Go Go Broken Gadget: Should I Repair or Upgrade My Broken Phone?

When your phone breaks, you might be more likely to toss it than to tinker with its broken parts. But, your phone could only need a quick fix to get it back up and running again.

Fixing your broken phone instead of upgrading it produces less environmental waste and saves you money. So, when you’re thinking, “Should I repair or upgrade my broken phone?” explore your repair options before you decide.

You can find replacement phone screens, chargers, batteries, and digitizer assemblies, plus other phone parts you need in online phone parts stores.

If you’re ready to solve your broken phone problems, keep reading for more information about repairing phones.

Is a New Phone Better Than the One You Have?

It seems logical that upgrading your phone to a newer version would give you a better device, but that’s not always the case.

Many new phones have larger screens, more apps, and internal software that drain the battery quicker than your old phone. When you’re trying to decide whether you want to fix the phone you have, think about how you use it every day.

Do you have a lot of helpful apps installed that you’d have to set up all over again? Do you mind learning how to use a new phone, or would that be too annoying? Also, which operating system would you choose, such as Apple or Android?

Answering these questions could help you decide whether it’s worth the hassle to upgrade your phone.

Cost of a Broken Phone Repair vs. Upgrading

Before throwing your old phone in the trash, research how much it would cost to fix your phone. Also, make sure you check how much you can get if you sell a broken phone.

Once you have your calculations, you can figure out if it would cost more to repair your phone than upgrading. If your phone is still under warranty, you can have it fixed at your phone’s service center. On the other hand, if the warranty is over, you can repair it yourself.

The repair cost will depend on the type of damage to your phone. For example, if it’s a broken phone screen, you can find replacement screens for a couple of dollars. Read more about inexpensive parts you can find to repair your phone.

Have You Repaired Your Phone Before?

Another factor to consider about repairing your broken phone screen or internal components is if you’ve fixed it before. This is like trying to decide if you should repair your car or trade it in for another one.

No matter how much you like the one you have, you have to decide if you want to put any more money into it. For phone repairs, a good rule of thumb is if you’ve had to repair your phone three times, then it’s time for an upgrade.

Reasons to Repair Your Phone

These problems relate to broken phone parts you can repair yourself. They’re simple and inexpensive to do.

Battery Won’t Stay Charged

As your phone gets older, the battery doesn’t hold a charge as well as it used to. Depending on what type of phone you have, you can replace the battery yourself. Some phones are sealed, making it impossible to replace the battery.

Other phone models allow you to take off the back cover and simply lift out the battery. Always check your model before ordering a new battery to see if you can replace it.

Broken Phone Screen

How many times have you dropped your phone? For most people, a broken phone screen is inevitable. If you’re not due for an upgrade, you most likely look through the screen of spider web cracks.

The thing is you don’t have to. You can buy a new phone screen an install it yourself. If you don’t know how to replace an iPhone or Android screen, you can find instructions online.

Faulty LCD/Digitizer Assembly

The digitizer or touch screen is right under your phone’s glass screen. It electronically senses when you touch or swipe the screen. If your phone isn’t responding when you touch the screen, then the digitizer is the culprit.

If your digitizer needs replacing, you’ll also have to replace the glass screen. They’re fused together.

Reasons to Upgrade Your Phone

If your phone has any of the following problems, you should upgrade to a newer model. These are issues dealing with compatibility and integrated components.

Operating System Can’t Update

When your phone doesn’t update, it probably means your phone isn’t compatible with the new software. In this case, you would need to upgrade.

Apps Stop Working

This problem is usually related to your operating system. Your applications update regularly, so if you have an older phone, they might not be compatible anymore.

You also might not have enough memory, processing speed, or storage to run the apps. In this case, you’d need an upgrade.

Need Better Photos and Videos

The camera quality on your phone is important in today’s world of Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. You have to have a high-quality camera for sharing photos with family and friends.

If you’re not getting the photo or video quality you want from your phone, consider upgrading for better focusing, light options, rear camera shooting, and more megapixels.

Camera manufacturers integrate the camera into the phone, so you can’t replace it. Your only option is to get a phone with a better camera.

Fix-It or Nix It

The important thing is to explore all your options when it comes to repairing or upgrading your phone. Decide if you want to replace your broken screen, battery or digitizer yourself or upgrade to a newer phone.

Also, consider the time it will take to order parts and fix your broken phone. If time isn’t an issue for you, it could save your money to repair your phone. Plus, you get to keep all the apps and data you’ve collected on your phone through the years.

Make the decision that’s right for you to keep your phone running smoothly and reliably.

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