You know the scenario: your precious smartphone has slithered from your grip as you climbed out of the back of that cab. It really wasn't your fault, you had a lot to carry, didn't you? Annoyingly, the pavement wasn't as forgiving and the phone's screen is a mass of zigzag shapes. It still works, but you risk shredding your ear when you put the broken glass to it.
So, you need a repair. Here are the five best places to choose from.
Quick Mobile Fix
- Pro: Wide range of brands and devices covered
- Con: no call out service
- Link: quickmobilefix.com
Quick Mobile Fix only ever uses Grade A parts in its repairs, so you won't find that new screen has missing pixels, for instance. You can post the phone, tablet or iPod that needs the repair to them and it'll be sent back to you: delivery is free in both directions.
Quick Mobile Fix, who are based in Ilford, Greater London, can even post you protective packaging for you to wrap it in. If you're near the office in Ilford you can make an appointment and take it in. Every repair comes with a 12-month warranty. There is a liquid damage diagnostic service if you've dunked your phone and it won't work.
There's also a diagnostic service: the cost is non-refundable but if you decide to go ahead with suggested repairs, the diagnostic fee is deducted from the repair costs. A lot of brands can be repaired by Quick Mobile Fix, including Apple Samsung, HTC, Sony, Motorola, BlackBerry, Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus and Google.
If you can't bear to be without a phone while it's being repaired, there's even a phone rental service (£9.99 a week). Screen repair prices are £64.99 for an iPhone 7, for instance.
iMend
- Pro: Call-out service comes to you
- Con: Call-out fee applies
- Link: iMend.com
The iMend technicians come to you, whether that's your office, home or hotel. The company says that normally they'll come to you on the same day to fix the phone and repairs mostly take 30 minutes, which they'll do in front of you.
Even better, there's no fee if they can't fix it, so payment is only taken when the work is finished and you're happy with it. Battery replacement for, say, an iPhone 8, costs £29.99 and the website also lists quotes for repair to the charging port, microphone or loudspeaker - each is £64.99.
The site also details costs for repairing Samsung, Sony, HTC, Nokia and Huawei phones, among others.
Team Knowhow
- Pro: Each month, they carry out 30,000 mobile phone repairs.
- Con: Not always next-day service
- Link: teamknowhow.com
Team Knowhow is part of the Dixons Carphone Warehouse group of companies, so phones can be fixed in Carphone stores around the country. Sometimes the repair can be done the same day or the next day.
Repairs include iPhone or Samsung screen replacement or battery replacement, with prices starting at £29.99 for an iPhone battery, or £39.99 to replace the battery in your Samsung Galaxy. Screen repair prices start at £84.99.
The company also looks at keypad problems, speaker or microphone faults and broken casing issues. If your local Carphone Warehouse store can't fix it on site, they'll send it to one that will.
iSmash
- Pro: Most repairs are 30 minutes or quicker
- Con: Not every model of every brand is listed
- Link: ismash.com
A range of devices are repaired by iSmash, including phones from Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Google, Nokia and HTC. The iSmash range of services includes water damage diagnosis, replacement of headphone jacks (if your phone still has one of those), battery upgrades and signal connectivity problems.
An iSmash screen comes with a lifetime guarantee and the company promises to use the highest-quality parts.
Example prices include an iPhone screen repair from £39.99 or from £89.99 on a Nokia. There are also helpful hints on the website to answer some common issues.
Apple
- Pro: Great quality
- Con: Can be more expensive
- Link: apple.com/uk
If your phone is an iPhone, then Apple's own service is worth considering. First, you need to book an appointment with an Apple Genius at your nearest Apple Store, best done through the Apple website. Enter the details of what's wrong and choose between bringing the item into the store or sending it to an Apple Repair Centre - the company says repairs can take up to five business days.
If you're visiting the store, when you arrive, staff will check you in and address the problem. Service is fast, immaculate and knowledgeable. But it's not the cheapest option. If you have AppleCare+ then charges are low (£25 for a damaged screen).
But without this and if your iPhone is out of warranty, then prices start at £132.44 for an iPhone SE display, for instance.