It’s a common scenario in many homes, that an old smartphone that is sitting unused in a drawer because a glitzy new model has replaced it. Just because it’s a couple of years old and isn’t the latest anymore, an old smartphone is still a handy minicomputer stuffed with all manners of working sensors, and a few simple steps will transform it into a functional tool that can complement your everyday life.

Home Theater Controller

Think of your smartphone as the central command center for your digital entertainment. You can connect a spare smartphone to the speakers and use it to stream music either via the microSD card or via any streaming service, like Google Play Music or Apple Music or TuneIn Pro. If your phone supports TV connectivity via MHL-to-HDMI cable, you can use it as a media player for your downloaded movies or stream them via Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Hotstar apps. The good part is, you can leave your phone connected to the TV permanently, something you wouldn't want to do with your primary phone.

olmdesk@outlookindia.com