionizing radiation increases cancer risk in humans.”

I have linked the report so that you can check it out.

Governments set a SAR value limit for brands and every popular brand complies with it. SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate and it implies the energy absorbed by the device.

In India, 1.6 W/kg is the limit of SAR value. All brands need to keep the value below SAR limits.
You can check the Radiation level of your smartphone by dialing a USSD code *#07# on your keypad. If it is below 1.6 W/kg then it is completely safe.

24. Mobile Phones Cause Fire at Fuel Stations

This is another widely believed smartphone myth and I made a dedicated post for this. I am linking it below.

Check out | Can Mobile Phones cause Fire at Fuel Stations?

Even IEEE published a research paper that confirms the same thing.
Read the complete report: Cellphones pose no gas station hazard.

These were some common Smartphone Myths that kept revolving around smartphones. Make sure that you read the recommended articles that I mentioned between the points.

Most importantly, share this piece of content on all your social media handles. It won’t take much for you but it will help to spread awareness.

Also Read: 12 Mistakes To Avoid While Using Smartphone

P2