At one point of your life, you will experience the heartbreak of dropping your handphone/ smartphone. It would be somewhat okay if your phone is not too expensive, but what if it costs to the thousands? And you love it to bits? The screen might have cracked or something is starting to play up?
Repair or replace
That begs the question. How bad should the damage be before you decide to replace your phone? In most cases, if it is a damaged screen on an expensive phone, you will want to go for repair. So, that being the case, how much should you pay for repair for it to be worthwhile?
Cost – How to decide?
First things first, the cost of repairing your phone should not be more than 25% of the price you paid for the phone. Anything more than that, you may as well consider replacing it altogether. However, most users of iPhone would prefer to replace parts like screen, speaker and camera as it would be a lot cheaper than buying a new set.
Where could you go?
To repair your smartphones, there are several options to choose from:
- The manufacturer – This is where you can send your phone back to the principal manufacturer especially when you want to maintain its warranty. However, if the part is not covered by warranty, then you can expect the repair to be quite expensive
- Dealers – Most dealers (or retailers) will have some form of technical support or service. They will most likely be able to solve your problem for you. But take note that they would either send back to the principal manufacturer or to a third-party service provider. This means that they will then mark-up from the price and then charge you for it. In other words, this option could be costlier than the first
- Third party service provider – There are many service providers in IT malls like Low Yat Plaza and Digital Mall PJ. You will find that these are those who can help you replace parts that are damaged. They are a lot cheaper than the first two options but you need to shop around and compare prices if you want a good deal. Besides that, you need to ensure that the parts they are using are of good quality
- DIY – There is one option that you can do-it-yourself. Basically, you buy the part that you need and then learn from video tutorials. This is the cheapest option but it is riskiest too.
Most common parts to repair
The most common part of the phone which is usually replaced would the touch screen. Besides being more popular, it is among the most expensive as well. A touchscreen usually cost from RM200 onwards. The higher end models will surely be more expensive. Other parts that are usually replaced include:
- Casing of the phone
- Built-in battery
- Camera
- Speaker