Help! Smartphone Broken Before the Contract is Up

For many people, taking out a contract with a mobile phone operator is the most viable way to own a top-end smartphone. Instead of having to pay hundreds of pounds up front for the latest iPhone, Galaxy, HTC One or whichever brand you have your eye on, a contract allows you to spread the cost of ownership with monthly repayments.

Plus, of course, you get all of your minutes, text and data bundled into the same price.

Contract smartphone owners do, however, face a conundrum. Most devices are supplied on 24 month contracts as standard. Manufacturer’s warranty on most smartphones only lasts for 12 months. That means, should your handset breakdown after the first year of ownership, you have no automatic recourse for repair or replacement, yet you are still locked into a contract for several more months.

What can you do if you find yourself in this situation? The options depend on the nature of the problem with your phone.

Smartphone Technical faults

Once your warranty has expired, you may still be able to claim free repair and replacement for certain technical faults under consumer protection laws. For example, consumers are entitled to expect that products they buy are ‘fit for purpose’, and there have been examples where mobile phone owners have been able to use this to make claims in cases where their device does not last the duration of a 24-month contract.

However, the difficulty is you have to be able to prove that the handset carried a manufacturing fault when it was purchased which meant it was never going to last for two years. This means paying for engineer’s reports and takes time and effort.

Further protections exist if a breakdown is caused by an operating system update or by a faulty app. It is important to remember that claims made under these laws must be made to the retailer, not the device manufacturer - so, in the case of faulty updates etc, from your mobile operator, in the case of apps from the app store you made the purchase from.

Smartphone Accidental damage

If your phone becomes faulty as a result of accidental damage or general wear and tear, there is not much recourse to free repair or replacement outside your warranty period. Your mobile operator may offer an aftercare service, but this will in most circumstances be paid for. Some manufacturers, e.g. Apple, also offer paid-for extended warranties.

If you are locked into several more months of a contract and your handset is completely unusable, it becomes a case of weighing up the best value solution. Repairs through a third party can often be less expensive than going through your mobile service provider, although you may not get a guarantee on the work.

For the most serious faults, repair may be either highly expensive or simply not possible. You could look at cancelling your contract and starting another to get a new device, but you will probably have to pay a termination fee. In many cases, it is cheaper to buy an unlocked second hand phone to use your SIM in for the duration of the contract.

Overall, the best way to guarantee being able to repair or replace your broken smartphone at any point during your contract is to take out insurance. At Row.co.uk, we offer unlimited repairs and free collection and return on all smartphones, covering accidental damage, cracked screens, water damage, technical breakdown, theft and loss. Click here to find out more.

*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.

For many of us, life without a smartphone has become all but unimaginable. They are our prized possession, our inseparable companion - and we want to cherish and protect them accordingly.

Phone cases have become a must-have accessory for smartphone owners keen to give their devices a little extra protection against life’s bumps and spills - while, of course, making something of a fashion statement. It is fair to say that the choice in cases available now far outweighs the phones themselves, such is the variety in styles, designs and materials out there.

But the question is - which are the best? Like many things in life, answering that question is largely subjective, and depends on a combination of personal preferences and what your priorities for a phone case are. That said, there is no harm in offering some friendly advice in narrowing the choices down. So that’s exactly what we’ll aim to do here - set out what we consider to be the best phone case options for three different purposes.

Best for protection

First and foremost, people look to phone cases to add an extra layer of protection to their precious devices. After all, smartphones are not the most durable things in the world - a simple fumble can easily lead to a cracked screen, a shattered casing or a damaged camera lens, triggering an expensive repair bill.

If you really do want to wrap your phone in cotton wool (or actually, something much better), then a rugged case is the way to go. Manufactured from materials such as ionised rubber, hardened polycarbonate, aluminium and even wood, rugged cases are designed to offer robust impact protection, and are often water resistant, too. The downside is that they add a lot of bulk to your phone - great for avoiding cracks and scrapes, not so great for your pocket.

Most versatile

You are probably already familiar with the slimline plastic versions that arguably pass for the default phone case these days. They are all well and good - until you realise that the brittle plastic cracks just as easy as your phone when you drop it. In a similar style, a much more reliable option is a soft silicone case.

Offering great value, soft silicone actually offers better protection to your phone because there is a degree of ‘bounce’ in the material. Many people like the feel of the silicone in their hand and suggest it gives them better grip. For those who are keen to keep their phones slimline, ultra-thin varieties are available which add barely any noticeable bulk. And finally, silicone cases are just perfect for that other reason everyone wants a phone case - for printing whatever design it is that takes your fancy.

Best for style

Finally, we know this is dangerous territory to step into - everyone has their own views on what is and isn’t stylish, and hey, some of you out there might honestly feel that a shark-shaped day-glo case is the very definition of cool. But for a timeless look that you can’t really go wrong with, a folio case is hard to beat. Designed to look for all intents and purposes like a wallet (many even come with card slots inside), folding folio cases often come in leather (real or faux) or woven material varieties, offering a solid level of protection coupled with a tidy, sophisticated appearance.

Of course, no case is going to guarantee 100% protection for your smartphone in every circumstance. If you really do want to cover your back, check out our excellent value mobile insurance - starting at just £1.49 a month, it is cheaper than a case anyway!

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