Tag: cell phone repair

Is It Worth It To Fix A Cracked Phone Screen?

Posted on | by Fit It Wireless

A: Absolutely! You know any new iPhone or Samsung phone is going to cost you about $1,000. Just fixing the screen can save you hundreds. You know, you’re looking at about a fraction of the price of a new device.

As long as your frame is good, which is the body, most of the time I do recommend it. There are situations where you have extreme frame damage or maybe the device is a bit on the older side.

In those cases, I always recommend my customers to upgrade the device and come here of course for a protective case and screen protector.

Now, the #1 concern when going with a third-party repair option is functionality. “Is my device going to function properly as the day I first bought it?”

The answer is yes. We offer you a lifetime warranty. If you experience any glitching, any kind of issues, dead spots—that should not happen. If it does, there’s something wrong, bring it on in and we’ll take care of that on the spot for you— no problem, no questions asked. As long as there’s no physical damage or you didn’t break it again, of course, we’re going to take care of that for you.

So, you’ve just cracked the screen on your phone and you’ve already invested money in the phone. You’ve bought accessories for it, screen protectors, cases, etc. You’re probably asking yourself if it’s worth it to fix the screen or should you just bite the bullet and buy a new phone. Well, as Nate said, it depends on your circumstances, but let’s break it down.

Replace Or Get Screen Repair In Denver?

Phone screens continue to get bigger and thinner and the glass-infused frame designs create slicker bodies. That means phones have become more artistic in aesthetics, not just functional.

However, that has also resulted in a lot of accidental drops, even with phones that are cased. Phones are so hard to keep a grip on these days, that one of the top-selling accessories for phones are cases.

Yes, you buy this beautifully designed phone with slick lines, impossibly thin bezels, and futuristic glass backing—and then you hide it in a case. With most iPhones and Samsung Galaxy models, the two top-selling phone lines, costing at least a grand, it makes sense.

Less Than Ideal Solutions For A Cracked Screen

If you drop your phone and the screen cracks, you’ve got a decision to make. Do you take your lumps and shell out another grand for a replacement phone?

Or do you do some of these less than ideal methods to deal with your cracked screen? Most of these we don’t recommend. Let’s look at some common alternatives people have resorted to. We’ll touch on a few of the top ones then break down why seeking out screen repair in Denver is your best bet in most cases.

Just Use An Old Phone

So, what some people will do is keep an older phone lying around as a backup. So, if their expensive new phone cracks or breaks they just switch to the backup.

For example, you might have had a Samsung Galaxy S6 in a drawer somewhere and suddenly your new Galaxy S22 takes a nosedive. The screen is completely busted and you can’t do anything on the phone. You don’t have $1,000 to replace the phone with the same model, and you don’t have insurance on it either.

So, you simply do a phone swap with your carrier to your old S6 and keep on truckin’ right?

OUR TAKE

Granted, this is a good, quick solution when your screen is wrecked beyond operability. However, a lot of people don’t just have an old device lying around. With all the deals for new phones for trading your old device in—it’s rare.

A more realistic solution is to bring it into Fix It Wireless, let us take a look at the phone. We’ll tell you if you can make it brand new with just a new screen, or if you need a new phone. Even if it ends up being the latter, we have plenty of quality refurbished, late-model phones you can replace it with.

Put a Screen Protector on a Cracked Screen

We’ve seen people do this before, mostly due to a “life hack” on TikTok. In this “hack,” they take a phone with a cracked screen and put a tempered glass screen protector on top of it. The theory behind it is that it keeps the screen from getting any more damage while allowing you to still use it.

Before you run out and drop 20 bucks on Amazon for a glass screen protector—for a cracked screen, read our take on this “hack.”

OUR TAKE

Ok, so let’s get right to the burning question—does this really work? The answer is yes and no.

Yes if it’s just some hairline fractures and there’s no chips or shards of glass missing or loose. If there are pieces missing—this is pointless.

Also, consider the fact that while the screen not only is a functional part of a phone’s design, it’s also a protective component.

The reason they use Gorilla Glass in phones like the Galaxy isn’t just to prevent scratches and shattering. It’s to add another layer of protection for the components inside. Otherwise, they would use much cheaper glass.

So, all in all, a screen protector on a cracked screen doesn’t fix your problem, it just might buy you a bit of time. Sooner than later, you’ll be Googling for screen repair in Denver again.

Better to save that 20 bucks and put it towards getting your screen fixed ASAP.

Replacing The Screen Yourself

These days with the amount of DIY videos on YouTube, you can theoretically fix anything yourself—keyword, theoretically. Just a word to the wise, the repair is always easier on YouTube than it is in real life. But, if you like to take risks you can buy a new OLED display, digitizer, and glass screen for most phones. They aren’t cheap, and if you find one that is—beware, there’s a huge counterfeit market out there. We’ve seen the kits go on the internet for anywhere from $300.00 and up.

OUR TAKE

The repair rarely goes as smoothly as in the videos. You have to remember, in most cases, you’re watching someone who is a professional, like us. So, of course, it looks like an easy repair, they’ve had a few hundred repairs under their belt to hone their skills.

However, in reality, the first time you crack open your case to perform a screen replacement it is ridiculously difficult. There are many fragile components that you can damage by force, by static electricity, and by dropping it mid-repair or a tool slipping.

We’ve seen it all too often as we get customers that bring in a phone they’ve done more damage to by trying DIY screen repair. What usually ends up happening is they have to spend even more money when they could’ve come here first and been done with it.

Don’t forget that you also void any warranty you have left on your phone the moment you try a DIY screen fix. So you could be out a lot more money than the cost of a screen replacement kit.

Go The Easy Route With The Best Screen Repair In Denver

If you don’t have accidental damage insurance, the reality of most cases involving a cracked screen is—you’re going to be out some money. However, you can cut your losses by bringing your phone to your nearest Fix It Wireless location for an estimate.

We’ll let you know if it’s worth fixing the screen and we’ll give you a reasonable quote. Our technicians are Apple Certified techs and equally qualified to repair any android phone including Samsungs.

Contact us today and let’s bring your phone back to life and remember… NO FIX? NO FEE!

My Tablet Won’t Charge. How Do I Know If It’s The Battery Or The Charging Port?

Posted on | by Fit It Wireless

A: If it’s a battery or charging port, the way we go ahead and diagnose that is we have a machine that reads the amperage. So, if we plug in the device and it’s pulling amperage, that tells me the charging port is pulling power. The battery is not holding power—that’s the difference.

If it’s the other way around; if I plug it in and there’s absolutely no amperage, it’s completely dead. That tells me the charging port is not receiving power. Thus, it’s not giving the battery any juice to store.

So, that’s kind of the best way I can tell. It’s a bit harder for you at home who don’t have an amp reader or anything like that.

So, once again, no fix no fee—free diagnostics at Fixit Wireless. Just come on in and I can tell you all that information within an hour!

At Fixit Wireless, we’re experts in phone and tablet repair in Denver, not just to feed our families but also because it’s a passion of ours. We love working with technology and we take pride in helping our customers get the most out of their devices.

All too often the mobile carriers and device manufacturers are quick to push the latest device on you. If your screen cracks, “buy this new one.” If your battery seems slow, “oh just drop a grand on the latest model.”

A lot of the time, they’re pushing these expensive upgrades on you when you haven’t even finished paying off your old device. They claim buying a new device is the best solution and value—but is it really?

Opting For Tablet Repair In Denver

The truth is that oftentimes, problems with your device charging can be fixed for a fraction of what a new device will cost you. Honestly, if your device is less than 3 generations old, you’ll save yourself a lot of money going with a repair.

Whether the battery is shot, or the charging port has been damaged, both of these repairs still cost far less than buying the latest model. Repairing the culprit of the problem will give your phone new life but first, you want to troubleshoot on your own. You may find that the solution is quite simple and something you can do.

Of course, if you don’t feel comfortable with these DIY solutions, we are ready and willing to get you up and running again. Usually, we can get your tablet back to 100% within an hour.

So, if your tablet won’t charge and you’re stuck being tethered to the charger. If it charges but takes forever to get a full battery—we can help.

Let’s start with some possible causes and how to detect them without having an amperage reader. Again, some of these possible solutions are safe for you to perform and it may be that you indeed do need to upgrade. However, that usually only makes sense if your device is over 3 generations old.

So, let’s eliminate the problems we can easily rule out so you don’t waste your time bringing a device in for a simple issue.

Is Your Charging Cable And Adapter In Good Shape?

We see this situation so often it’s become commonplace. Someone brings in a tablet that won’t charge or charges really slow.

We take the device, plug them into one of our many chargers with our charging cable, and boom! The tablet charges just fine. The customer can’t believe it, but most of the time, it’s just a faulty charger or cable.

It’s common to lose or damage our charging cable and/or adapter for our tablet at some point. Think about it, they are some of the most tortured electronics accessories you own.

You may not throw your tablet around, but often, chargers and charging cables are tossed about. You know you have that one drawer at home full of tangled cables, charging adapters, and other random accessories. We all do it, you’re not alone and it’s easy to lose a cable or charging adapter that way.

What we sometimes do next, is where it can get messy. We go online or stop at a convenience store and buy a cheap replacement. The problem is you often get what you pay for.

Some chargers don’t output what they claim they do, or chargers that damage the battery. Additionally, the cables used in some of these cheap solutions are substandard and can short out easily.

So, ironically, you could be fixing a missing charging adapter problem on the cheap, but creating a bigger, more expensive problem down the road. That could include battery damage, circuit board damage, or other component issues. At that point, you have no other choice but to find a place that does tablet repair in Denver.

There’s Another Possible Culprit

Sometimes, your tablet can be the issue at hand, and often, it’s self-inflicted and involves the charging port.

Yes, that little port we all take for granted and just routinely shove our charging cables into when we need some juice. However, those ports are vulnerable to dirt and grime or the Starbucks that spilled near your phone.

If that charging port gets gunked up, the contacts in the cable can’t make a clean connection with the charging cable. If you look closely in the port and find debris, the best way to clean it out is to use a can of compressed air and give it a few bursts.

However, if it’s really full of debris, you might want to use a gentle brush. Pipe cleaners work very well and there’s even special port cleaning brushes you can buy. Be gentle with the brush as you don’t want to create a bigger problem.

Speaking of bigger problems, one way to guarantee an appointment for tablet repair in Denver is to damage the charging port. Inside the charging port are several delicate contact pins that correspond with pins inside the charging cable. When the two connect, it sends the current needed to charge the phone.

The problem is those contacts can get bent if you’re not careful. Keeping a tablet in a drawer full of things like pencils, bobby pins, and paper clips can easily ruin the port. Something can get jammed in there and bend the pins.

Also, spills that you think you avoided damage with, could’ve actually corroded the pins too. Either way, getting a repair is your only option at that point.

The Battery May Be Failing

If you’ve had your tablet for a few years and haven’t been the most careful with it, your battery might have taken a hit.

While batteries are a wear and tear item— their charging capacity dwindles over time, you can also accelerate their demise. Batteries can degrade faster if you:

  • Constantly charge the battery— When you charge the battery it heats up, and that heat degrades the battery over time. So, you should run your battery till it gets to about 30% before you charge it, for optimal lifespan. Charging it every time it drops to like 80% or leaving it on the charger all the time will lead you to a premature battery failure.
  • Expose your tablet to extreme temperatures— If your tablet is left in the car when it’s 95° outside and its chassis is scorching hot—so is the battery. The temperature in cars on a hot day can exceed 135°, and your device is not meant for those conditions. Likewise leaving it in the car during Denver winters can cause damage as well.
  • Try DIY fixes when you drop or spill water on the device— Let us just say this now—rice DOES NOT fix liquid exposure. It may dry the liquid, but it leaves minerals behind that can cause corrosion on battery contacts inside. So, while you think you saved your tablet, you’re just prolonging its inevitable failure. You should always opt for tablet repair in Denver when your device encounters a spill. We have the tools and experience to properly dry your device’s internals and demineralize them as well.

If your battery is dying there’s not anything you can do outside of having one of our technicians repair it. Most tablets have non-removable batteries. The old battery has to be removed along with the contact, and a new one installed and soldered in.

One Last Fix Before Choosing Tablet Repair In Denver

There is one last solution you can try before realizing getting the tablet repaired is the only solution. You can back up your tablet and do a factory reset. Sometimes, apps we download, or attachments we download can constantly run in the background.

That means you don’t see them running but they are, and they’re draining the battery. A factory reset removes everything and starts factory new. This is a good thing to do about once a year anyway just to keep the tablet running smoothly.

No Fix, No Fee With Fixit Wireless!

If you’ve exhausted all self-diagnosis options and can’t figure out what’s going on with your tablet, bring it to us. We’ll run diagnostics on it and get you a repair quote quickly and get you up and running again.

Contact us today to bring your device in so we can bring it back to life!