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10 Smartphones Myths Debunked

Written By Arel Ebana
Published • February 20th, 2020
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There’s probably a myth for almost everything out there. They’re these elaborate stories that you’ll want to believe because a lot of people do. But, just like everything else, just because a lot of people believe in them doesn’t mean it’s true. The tech world has a lot of myths too, and in this article, we’re debunking 10 smartphone myths that people think to be true.

Table of Contents

Drying out your soaked smartphone using dry rice

One of the highly popular myths out there is that if you accidentally drop your phone in water, you can dry it up using rice. It does help to put your phone in a sealed plastic bag with some rice, but while the rice will draw in the moisture, it doesn’t mean that the smartphone will work afterward. The water may have already fused the circuitry on the phone or left traces of mineral that corrodes the electronics. Immersing your soaked smartphone into a rice bag does not work.

Never use a phone while in a gas station

Gas stations have signs everywhere, asking their patrons not to use their smartphones while pumping gas. While most people think that using smartphones in gas stations will cause fire due to smartphone emitting radio waves, that’s not the case. Gas stations ask customers not to use smartphones to prevent them from pulling away with the nozzle still attached to their car because when that happens, it will cause a leak, and even worst, fire. Fortunately, gas stations these days have a breakaway nozzle that can prevent gasoline from escaping in case the mentioned situation happens.

Phones can interfere with Airplanes

For this myth, it’s a yes and a no. Yes, it’s true that using a smartphone on an aircraft can interfere with the navigation system and communication devices between the Air Traffic controller and the pilot with unshielded cockpit instrumentation. The answer to this myth is also no, as most modern aircraft are not vulnerable to this interference. But still, it’s highly encouraged not to use smartphones on flights. Individuals are strongly recommended to turn on the airplane mode.

Drain the phone’s battery completely before charging it

Draining your smartphone’s battery might cause severe damage to your smartphone. It’s terrible for the Lithium-ion batteries to be regularly drained all the way to 0%. Doing so would count it as a full-charge cycle, and therefore decreases the battery’s total life.

Removing the SIM card can prevent you from being tracked down

This myth is pretty much prevalent in movies, with scenes such as the protagonist being hunted down by the antagonists. Unfortunately, they’re not all real and true. Removing the SIM card from your device isn’t enough to prevent you from getting traced. If your device is on, you can still be tracked down. If you’re aiming to be undetectable, you’d have to turn on airplane mode, disable the GPS, shut the device, and remove the phone’s battery if applicable.

Charging the smartphone overnight will damage the battery

Modern smartphones have a built-in controller that prevents the battery from taking current once it reaches 100%. Keep in mind, though, that it’s not good to always leave your phone plugged in. Sometimes, you need to keep the battery level at least 40 to 80% to extend its life.

Closing background apps will save battery

Some people think that closing the running apps in the background will save a bit of battery life, but in reality, it doesn’t. Apple and Google have made statements about this matter, saying that iOS and Android have algorithms that automatically close apps when necessary. In fact, closing the background apps may even take up battery life as re-opening them again would need to have the assets of that application load once more.

Larger megapixel count equals better photos

Smartphone companies these days have been equipping their smartphones with 48MP lenses, up to 108MP shooters, but having high megapixel count on a camera doesn’t always equate to a good photo. These days, sensor size is more important when taking good photos. For instance, an 8MP camera with a large sensor can do a much better job than a 15MP camera with a smaller sensor. To know more about this, you can check out one of our videos here.

Don’t use your smartphone while charging

We’re all pretty attached to our smartphones, and even while charging, it’s hard to pry ourselves off them. Good thing, though, smartphones are safe to use while charging. The only downside to the is that it’ll take a slightly longer time to fill the battery. What’s important here is that the smartphone will be fine whether you’re watching videos, scrolling on your social media timelines, and so on while you charge up your phone.

Smartphones emit harmful radiation while you sleep

A lot of people are worried about a smartphone’s radiation causing cancer or other diseases. Well, you can ease your mind now as the electromagnetic radiation that our smartphones emit is completely safe. To know more about this, you can check out our video here.

Are there other smartphone myths that you want to see debunked? Let us know in the comments!

With edits and updates by Ira Arellano.