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May 28, 2015

10 ways to re-purpose your old Lumia



Have you recently upgraded to the new Lumia 640 or Lumia 640 XL? Before you discard your old Lumia, here are 10 ways you can put your older phone to use.

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Your Lumia smartphone running Windows Phone 8.1 packs a lot of power and is capable of performing whatever tasks you throw at it.

So if you have a spare Lumia sitting around and don’t want to recycle it, donate it to a charity or give to a friend, here are ways to bring back your old Lumia to life.

Let’s get started!

1. Back-up phone

All Lumias are built to last and come with a great standby time. For example, the Lumia 625 has a maximum standby time of 23 days. You can use your older Lumia for keeping a backup of your data or making emergency calls to 911, which doesn’t require an active SIM card.

2. Alarm clock

Turn your Lumia into a fancy nightstand clock with the Night Stand Clock app ($1.29) and wake up seeing your local weather details. All you need is a mobile stand such as the Universal smartphone stand for your phone.

3. Navigational device

navigation

The built-in HERE Maps app helps you reach your destination (walking or driving) easily and even offers offline support. Affix your Lumia permanently in your car and never get lost in a new city or neighborhood.

4. Portable media player

media

Use your old Lumia such as the Lumia 720 or Lumia 520, with its 8 GB of onboard memory, to store music and videos. Pair it with The Bang by Coloud portable speakers and have a blast!

5. Gaming device

gamess

Your Lumia smartphone such as the Lumia 520 comes with a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 512 MB RAM, making it a perfect gaming companion.

The phone’s compact size and LCD display with TrueColor help you always get a smooth gaming experience while playing games such as Minecraft: Pocket Edition or Candy Crush Saga.

6. E-reader

ebook

The extra-clear and bright screen of your Lumia makes reading books a pleasure. Enjoy flipping through your favorite novels or e-books via the Amazon Kindle app or the Bookviser Reader app on the Lumia 1320 or Lumia 1520.

7. Surveillance camera

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Keep an eye on your home, office or kids by turning your Lumia smartphone into a personal security and surveillance device, Pair it with the Motion Cam app ($0.99), which uses the built-in phone camera and microphone to detect movements and noises in the surrounding area.

8. Thermostat controller

Internet-connected smart thermostats such as tado° and ecobee help you cut down your heating bills. Pair your Lumia with the free Tado app or the ecobee remote app and be in charge of your home’s surroundings.

Check out our past stories about connected homes here and here.

9. WiFi hotspot

Known as Wi-Fi tethering in tech parlance, the Internet-sharing feature on your Lumia is a great way to use your phone as a portable router.

Connect your other devices such as a laptop or Surface tablet to your Lumia’s Internet plan instead of buying plans for each device.

Read our recent story about establishing a Wi-Fi Hotspot on your Lumia here.

10. Child’s toy

child toys

Your old Lumia such as the Lumia 520 or the Lumia 630 can be a great tool for your kids, especially with the wide range of educational and fun apps available in the Windows Phone Store. Here’s a recent story about some fantastic apps for your kids. Also, here’s a previous story on how to keep your kids safe with Lumia.

Finally, if you decide to sell your Lumia, check if your carrier offers cash or credit for your old device. In the U.S., carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint or Verizon offer buybacks. For our readers in India, check current offers here and here.

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