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.

It is often said that a dog is a man’s best friend, but nowadays, someone or rather something else has become a man’s best friend. If you still haven’t figured it out yet, then that little friend resides in your pocket when you go out. Yes, it’s your iPhone.

iPhones have taken the world by storm, ever since their introduction in 2007.

If you are one of the unlucky ones who have dropped their iPhone in water and are now worried about what to do, then fear not. You can still rescue your beloved friend from dying; just be careful the next time you go for a swim.

Preliminary Steps

Before attempting anything, follow these steps:

· Remove your iPhone immediately from water, whether it is lying in the toilet bowl, at the bottom of the swimming pool, or in a bucket of water.

· Switch off the phone by pressing the power button, until it turns off.

· You should remove the case, if any, as it traps water. You must also remove the SIM card as well. Removing the battery is a more tedious process in an iPhone, but if you are confident enough to do so, then by all means go for it.

· Take a dry cloth, preferably a clean one and wipe the phone carefully. Be sure to dry the front, back, and the sides; do not forget to dry the buttons like the volume controls, power button, home button, and the mute switch.

· Use a Q-tip or a small pointed object to dry the audio output port and the charging port. Additionally, clean the speakers and the microphone.

· If you have headphones or any accessory connected, disconnect it immediately. Never attempt to charge the iPhone if it is wet as it can cause short-circuiting, resulting in permanent damage.

The Cure

After the water has been dried out, you are ready to finally give your friend the life-giving potion. In this case, the life-giving potion is rice. Now if you are wondering how feeding rice to your phone save it from certain doom, then here’s your answer: rice absorbs moisture quickly! If you want to get more technical, you can use silica gel as well.

Take an air-tight bag (a zip-lock bag works best) and fill it with rice. Put your iPhone in the bag and ensure that it is fully buried in the rice. Ideally, you will need to wait for 36-48 hours for the phone to dry out completely. After those hours pass by painstakingly, you can remove your phone from the bag. Before powering it on, inspect the phone for any visible signs of moisture; if there is any, do not turn it on. If everything seems fine, go ahead and turn it on.

If your iPhone works normally like it did before, then you have just saved it from severe damage. Another alternative to rice as mentioned a bit earlier is silica gel. You can also place packets of silica gel. It works better and is a more effective drying agent than rice.

Row.co.uk offers iphone accidental damage cover, which includes water damage! From just pennies a day you could save yourself stress and the possibility of a large replacement bill!

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