Smartphones are evolving faster as ever. It is inevitable that some smartphones cannot keep up with upgrades especially when they're already out in the market for several years. However, resourceful individuals have found hacks to optimize their older smartphones like Google's Nexus 5 to lengthen their usage.
Hack: Add A Micro SD Slot For Your Google Nexus 5 Phone
For those who own a Nexus 5, the smartphone doesn't come with its own micro SD slot. However, a resourceful individual has found a way to expand the phone's storage. Geek.com reports that the hack is to plug an adapter in the Nexus 5's micro USB port. There are no modifications needed for the software part as the micro SD card will be recognized by Android Marshmallow. However, the hardware, especially the daughter board needs to be flipped and placed on to the main board.
The hack was shared by a Reddit user name Sockpockets. The Redditor adds that while it may work, there are downsides to it. The smartphone works but it will be bulky. Also, you can no longer plug a USB cable to recharge the Nexus 5 because the adapter is there. However, this can be remedied with wireless chargers.
Tech Worm reports that the Nexus 5 which was released in 2013 was only sold in 16GB and 32GB models. With the use of the hack, a Nexus 5 with 64GB memory can be achieved. Another resourceful individual from Ukraine basically just bought a 64GB eMMC 5.0 module to upgrade his Nexus 5 phone's memory. He bought the 64GB memory for only approximately $30. After he was done doing modifications, he was left with a Nexus 5 with larger storage capacity and an even faster read/write speeds than the original.