2 places not to take your iPhone 5c

The iPhone 5c is a great device, and it's selling like hotcakes thanks to its ease of use, the crystal clarity of the screen and the long battery time – Apple's website says, "The A6 chip is designed to be extremely energy efficient, so you can spend your day taking advantage of all the features and apps on your iPhone. Without worrying about battery life" – as well as its lively colors. For these and many more reasons customers are flocking to Apple stores in droves to get their hands on a 5c. Since we know that maintaining the longevity of any tech device is the most important thing for most consumers, we thought we'd put together a list of places you should avoid taking your iPhone 5c, particularly if you don't have a robust case like this one from Otterbox. 

The Beach: The beach is in many ways a recipe for disaster as far as iPhones (or really any other Apple device, for that matter) are concerned. After all, there are so many different beach scenarios that could result in a need to visit a cell phone repair shop. One common but somehow overlooked situation results from the exposure of the iPhone 5c to sand. Lying on a towel listening to music or resting in a chair as a book on tape flows into your ears, it may be easy to forget that on all sides of you are tiny grains that, if they find their way anywhere into your device, can easily lead to, say the iPhone 5c headphone jack not working. That's because all it takes are a few bits of sand embedded in the jack to prevent your headphones from connecting to it. Fortunately, this problem can easily be rectified via the use of a Q-tip, which, when swept through the interior of the jack, can extract any undesirable elements.

Another classic beach-related repair is, of course, the inevitable water exposure that can result from having your iPhone too close to a vast expanse of H2O. Most people aren't careless enough to bring their iPhones into the water with them (though in this selfie-crazed age, we wouldn't put it past your average millenial) but unfortunately, sometimes the water comes to you. It's not difficult, for instance, for your little kid to come bounding out of the water and request a towel from you, only to send a stream of salty water headed straight into your device. If your iPhone 5c is not encased, keep it off the beach.

Anywhere directly under the sun: You think you're frying on these blazing summer days? Well if your iPhone could talk, he or she would say that by comparison you have absolutely nothing to complain about. You see, even though iOS devices are built to withstand temperatures of up to 113 degrees F, that doesn't mean they won't be worse for the wear. And we would also like to point out here that devices like iPhones are only supposed to be used in temperatures reaching 95 degrees. For those 100+ degree days on the horizon, you'd be best advised to keep your device either at home or at least in a place in the shade. The consequences of not monitoring heat exposure for your iPhone could lead to things like iPhone 5c battery problems, headphone issues, and even necessitate a trip to your nearest cell phone repair shop. Considering these risks, the best thing to do is simply make sure that your device stays out of the sun where it doesn't belong. 

Marcelina Hardy