Your smartphone has just fallen into the water, screen side on the tiled floor, the battery no longer works? Here are the solutions!
The smartphone is much more than a telephone, it is the nerve center of our digital and physical life. From social networks, to your bank, to your tram ticket, everything goes through this jewel of technologies, which quickly turn out to be very fragile. What to do if your smartphone screen is broken or your mobile stops responding? Don't panic, we will explain to you how to best repair your mobile as quickly as possible.
Who should I contact in the event of a breakdown or a broken screen?
If the failure is independent of your use, then simply contact your reseller who must take charge of your mobile. He is obliged to do so by law, so do not hesitate to remind him if he asks you, for example, to contact the builder yourself.
In the event of an accident of use, the guarantee does not work and you then have several possibilities.
- A repair shop
- Online repair service
- Home repairs
- Repair your mobile yourself
- Manufacturer's after-sales service
Now that the basics are in place, let's get into the details.
Smartphone repair shops and corners
Chains specializing in smartphone repair abound in the region. These can be chain stores, such as corners set up in supermarkets, shopping centers. WeFix is one example. This Fnac subsidiary allows online repairs to be estimated, before going to one of its 100 points of sale.
A pioneer in the sector, SAVE does the same, with an upstream estimate for each smartphone model and a location of the company's 180 service points. As a bonus, in some cases it is possible to lend a mobile, if the repair is long. But in the majority of cases, it will be done on site and you will leave with your mobile.
Alternatively, go to one of the independent smartphone repair centers that abound in the city center. They usually work with OEM parts and can repair your phone immediately in the vast majority of situations. The quality of service can be uneven like the prices, do not hesitate to visit several before deciding. Even consult the opinions on the internet to avoid those that display recurring problems.
In Spain, Apple now allows stores to have an iPhone repaired securely https://t.co/yi0VxiJzPx pic.twitter.com/7LFGbldzwF
- Numerama (@Numerama) July 8, 2020
Smartphone repair sites
They are the web equivalents of physical stores. The operation is quite close, a free estimate is established for you after choosing from a list of possible repairs for your model of mobile. For example, change the battery, the screen or the glass back, the price is then fixed and clearly indicated. Some sites issue you a transport voucher and at others you will have to send the product at your expense.
The repair takes place between 2 to 8 working days on average and the return is included in the price paid. Some sites also have a physical store chain which usually provides faster repair like Restorephone. However, in addition to the length of a repair, you will not have a physical interlocutor in front of you.
Repair your smartphone alone
Rather than going through an intermediary, why not fix your broken phone yourself? A priori, all you need is some technical knowledge, spare parts and the right tools. This is to forget that smartphones are complex and fragile products. Finding spare parts is not complicated, they abound on Amazon. Then just go to YouTube to learn how to do the repair.
However, it is better to buy spare parts "manufacturer" as far as possible, at the risk of having degraded performance. Changing the rear camera of your Galaxy S20 for something other than an original part is simply to take the risk of losing all the photographic skills of your mobile.
If you have doubts about the quality of the parts, go to a reference site like iFixit whose reputation is well established. You will find spare parts for manufacturers, tool kits and especially tutorials produced by the site teams. Be careful, if you are not an English speaker and you doubt the automatic translation of YouTube, you can also go to SOSAV. It offers the same services as iFixit with tutorials entirely in Spanish.
A repairman at home
Sites have specialized in home smartphone repair. Thus, Captain Repair allows you to make an online repair estimate and to set an appointment with a professional repairer who will come to you. It can be at your home, in a cafe, in the office, in short any place where you are and which has a table and light.
Your physical and internet reseller
If the failure appears to be within the scope of the seller's and manufacturer's warranty, you will have to drop the product off at the store where you bought the phone. As part of a website, you will go through a delivery service. The e-commerce site will issue you a generally free voucher. If the repair does not fall under the warranty, such as a broken screen. The After-Sales Service must inform you of this and offer you a free estimate before each repair.
If you accept it, the product will be repaired and returned, otherwise it will just be returned to you. Some resellers offer dedicated mobile services such as Auchan Services. They then undertake to repair your phone, after a free estimate, on site and within 30 minutes if the requested repair allows it.
To learn more
Is prevention still the best insurance?
Yes, especially with your smartphone! Don't neglect a good protective case. If you are fond of outdoor activities or in the heart of nature, opt for a reinforced shell and if possible completely waterproof. You will lose in finesse, in design, but will have a lot more peace of mind. Finally, protective films dedicated to screens, as proposed for example by Belkin, Rhinoshield or Forceglass, are an almost mandatory addition. Indeed, they will not only prevent scratches, they limit the chances of a broken screen when your mobile falls flat. For even more resistance, opt for tempered glass.
What is the warranty for my phone used for?
Your manufacturer's warranty covers repairs in the event of breakdowns that are not your fault. In the event of an accident, such as the classic smartphone in the toilet bowl, the screen that falls flat on the tiled floor or the shell sunk after a shock, repairs are your responsibility. Unless you have opted for insurance or extended warranty from your dealer. Do not hesitate to read all the conditions to find out if they cover the accidents of life.
Is it profitable to have your smartphone repaired?
In some cases, repairing your smartphone can be prohibitive. Depending on the design choices of a smartphone, the ease with which parts can be obtained, a repair can reach stratospheric prices. When you have to pay 450 euros to change the screen of a smartphone at 500 euros, the question of economic interest arises. In any case, if you resign yourself to not carrying out repairs, do not throw away your mobile. Place it in a recovery point, it will then be recycled, it is still taken for the planet.
How long before I get my phone back?
It all depends on the extent of the repair. In a specialized store, the operation can be done immediately after depositing the product. Allow an average of 30 minutes to change a screen or the camera module. If you go through a service center, generally allow 7 working days and if you use the services of a website, you must add the delivery times.
