Should I ever use a third party smartphone repair shop?
Broken smartphones are a pitfall that few of us can avoid. Whether its a smashed screen or faulty battery, chances are youve had to get your handset fixed at some point. However, repairs for smartphones are something of a murky area, one where warranties and insurance come into play and manufacturers often hold all of the cards. As Apples Error 53 glitchshowed, customers who turn to third-party repair shops can even find their phones become completely unusable as a result. The good news is that if youve got a broken smartphone, were here to help. Read on and well tell you everything you need to know about third-party repairs and whether you should take the risk. Know your warranty  Accidental damage is not covered by standard warranties for smartphones. This includes very common problems such as cracked screens and water damage. If the error is the fault of the manufacturer, such as a software failure, then you can get your phone repaired for free. If not, youll have to stump up for someone to repair damage of your own making. Warranties and third party repair shops  The rule on this is pretty simple. Both Apple and Samsung say that using an unofficial third-party repair shop invalidates your warranty. LG asks that you head to its website and request a repair directly, rather than telling you which suppliers will fix your device for you. Whoever your device is made by, using an unofficial repairer means that you may have a much bigger problem further down the line. Even if its the fault of the manufacturer, youre not covered at all and will have to pay for any repairs yourself. Apples warranty lasts 12 months, while Samsung and LGs last 24. Third party shops seem cheaper. Repairing smartphones direct with manufacturers is a costly business. This was thrown into sharp relief earlier in early 2016 when iPhone owners who had replaced their Touch ID fingerprint scanners via third parties found their phones were subsequently rendered unusable by an Apple software update. Apple relaxed its policy a little on that occasion, after it was accused of deliberately leaving users without a phone that worked and unreasonably insisting that customers use its own repair services. However, Apple did have a valid point about faulty Touch ID sensors being open to security breaches when fixed by third parties. That said, the sheer cost of replacing a Touch ID sensor with Apple is enough to put anyone off. Touch ID repairs cost up to 256.44 if you use Apples official repairs centre and dont have its AppleCare+ insurance. Go to a high street repair shop or online repair centre and that price falls to as low as 40. However, because Touch ID is tied to an iPhones chipset for security reasons, the fingerprint scanner wont work once its replaced by an unofficial third party. That means you won't be able to use the Apple Pay contactless payments service to pay for goods and services and will have to use a passcode to open up your iPhone. Cheap parts can come with a high price  Theres another big reason not to go to your independent high street repair shop: cheap parts. You can pick up a cheap Touch ID sensor for as little as 6 on Amazon. This part will not be tested to anywhere near the standard which Apple uses and will likely end up being faulty after a few months use. The same goes for everything from screens to batteries. Going direct isnt cheap, but at least youre getting the proper materials rather than ones from unscrupulous suppliers looking to turn a quick profit. Some third parties do source top quality components, including Fone Angels and Geek Squad, which pledges that it only uses genuine Apple parts. And perhaps more importantly, Geek Squad is an Apple-accredited repairer and for most other major brands too. As we'll see in the next section, that means you've got much more redress if something goes wrong and won't invalidate your warranty by using them. The key here is to do a lot of research before deciding who to go with. Official third party repair services  Some repair shops and services are accredited with smartphone-makers. That means they can conduct certain repairs without invalidating your warranty, often at a lower cost. Geek Squad will repair all iPhone screens using official Apple parts rather than cheap knock-offs, with a 90-day guarantee thrown in for good measure. That's not all, though. Geek Squad is often significantly cheaper than going directly to Apple too. Its screen repairs cost 89. Without AppleCare+, going directly to Apple is a more costly proposition. iPhone SE, iPhone 5/5s/5c screen fixes costs 106.44, the same as for iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s. iPhone 6s Plus screen repairs come in at 126.44. Only iPhone 6 screen repairs are cheaper, at 86.44. Even if you have AppleCare+, youll need to pay excess starting at 55, and that after paying 79 for two years of cover. Apple even limits you to two repairs for accidental damage during the cover period. Geek Squad is also an approved partner for Samsung, Huawei, LG, Sony and HTC, all of which will charge far more for fixes if you go to them directly. If your phone is already out of warranty and the repair is minor, then services such as Fone Angels or iMend are also worth looking into. Check your insurance  Considering smartphones these days can cost upwards of 600 SIMfree and over 50 a month on contract, it pays to get some kind of insurance. While AppleCare+ isnt the greatest deal out there, mobile insurance is often included with bank accounts. Halifaxs Ultimate Reward Account is just one example. Protect Your Bubble offers cover starting from 6.99 a month, covering cracked screens, water damage and mechanical breakdowns. That may sound costly, but its cheaper than having to go to Apple or Samsung every time your phone slips from your hand onto a hard surface. Get a case or cover  Far be it for us to be facetious, but often accidents happen when phones dont have sufficient protection. It doesnt have to be a rugged one, even Apples silicon effort will do. Just something to ensure you minimise damage if you drop your phone.