Mobile Phone Repair Guide: Ways to Fix a Broken Phone

It happens to all of us at one point or another: you’re sitting there, minding your own business, and by accident, your phone slips out of your pocket. To your horror, your phone screen is now cracked - this is especially tragic if you have the latest iPhone or Samsung. It’s extremely frustrating when this happens, and now you need to figure out how to fix your broken phone (and how much it will cost you).

Luckily, there are several options besides buying a replacement phone, so let’s explore them.

In this article:

• Phone Repair or replacement?

• Authorised phone repair

• Phone insurance claim

• Third-party phone repair

• DIY phone repair

• Broken phone screen

• Broken rear glass

• Replacing phone battery

Why is phone repair better than buying a new one?

Just like a car, your mobile phone can break down. It can be anything from cosmetic damage to slow performance. However, you shouldn’t always rush to replace it. Fixing a broken phone can be less hassle and more cost-effective than changing the handset entirely. Phone repair will allow your broken device to stay in your possession longer. This will help offset your phone’s carbon footprint, and one less phone will contribute to e-waste.

Believe us, the environmental impact of smartphones is worth considering a repair over a new device.

How can I fix my broken phone?

Phone repairs are a widespread service, so you can choose from several options. Before deciding on which service to go for, you must first understand the two available routes: authorised or unauthorised repairs. If you pick an authorised repair, booking a service directly with the manufacturer - its authorised repair partner or making an insurance claim (if you purchased one) is straightforward. If you pick an unauthorised repair, there are a few more decisions to make: either you do it yourself or pay someone to do it for you.

Authorised phone repair

An authorised repair is the most secure way to fix your mobile phone, but it won’t be the cheapest and might not be the fastest. Phone manufacturers and their approved service partners provide authorised phone repairs, which means the replacement parts are genuine, technicians are certified to perform the repair, and providers strictly adhere to repair and security protocols approved by the manufacturer.

You can contact your manufacturer or network provider directly to book a repair or take your phone to your nearest manufacturer’s store for an authorised repair.

• If you have an iPhone, visit Apple website for an authorised repair.

• To repair a Samsung phone, head over to Samsung’s support page.

• Book your service through Google’s phone repair center for Google Pixel phone repairs.

• If you want to repair your Huawei phone, visit this support page.

• To get your OnePlus phone repaired, check the OnePlus support page.

Insurance claim for a broken phone

Many of us either have home contents insurance, separate mobile phone insurance such as AppleCare+ or phone insurance included as a benefit with your bank account. Phone insurance providers have contracts with certified repair centres; therefore, claiming a repair through your insurance is another way of getting an authorised repair for your phone. Depending on who your insurance provider is, take a look at the terms and what repairs are covered. If you decide to start a claim, you must pay an excess fee that varies depending on your policy and monthly insurance payments and can be between £25 - £100.

Third-party phone repair

Fixing phones directly with manufacturers is costly; many turn to independent third-party repair shops. While fixing your iPhone at the shop around the corner might save you considerable money, manufacturers warn that any unauthorised repair will void your warranty.

Apple, in particular, is incredibly strict with the after-sales service of its products, which are purposefully made to be challenging to repair. If an unofficial repair is attempted, the software will pick up the non-genuine part, and your iPhone could be rendered unusable, leading to even more costs.

However, manufacturer-certified repair shops use genuine or high-quality replacement parts, and their technicians get training and manufacturer accreditation to perform various types of repairs.

DIY phone repair

Unfortunately, it's more common to have issues with a phone than to know how to fix it. However, with the growing Right to Repair movement, many websites, communities, and forums are dedicated to DIY mobile phone repairs, and the good news is that you can fix your phone yourself.

The tricky part is knowing what you’re doing and having the necessary tools and materials. The team at iFixit is doing a great job of providing detailed guides with images and videos on various types of DIY repairs for all iPhones and an extensive list of Android devices. You can also purchase kits with all the required tools to help you repair your phone and make the process less frustrating.

Restart Project volunteers and partners also host repair parties. This is a great community of restarters who fix all kinds of electronics, share knowledge, and make DIY repairs more accessible.

Need to fix a broken iPhone? Apple’s Self-Repair Program allows you to purchase genuine parts from a third-party provider authorised by Apple itself.

How much does a phone repair cost?

Phone repair costs depend on the model of your broken device, the type of repair needed and where you get your phone fixed. We’ve looked at the latest models from Samsung and Apple and popular mid-range and budget phones. We will compare the most common fixes, such as broken phone screens, rear glass, and battery replacements, to see how much they will cost you.

Replacing a broken phone screen

The worst part about broken phone screens is that they are out-of-warranty repairs, which means if your phone is still in warranty, any physical damage won’t be covered by it.

Below, we compare how much a screen replacement for top flagships and the most popular phones is if you choose to send it off to the manufacturer or its authorised repair partner, a third-party repair shop, or perform a DIY repair.

It’s cheaper to repair a broken phone screen than to buy a new phone. Sometimes, having an authorised screen repair done by the manufacturer or their service partner is cheaper than going to a third-party service provider. On the other hand, DIY repair often costs you less than authorised or third-party repairs.

Replacing a phone's broken rear panel

As with broken displays, the manufacturer's warranty won't cover physical damage to the back glass, so you have to pay for the repair.

Often the cost difference between a third-party repair and the parts to perform a DIY job isn’t too different. So, if you’re not confident fixing the phone yourself, consider an unauthorised repair a reasonable option.

If you have a budget smartphone, sourcing repair information can be challenging. This might be because some brands aren’t as widespread as Apple or Samsung in the UK, so if the worst happens, the repair can’t even be considered as such service or parts aren’t available.

Phone battery replacement

A lot of the phone’s functionality depends on the battery, and as we go through more charging cycles, the battery degrades, slowing down the phone's overall performance. However, you can take steps to improve your iPhone’s battery life or boost the lifespan of your Android battery.

If you’re noticing that your phone is no longer holding charge for as long as it previously did and the performance is getting slow, it is more likely that the problem isn’t with the phone itself but rather the battery. Luckily, battery replacement is a relatively easy fix. If your phone is still under warranty, going directly to Apple or Samsung for a replacement might be an ideal solution, as it will be free of charge.

The main takeaway from our comparison of battery replacement services is that you’re not going to save money choosing third-party repair versus authorised repairs as in all of the examples, the fee charged is the same. If the manufacturer's warranty still covers your phone, you shouldn't consider repairing anywhere else. But don’t take our word for it; always check the warranty and see if the manufacturer covers batteries under it (Apple and Samsung do).

Regarding DIY battery replacement, we discovered that Repair Outlet has the broadest range of parts for most Apple, Samsung, Google, Sony, Huawei and OnePlus smartphones, so sourcing the part won’t be a problem. However, the challenge might be once you’ve opened the phone to safely remove the degraded battery, as manufacturers are making it extremely difficult for repairers.

Selling a broken phone

A fully working smartphone in good condition is worth significantly more than one with cosmetic damage and faults, so repairing your phone before you sell it makes total sense. However, you need to compare the costs and weigh your options. Repairs might be pricey, but they prolong the life of your smartphone, helping you chip away at its environmental impact and can bag you a decent return when you decide to sell your old phone.

With phone repairs, there is one major issue: if you own a phone made by a brand with a decent market share, finding a repair service or a spare part isn’t going to be a problem. However, we can’t say the same about more budget smartphone offerings. The repairs by third-party providers are limited to only certain brand models so when deciding which phone to buy, cover your bases ahead by looking at repair information and services or, even better, get phone insurance; it will save you a lot of headaches later on.

We fully support the Right to Repair, which will hopefully ease the repairs of smartphones and give more people and businesses access to official repair guides and parts. At the end of the day, we buy expensive smartphones that, unfortunately, are not made to last, and the one thing that manufacturers should do is to be more transparent about the repairability of their own products and provide extended warranties. However, performing a DIY repair can cause more harm than good despite the wide availability of online DIY repair tutorials and repair guides.

So, if you’re not confident, it might be better to skip the DIY and get your phone fixed by a specialist.