Who Should I Trust to Replace My Cracked Screen?

It only takes a second to smash a screen on your phone, or crack the precious touchscreen on a tablet. Everyone’s experienced that moment of stomach-churning panic when their phone lands face-down on a tiled floor.

If you’re unlucky, you’ll have a device that’s either difficult or impossible to use. Sometimes small cracks don’t affect the device’s functioning. Other times, it won’t respond at all until you have a new screen fitted.

As electronic gadgets have become essential, repair shops have sprung up everywhere. But fixing electronics can be risky. Who can you trust to get it right?

Image result for cracked phone screen

Manufacturer Repair

If you want a repair that’s guaranteed to work, you can contact your manufacturer; some, like Apple, offer in-store repair services. If your manufacturer doesn’t provide any repair service, your network might either repair your device or provide you with another one under the terms of your insurance. (Be aware that this will probably be a refurb, not a new device.)

Local Repair Shops

Apple attracted a lot of criticism when it disabled phones that had had their screens repaired by repair shops. These days, using a high street repairer is a safe bet providing the repair technicians are careful.

Replacing a phone screen is risky; the screen itself can separate, or in some cases, you may find other parts of the phone stop working after the repair. If a repair shop uses genuine parts, that’s always a good sign, but don’t entirely rely on it.

Ask around for opinions from friends and family before leaving your phone with a local shop. You might also want to check whether the repair is guaranteed or not; 30 days should be the bare minimum.

Online Specialists

Many online stores allow you to mail in your device for a repair. You should be able to get a quote online.

There are two obvious risks of using these services though; one is the risk of posting expensive devices which are already in a fragile condition. And on top of that, you don’t really know who’s receiving the devices on the other end.

So again, check the repairer’s reputation and be sure to read the guarantee. Even if the store provides a freepost envelope, it’s a good idea to pay for Special Delivery if your device is valuable.

Is it Time to Replace Your Phone?

Sometimes, screen repairs are inexpensive, but there’s always a risk that your repair costs will spiral out of control. Unless you have a fixed quote for your repair, it might be time to get a new one. The outlay might be higher, but sometimes spending old money on a device that’s outdated is a false economy.

Another alternative is to buy insurance for your devices so that you don’t have to pay out for repairs. Here at Row, we offer insurance for all kinds of gadgets, so you don’t have to worry about sudden repair costs if they get broken. We cover the whole family on one policy, offer weekly payments, and even cover your devices abroad.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

Technology is moving at an astonishing pace – the quickest in human history. With great change however, often comes great resistance – especially if the technology in question could significantly affect the way the world works. Then again, the technology could just be annoying.

So, let’s take a look at some of the technologies that were banned around the world.

Apple Apps

Apple devices are perfect in every way – they are the perfect meld of style and function. So, when Apple began banning apps from its App Store that seemed too coarse or lascivious it was clear to all that the devices would be as pure inside as out and its owners the same. In 2010 Apple banned a number of apps including on known as iBoobs and has done the same for thousands since.

Google Maps

Privacy is one of the most important civil liberties and it’s in a way understandable why countries took exception to Google’s maps. The sheer mass of information and data Google’s Street Maps holds is immense and thoroughly impressive, however Greece and Austria banned the cars from taking photos in 2009 – seeing it as causing potential privacy issues.

Selfie Stick

It’s not the cutting edge of technology, but it’s a consumer item that’s become ever more popular in the last 6 months or so. The selfie stick has been banned from use in a number of Premiership grounds, including at Spurs and Arsenal. The device which has prompted complaints from supporters trying to watch the match is said to get in the way of those viewing matches. In South Korea the fine for using an unregistered selfie stick is the equivalent of £17,000 – an expensive photo. Yes, we know, it’s almost as disheartening as when the vuvuzela was banned post World Cup 2010.

Napster

King of disruptive technologies, Napster was the website that changed the music business forever. The file trading site was banned by around 34% of US campus servers due to copyright issues. Of course, it led to the emergence of iTunes and the likes of Spotify.

BlackBerry

Banned in the UAE in 2010 because of the fact the phone uses encryption in its messaging system. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia imposed sanctions on the sending of emails, internet access an IM from the devices during the period of the Arab Spring. The idea being the nation hoped RIM – the maker of BlackBerry would be pressurised in releasing communications data to the government when they required it. However, the telecoms regulator in the UAE said the effort caused, “judicial, social and national security concerns”.

The Internet

China has placed a firewall on the Internet, claiming “within Chinese territory, the Internet is under the jurisdiction of Chinese sovereignty. The Internet sovereignty of China should be respected and protected.” This limits the web to be seen in its full scope in the nation.

So, these are just some of the technologies banned throughout the world however there are still many great pieces of tech that are perfectly legal. Be sure to protect them with our gadget insurance, click here for a quote.

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