Based on recent research, an average person needs a phone repair every fourteen months. Surprisingly, It is also true that several consumers prefer to buy a brand new phone after their old phone is damaged. The real reason for this is not due to the cost of repair, but, not having quick access to economical and trust-worthy repair services.

All the major smartphone manufacturers seem to pay no attention to their customers after the expiration of their product warranty. Some even levy exorbitant charges for their post-warranty services. So, where can the consumers turn to fix their damaged phones?

Well, why not make your consumer’s life easy with a quick and novel cell phone repair solution? You as an independent cell phone repair shop can really make a huge difference and offer your customers the most convenient repair solution — Mail-In Repair Services.

How Does Mail-In Repair Service Work?

It is very simple! Create a website where your customers are able to create their own order for a cell-phone repair service. Once they get in touch with you, you can contact the customer, understand the issue and discuss repair options along with the price quote.

Then, you can mail them a box with a prepaid shipping label so that the customer is able to mail in their cell phone. Finally, you complete the repairs and once the phone is ready, you can ship it back to the customer.

Talk about the Uber of cell-phone repairs! Such services offer the convenience of repairs at the customer’s doorstep. And, you as an independent repair service provider can uniquely position yourself by offering this value-add service to your customers.

Advantages Of Mail-In Repair Services!

Here’s how mail-in repair services can benefit you:

1. You Attract More Customers:

If you have a brick and mortar cell-phone repair shop, that’s great. Another added advantage for you is to also provide an option for customers to mail in their phones for repair. This will help you appeal more to prospective customers and generate more leads.

Nowadays, you get just about everything with a simple click of the mouse and it is the digital age. So, why not also provide repair services the same way? Customer convenience that comes with mail-in repair service can serve as your USP and help you win more customers.

2. It’s A Simple ‘Virtual Business’:

Don’t have a repair shop? Or are you a solo entrepreneur who has just ventured into the cell phone repair business? In either case, a mail-in repair service can be of great benefit of you. This is because you do not need to physically have an office space to repair phones.

Get in touch with customers and have them mail in their phones. Get it repaired at the comfort of your home or wherever you desire, and mail it back to the customer. If you have the knack of repairing phones and have the best tools to repair them, don’t let the high cost of setting up a shop deter you from doing business.

Simply start doing business virtually with mail-in service, build on a good client base and start earning!

3. You Save Costs:

Just think about it, mail-in repair services can greatly impact your bottom line and increase your sales revenue. Firstly, it is bound to attract more customers because of its convenience and get you more business.

Also, if you are well-equipped to repair any cell phone that comes your way, you can offer quick turnarounds and competitive prices to your customers. It is more flexible and viable with cost benefits of virtual office space, working at your own pace and scaling up your business to a whole new level.

Tips to Start Mail-In Repair Services

As easy as it’s said, it can be quite challenging to set-up your own mail-in repair service business. First, your customers need to trust your expertise so that they can willingly send in their phones for repair. Also, you need to ensure that you are able to offer a quick turnaround with high levels of customer satisfaction. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Build a Strong Online Presence:

A well-maintained website will lend credence to the fact your business is reliable and operating in a professional manner. A strong social media presence with personalized testimonials of customers who have availed your service will be of great help to gain more trust from your prospective customers.

The first thing customers check is the online reviews, be it any service. Now, this is where you can stand out and advertise yourself as a professional service provider who can guarantee a hassle-free repair service.

2. Equip yourself with Quality Cell Phone Repair Parts and Tools:

You are sure to cross half the tide, when you have the best in class repair parts, screens, batteries, tools and more to repair any cell phone. Tie up with a credible supplier who can provide you guaranteed repair parts with warranty.

Unlockr.ca is a leading supplier of top quality parts that are extensively tested. We also offer express one-day shipping and have got you covered at all times. With this express shipping, you don’t even need to maintain a full-fledged inventory. Once you get an order, you can purchase the repair parts from us and fix any phone that comes your way.

Data safety is of utmost importance, especially now that data theft is commonplace. You need to assure your customers that their data is in safe hands away from prying eyes.

Building customer trust is very important so that they don’t have any second thoughts to send you their phones with their personal data. You should be able to do almost all repairs without compromising on security or requesting a passcode.

If you are looking to add your existing revenue, offer mail-in repair services to your customers, and watch your cash counters go cha-ching!

To know more about Unlockr services, head here!

According to a recent report, the computer services industry in Canada is booming with the computer repair segment contributing a total of 33.7% to its total revenue.

Almost all small business, home offices, institutions, etc. use computers and smartphones, and depend on them for their business. But, they may lack the knowledge or the skills needed to repair them in case of wear and tear. Now, this gives you an upper hand to put yourself amidst one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

Computer repair technicians are paid an average of around $13 an hour at repair shops. You could easily charge the equivalent at home and maybe a little more if you pick up and drop the system.

No matter what your business experience or technical know-how, you can start your own IT repair business. If you have the knack of working with hardware, software, and love working with people, you will find that running your own business can be incredibly fulfilling and bring substantial revenue at the same time.

Here’s everything you need to know how to get started on your own IT repair business!

Advantages Of Having A Solo Entrepreneur IT Repair Business!

Some obvious benefits of having an IT repair business:

• Work virtually from anywhere you want, as long as you have Internet access. You can also run your business from the comfort of your home.
• Flexibility to set your own working hours and schedule. While you would need to tweak your schedule in order to meet customers, you can still roll up your sleeves at 3.00 am if this is when you hit your stride.
• As the world is reliant on computers and smartphones, the demand for tech-savvy people is high!
• Your specialized knowledge, experience, and passion for IT will earn you a good living.
• Don’t require a formal training or specialized degree as long as you know the technical aspects of the business.
• You can also start up part-time around your current job or other obligations and then work your way up.
• Low overhead or start-up costs. A few tools, software and repair gadgets are all you need to get started on your own without investing too much on any infrastructure if you are working out of your home.

What You Will Need To Start An IT Repair Business…

Here are some steps to get you started on your right foot and start your new endeavor:

Step 1:

Decide what type of IT repair service you want to offer. Will you include full computer setup along with other repair services like repairing smartphones? Will you visit client homes? Or do you want to liaison with small businesses for their computer needs?

Step 2:

Set up a workspace that will have all the required tools and equipment to start-up on your business. Be it a virtual workspace, home or setting up your own repair shop, work out the right workspace according to your budget.

Additionally, make sure you have a list of suppliers for the spare parts and other tools you’d be needing.

Step 3:

Come up with a business plan, outlining all the details of the business and think up on how you can appeal to customers and provide your services.

Step 4:

Decide on your business structure and a business name. Obtain a license for your business, insurance and more according to the requirements of your area. Also, open up a business account to keep track of your revenue.

Step 5:

Create marketing materials like business cards, flyers, social media ads, brochures and more to promote your business. Also, word of mouth serves as a great medium to get started, so it’s a good idea to let your close circle know about your business.

Step 6:

Stay up-to-date and constantly keep a tab on the latest trends in hardware, software, new threats and other important issues related to IT maintenance. Being on top of your game will give you an edge in the business.

Some Handy Tips To Have A Successful IT Repair Business…

The following tips will help you sustain and run your IT repair business:

1. Know Your Strengths And Weakness:

If you possess technical knowledge but don't have the knack for business, hire bookkeeping and accounting expertise to handle those areas and focus on your productive side.

You can invest in automated software tools to handle business-related tasks. Understand your strengths and weaknesses to have a good balance of business, technical and social skills in order to respond to long term relationships with your clients.

2. Set The Rates Correctly:

Time is Money! You might be tempted to start with low rates in the beginning, but can have trouble working hard to meet all ends.

Therefore, know the prevailing rates and research it out to set an apt rate for your own business.

3. Understand The Needs Of Your Clients:

Before you embark on your own IT repair business, it’s important to know your ideal customers and how best you can serve them.

Understand their needs and requirements and fine-tune your stance to be able to position yourself. Having a niche offering or an area of specialty will help you identify and attract more customers.

4. Patience And Perseverance:

Don’t expect to instantly get a full roster of customers. It can take as long as 6 months to one year to create a steady business and build a client base.

This is because relationships take time to evolve and good customer relationship is key to any business. Be patient in networking and forging new connections that will pay off in time.

5. Marketing Is Key:

You will have to adorn different hats being a solo entrepreneur and be adept at multitasking. You have to take care of sales, administrative, marketing and more activities all by yourself.

Creating a good marketing plan is the basic premise to earn more business and make sure your sales funnel is fed. So, spend time with marketing activities and assess the best strategies.

Get set to start your new venture and live your passion! The above tips and pointers will aid you in this process.

If you are planning to start a phone repair business alongside your IT repair business, get in touch with us today.

We offer top-quality replacement parts and phone unlocking services. To know more about our services, head here!

Mobile phones are slowly replacing PCs and laptops! From shopping to banking, everything can be done using a smartphone, anywhere in the world. Therefore, consumers are making the switch to high-tech smartphones or tablets than investing in a desktop system or laptops that tend to be more expensive and overbearing.

According to statistics from NPD DisplaySearch, tablet shipments have outpaced Notebooks, Laptops and PCs right from 2013 to 2018 and will continue to do so.

Due to the ever-increasing number of smartphones and tablets, there is also a huge need for mobile phone repairing services. Therefore, if you are a computer repair store owner, and are looking to diversify your business and offer mobile repairing services, read on!

Is The Mobile Phone Repair Business Right for You?

Cell phones are gaining momentum with their popularity and sales. The number of mobile phone users worldwide in 2017 is 5.3 billion and slated to grow exponentially by 2020. About 30 million are from Canada with the number predicted to grow by about 1 million each year.

With the growing sales of these pint-size technical powerhouses, it is highly likely that it will directly contribute to the growth of cell phone repair businesses. Knowing how to repair a cell phone will give you an upper hand as many consumers will turn to it when their phones stop functioning or in case of a broken screen. Repairing a cell phone becomes an economical and convenient option for many.

The cell phone repair business is poised to reach new heights with more consumers opting for repair especially as the price of cell phones stagger high as well. As a computer repair shop owner, now is the time to take notice of this and take a quick decision to diversify your offerings.

Here’s How You Can Get Started With Mobile Phone Repair Services!

Fortunately, for computer repair shops who want to venture into the mobile phone repair segment, there is very little overhead or start-up cost involved. You already have a knack for working with hardware and software.

The crucial piece of the puzzle is finding the right spare parts, tools and guidelines for repairing mobile phones.

1. Parts and Tools Inventory:

Firstly, when you decide to diversify to mobile repair services, you need to acquire mobile phone repair parts and tools from a certified supplier. Any type of cell phone repair requires basic and specialized tools. From LCD screens, digitizers, replacement batteries, charging ports, power flex cables, small parts and basic tool kit, there are several parts that you might need.

Moreover, you need to maintain a decent stock of these parts in your inventory so that at any given point of time, you can be able to repair any cell phone device. Without overstocking or risking parts that tend to go obsolete, you need to procure the right amount of cell phone repair parts as well.

Finding genuine parts for cell phone repair and maintaining an inventory for the same can be a cumbersome process. To simplify all your needs, head to Techrepair.

We offer the best-in-class repair spare parts and tools to get you started. What’s more, you can also avail express free one-day shipping and also get specialized parts as and when you have the need to repair specific mobile devices.  This way you can reduce your onus of maintaining an extensive inventory to stock specific parts or tools.

2. Learning Mobile Phone Repairs:

Are you up for the challenge to repair any kind of mobile phone device you get? You can opt to take a short-term course on cell phone repairs which hardly takes a month or two.

This will educate you with the basics to get started. It will also be necessary to know the basics even if you are planning to hire a mobile repair technician so that you are well-versed. There are several online cell phone repair courses and forums that help with the know-how of mobile phone repair to learn the fundamentals of cell phone repair.

3. Reporting and Software Tools:

Once you ring in decent business with mobile phone repairs, you need to have an automated system to keep track of your orders, inventory and sales made throughout the year. This will enable you to make informed decisions about your business and understand what impacts your bottom line.

At Techrepair, we have specialized tools and POS systems which are one-stop solutions for all your business automation needs.

4. Phone Unlocking Services:

Today a lot of phones are locked to their carrier and consumers need them unlocked to break free. This is where you can make a huge difference by taking all of their cell phone needs under a single roof. You can really expand your range of offering and increase your revenue by providing phone unlocking services alongside cell phone repair services.

Tie up with us at Techrepair. We offer phone unlocking services to your consumers. From IMEI lookup to acquiring the unlock code and delivering it to your customer, we offer end-to-end phone unlocking services with the best deals.

5. Advertising

Use the right modes of advertising which are result-oriented to appeal to your existing and new customers. You can opt for offline modes like distributing pamphlets, banners, hoardings and more.

Another easy way to attract more customers is with online advertising through Google Ads, creating your own website, Facebook, social media platforms and more.

The Techrepair Advantage provides you with simplified solutions like Online Appointment Scheduler and Online Price Estimate which can give your customers a great idea of what you have to offer. This can serve as a means for you to be more transparent and attract more customers.

Partner with Techrepair and Start Earning More!

Now, is the right time to make the shift and provide cell phone repair services alongside your computer repair services. Leverage on this opportunity to increase your revenue and see the difference for yourself.

Get in touch with us at Techrepair to know more!

The push for the right to repair laws in electronics is gaining momentum across several state legislatures in the United States of America. It’s about time Canada also follows suit and supports ‘the right to repair’.

In California, State Assembly Member Susan Talamantes Eggman, D-Stockton, recently introduced a bill requiring electronics makers to sell replacement parts and provide access to diagnostic tools and device schematics to consumers and independent repair shops. California is the 18th state to propose the right to repair legislation.

What Is The ‘Right To Repair’?

A new generation of devices that are purportedly too hard to mend because of its intricate design, legal or copyrighted software and parts are leaving consumers frustrated with lesser repair options. Often consumers are left with no other choice but to go back to the manufacturer for the repair at a steep cost.

The right to repair legislation would require manufacturers to release repair information to the public and also sell their spare parts to owners and independent repair shops. If passed, the laws would provide consumers with more options rather than just going to the manufacturer for repair.

Too often, people cannot make simple repairs. On the contrary, it should be easy for consumers to fix their devices or get them repaired by a professional of their choice without being penalized. Right to repair laws can let you access the innards of devices with detailed diagrams and individual parts of the product. This will help you to accurately repair any device with greater freedom.

The ‘Right to Repair’ movement aims to disrupt the prevalent cycle by providing repair professionals with parts, tools and service information that is needed to fix devices.

Why The Right To Repair Is Needed?

Back then anyone with basic tools, a little patience, and an instruction manual could fix just about anything. But these days performing the most basic of repairs require specialized tools and know-how that renowned cell phone companies guard furtively. That makes it really hard for cell phone repair shops to gain business and in turn, help the consumers.

Hence, at the end of the day, most consumers are choosing to throw out their non-functional devices and opt for new ones. As a result, it generates piles and piles of toxic e-waste that then leads to detrimental effects on soil, water, and air quality.

A recent study by United Nations University found the amount of global e-waste hit record highs of 41.8 million tonnes in 2014, with Canadians finishing 15th on the list of the largest producers. Then, the sum has continued to grow exponentially, according to industry watchers.

Recycling is not fully possible when it comes to mobile devices as you cannot find a use for every element found in such cell phones. The simplest way to reduce all that e-waste is to reduce the barriers to repair. More repair means less waste in the first place!

Reasons Why The ‘Right To Repair’ Should Be Supported!

1. Make The Cell Phone Repair Industry Transparent And Easy:

Being the only one who can make cell phone repairs provides the manufacturer with the advantage to charge as much as they want for replacements. If the right to repair law is implemented, it means that as cell phone repair shops you can stay in business and be relevant.

Just like how cell phone unlocking without the permission of the carrier got legalized and made life a lot easier for consumers, so would the right to repair.

2. Access To Original Parts, Manuals, And Diagnostic Codes:

The presence of technology in several parts of modern cell phone devices has facilitated manufacturers to reduce access to repair by proclaiming that it might violate their proprietary rights. These have caused a huge setback for repair shops.

However, with this legislation, original equipment manufacturers are liable to provide equal access to repair documentation, diagnostics, tools, service parts and firmware as their direct, or unauthorized repair providers.

3. Win More Customers:

With the predominant monopoly on repair services for certain mobile devices, the price goes up and the customer has no choice but to go to them. The right to repair legislation will open up the avenue to independent repair shops and attract more customers.

The right to repair legislation facilitates manufacturers to get out of the way of independent repair shops. It enables the consumer’s ability to decide who can fix their devices. It will pave the way for the repair shops to stay in the limelight.

4. Create Healthy Competition:

Repairing and reusing mobile devices is not just a means of efficient use of scarce materials that go into the manufacturing of the product.

It can also stimulate the local economies and create a healthy competition amongst repair shops as consumers turn to them. It also gives a chance for repair shops to diversify their offering and provide attractive services to woo their customers.

What Happens Next?

Repair is the lifeline of local economies. Repair shops help to make products last longer, save consumers money and create local jobs.

Back in 2012, 85% of voters in Massachusetts, United States overrode big car companies and passed the Automobile Owners Right to Repair Law in 2012 and so did Canada with the help of the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard or CASIS. It brightened the business of several automobile repair shops.

Several states in the USA have followed suit and adopted the right to repair act. We hope for the same to repeat in Canada too and it’s only a matter of time before it happens. Canada should adopt a thing or two from America’s small proactive steps towards the right to repair legislation.

It appears that Canadians are literally at the mercy of the manufacturer, their extended protection plans and warranty plans and skewed terms with little recourse to speak of. It’s about time to stand up for your own right and take notice of what right to repair movement can do for you.

In the age of massive e-waste, planned obsolescence and tightening budgets, there should essentially be no roadblocks towards the right to repair your devices.

If you are a mobile repair store owner, defend your right to repair!

For top quality replacement parts and unlocking services, get in touch with us at Techrepair!

The trade wars between Smartphone brands is apparent to all. In quantitative terms, the competition is far fiercer than the consumer imagines. It isn’t ‘stay a step ahead of the curve rivalry’; a full-scale sprint marathon is materializing. While the high-velocity evolution of phones may voice doom for the manufacturers, it is a boon in disguise for repair businesses.

Every day about ten thousand smartphone screens are cracked, chipped or broken in the US alone. This fragility can be contributed to the constant improvements in mobile technology which has triggered a 5% growth every year in the repair industry.

The essence of these facts and figures is that repair shops are not going to become redundant, or even stagnant, for a long time. But every business demands adaptability and relentless upgrading of services to thrive. In order to outlast the competition, repair outlet owners need to diversify their services.

Mobile repair store owners can compete in two spheres — broadening services and determining the location, to best the competition — without indulging in bloody price wars!

How Mobile Repair Stores Can Diversify Their Services To Beat The Competition!

There are three avenues of service a repair shop can explore to expand the business, namely:

• Better support through practical knowledge
• Marketing spare parts
• Selling accessories & other products

Let’s take a more detailed look at how mobile repair stores can avoid the price game to outwit their competition!

1. Advanced Repairs:

A common underlying element in the repair industry is the rudimentary assistance majority shops provide. To be distinctive, move beyond simple maintenance. Keep up to date with technology and study every kind of issue resolution.

A customer is more likely to choose a repair retail store, again and again, which can mend a tablet that others said to be unserviceable. Consumers not only search for the store that can resolve any problem under the sky, but also promote it.

As competition heats, patrons will increasingly opt for stores that extend advanced operations such as:

• motherboard repairing
• software installation
• micro soldering

2. Extend Refurbishment Support:

the growth rate of the repair sector slows down, application of an easy strategy will create market leaders — refurbishment of old mobiles. Surveys confirm that explosive growth in the second-hand phone market is occurring. It is said to increase by a factor of 10. The only barrier is lack of awareness in customers. The role repair shops need to take on is revitalizing used phones by overhauling them and eliminating all prior data.

The success story of a Danish refurbisher demonstrates how preparation for reuse can lead to one-upmanship. Within one year of providing the facility, the refurbisher of smartphones saw a 9X growth in turnover.

The firm utilized old phones discarded by organizations and institutions, restored them and re-sold them to companies and end-users. The reason they weren’t able to reach even a higher level of expansion was not due to the absence of demand but a deficiency in preowned mobile supply.

3. Provide Spare Parts:

The critical aspect to the advancement of mobile repair business is ready access to spare parts. The contemporary customer demands high-speed service which is reliant on surplus parts being at hand. No shop can fix a cell phone whose spares it doesn’t have.

The moral is to network with vendors who can supply reliable and compatible parts at an optimal price. Additionally, safeguard that the stock level is appropriate. Ideally, it should neither be too low nor be overstocked as parts prices fluctuate recurrently.

4. Branch Out To Accessories:

Covers, headphones, skin stickers, cases, power banks, kits, audio adapters, chargers, screen guards, mounts, stands, etc. The list of mobile phone accessories is long. It is also a catalog of elements that are fundamental to performance. A cell repair establishment that branches out to include smartphone accessories will never experience a precipitous decline in ROI.

5. Include Other Products:

While accessories are sufficient to keep a repair shop afloat, new products can forge the business into profitability. Computers, laptops, drones, game consoles, Roombas, MacBooks, TVs — marketing any electronic appliance is a sound decision. To catapult the store into becoming a tour de force, offer the associated device repair services along with data recovery.

6. Location, Location, Location — Reaching Repair’s Ultima Thule

The mantra to retail is location. It can impact the success of any business, immeasurably. Mobile phone repair sector comes within this preview. Characteristically, a mall is an exemplary place to start a repair store, but any site that is readily accessible to offices and residences works equally well.  The location should be cost-effective to the owner, spacious and draw the maximum possible footfall.

A more potent recourse to location is catering pick-up and drop facilities rather than calling the consumer to the shop. The reason is the frenetic lifestyle of the present-day end-user. A service provider who volunteers to reach the buyer instead of vice versa will always be favored.

iCracked employed this technique of offering real-time repair services to their immense growth. A consumer merely needs to fill in the issues the mobile has and add their location. An employee of the company is dispatched to the address and repairs made on the spot.

Differentiation Is Key!

In the last ten years, the phone repair trade has substantially ballooned, so much so that revenue generated by it crossed the four-billion-dollar mark. It is further expected to show a 3% increase in growth, annually. Analyses confirm that the ubiquity of phones is one factor, others are brief battery life, fragile parts, and breakable screens. These design flaws in smartphones are impelling repair trades to expand further and further.  

The evidence is overwhelming.  Diversification and differentiation are germane to success. A repair retail shop will not only excel but beat out the competition by a mile if it sets its course to becoming a one-stop electronics service provider running the gamut from warranties to protection plans.

Looking For Top Quality Replacement Parts? Contact Us At TechRepair!

We, at TechRepair, offer top quality replacement parts, and unlocking services, for all the phones you may get at the store. We also provide prepaid mobile vouchers.

‘Unlocking’ is a concept not many people are familiar with… Essentially, smartphones are “locked” through software to block the phones from using SIM cards from other phone carriers. There are different ways to unlock them - one could either contact the mobile carrier (might involve a fee), unlock it oneself, or have it unlocked at a mobile repair shop!

As a mobile repair store, offering unlocking services can be an excellent way to add another revenue stream to your business! However, doing it all by yourself can be an expensive and time-consuming affair.

With a professional online phone unlocking service, you can focus on your actual work (repairs) and let somebody else take care of the unlocking part! You can get access to your own phone unlocking dashboard with your own archive of orders. All you need to do is to input the IMEI number of your customer’s phone and the unlock code will be provided within the stipulated time frame.

What’s more, you can easily make an IMEI search and check the unlock code, status or just request a verification. You can do all that under a single screen in an organized way without any hassles. No more confusion with paperwork, excel tables and emails!

Get Professional Unlocking Services For Your Customers!

Here are the benefits of using a professional phone unlocking provider:

1. Error-Free IMEI Check!

A unified phone unlocking service system takes care of the misspelling of your IMEI numbers. Since each IMEI has a checksum, the system will detect if it is valid or not easily. If you have a wrong IMEI by mistake, let the system take care and warn you.

This will help you to double check instead of wasting time and money, looking up the wrong IMEI number.

2. Bulk Processing!

If you have a large volume of phone unlocking requests, no need to fret. Phone unlocking service providers offer you the flexibility to enter the IMEI in bulk for each model of the phone.

You can take up multiple requests from any customer and any type of phone. Scale up your business to a whole new level and provide the best customer experience to help them unlock their phones.

3. Unlock Any Phone You Get!

You will have access to top of the line unlock tools that will make sure that you can unlock any phone you get. This will give you an upper hand to engage your customer and increase your revenue. You will not be restricted to offer unlocking services for select few phone models.

4. Personalized Statistics!

What’s more, your online dashboard will also hold the statistics that will tell you how you are performing - whether you have high volumes, all about your account activity, order status and more.

This way you can analyze and make business decisions with ease. Instead of spending money on disparate tools, all your analysis, statistics and order history can be accessed from a single tool.

5. Full Customization!

Every time an unlock code is received, you will receive an alert through Email or SMS. Then you can customize this email and send it to your customers. Simple copy the mail content with your signature and header.

Send white label emails directly to the customers without any hassle. The message will also have detailed instructions on how to unlock the phone including where to enter the code and other frequently asked questions.

Looking For A Phone Unlocking Service Provider? Sign Up With TechRepair!

We, at TechRepair, offer more than 100 different unlocking tools to make sure that you can unlock any phone, irrespective of the brand or model. Apart from selling phone unlocking services at your shop, TechRepair also provides you with a widget which can be placed in your own website for customers to unlock their phones directly with ease.

Once the unlock code is found, we will take the responsibility of automatically delivering it to your customer in a white-labeled email. This will have the code along with step by step instructions to unlock their phone.  Our widget will take care of your entire order cycle from checking the IMEI to crediting your account.

You get paid directly through Paypal or other credit/debit card payment modes. You get to also set up the prices as per your needs. The great thing about our addon plugin is that you have full control over it.

Here are some of the other benefits!

9-5 Customer Support…

Our support team is always ready to assist you with whatever queries you might have. From speeding up requests to guiding you through the process of unlocking phones, get your hands on the best unlocking experts ready to help you any time of the day.

Best Price Guarantee…

Our pricing policy is clear with no hidden fees. We offer a 100% guarantee or give your money back if you are not satisfied. Simply set up your account with us, choose your plan with transparent prices and services and get started. It is really as simple as it sounds!

API Access…

Learn our developer’s API and make your own server or software communicate with TechRepair. You can then automatically place orders, check order status, download order history and much more. We also provide enhanced account security for your improved safety.

Access To Exclusive Tools And Free Blacklist Reports…

We provide the best and powerful IMEI lookup to get warranty and carrier details. Also if there are any phone blacklists, you can check them as well. Our all in one phone unlocking dashboard has a line-up of such exclusive tools for your benefit.

We are sure that TechRepair phone unlocking service will enable you to take up any order and fulfill it perfectly. We understand your needs and help you provide your customers with the best service. Our phone unlocking service benefits will directly enable you to save costs, boost sales and improve your revenue.

So, what are you waiting for? Set up an account with us and get started!

If you have not already implemented or considered implementing a dropship model for your mobile repair business, you are missing out on a golden chance to scale it up!

According to a report from American Society of Business and Behavioural Sciences, 22% to 33% of retailers have adopted dropship model as their prime means of order fulfillment.

What Is Dropshipping And How It Can Impact You?

Dropshipping is essentially a retail fulfillment method wherein the store does not physically stock products it sells. Instead, when the store sells a product, it purchases the item from the supplier and the supplier takes the onus of shipping it directly to the customer. As a result, the retailer never sees or handles the product.

When you sign up with the supplier who offers dropshipping, you don’t have to worry about stocking or shipping products. What’s more, when you get discounted rates for dropshipping at pocket-friendly prices, it is like the icing on the cake. You can sell a wide variety of products and earn huge sales.

Skip the traditional distribution channel and have your products directly shipped from the supplier straight to your customer. This enables you to save on shipping and warehousing costs, delivery time, and the hassle of managing your own inventory.

Transfer your burden to a trusted supplier partner and make huge savings by adopting dropshipping at discounted shipping rates as your order fulfillment method.

Here Are The Benefits Of Dropshipping At Reduced Shipping Rates…

1. Sell More, Carry Less:

When you have attractive shipping rates, you can appeal more to your customers and generate leads to convert and close in successfully as sales. You can easily expand your product offering without purchasing upfront. When you sell, then you buy from us!

A study by National Retail Federation has stated that retailers who hold physical inventory carry only 13% of any manufacturer’s product line.

So, by supplementing your offering with a virtual inventory, you earn a competitive edge by selling a complete product line.

2. Increase Your Cash Flow:

You don’t pay for the product unless it is sold. This can translate into great savings for you as you don’t have to invest more. You can even launch new products in a less expensive way and target more customers.

You have access to better shipping rates than you would as a business shipping your own packages. Also it reduces the number of times that the product has to change hands. The product will reach the customer safe and secure with higher satisfaction rates.

Every time you need to touch a product in the supply chain, there is a cost involved. Inventory Costs, Warehouse costs, Ocean freight services, Port Operations, LTL and FTL services all get added to the actual cost of the product. You can bypass all of those additional costs and position yourself better to earn a higher margin.

3. Scale Up Your Business:

With a traditional distribution model, if you receive three times more business then you will usually need to do three times more work. The work of processing additional orders will take up most of your time. Whereas by leveraging on dropshipping suppliers at attractive shipping rates, the processing of orders will be borne by the supplier.

This will enable you to expand with less incremental work. Additional sales are bound to bring additional work, but with a dropshipping model you can handle it all relatively easier when compared to traditional shipping model.

4. Minimize Your Risk:

Risk is inevitable in business and you have to be open to handle risks efficiently. With a dropshipping model you do exactly that! If things don’t pan out the way you had planned, you can be rest assured of a clean break. Without the fear of being stuck up with thousands of dollars worth of inventory, you can reduce your risk.

In addition to this you can quickly adapt to the changing tastes and trends in the market and so less susceptible to a loss of revenue owing to changes. Lower volume niche products can be offered along with best-sellers. There is no such a thing as excess inventory!

5. Increased Buyers:

With the ability to add new and expanded product catalog or selections, you can better engage your customers. As a result these customers are sure to keep coming back to you see what new items you have acquired.

With a dropship program you can offer great value for the customer and ensure that they keep coming back. Increase the lifetime value for customers and earn more business. Offer more choice and quantity of products at good quality to your customers without any hassles.   

Why You Should Tie-Up with TechRepair as your Dropshipping Partner!

While there are plenty of advantages with dropshipping, it has its own share of disadvantages as well. The most common dropship woes are issues with inventory, supplier errors, quality issues and hidden fees.

However, with TechRepair, you can be rest assured of dropping your woes. We provide competitive shipping rates that are the best in the marketplace. This will only help you position yourself better and liaison with prospective customers.

We know just how your order cycle works, and have no hidden fees. With our dropshipping solution, together we can create an error-free order cycle with proper tools to handle each order accurately.

Whether you choose to dropship part of your inventory or entirely, there are clear benefits that too with a waiver in shipping rates. Generate more sales, grow your customer base and impact your bottomline, all while remaining lean!

Balance the Burden between the supplier and retailer by dropshipping with our discounted rates. Prioritize on establishing relationships with your buyers and leave your shipping woes with us. We, at TechRepair, are well-equipped to handle the onus of shipping your products to your customers.

As a mobile repair store owner, you need to keep a close watch on your profit margins and ensure you aren’t on the wrong side of the balance! There is also the issue of competition — it is not uncommon to find multiple mobile repair stores on the same street!

When it comes to the customers, buying a whole new phone in the event of damages or loss can be an expensive affair! They would be looking for the closest alternatives which don’t prove too heavy on their pockets, aren’t low on quality, and can be used as functioning replacement phones.

One way to balance both, the cost and the quality being offered, is to sell refurbished phones, or phones with refurbished parts. Let us first understand what refurbished parts actually refer to!

What Are Refurbished Parts?

Refurbished parts simply mean renovated, reconditioned, or refined parts. These parts are usually preowned, and returned to the manufacturer owing to some defect.

These parts are then rigorously tested and repaired, and in some cases, may even go through a certification process. These new parts are then sold as ‘refurbished parts’.

Why Are Refurbished Phones Becoming So Popular?

The refurbished phone market has been growing for several years owing to how affordable they are, and also how they can contribute to reducing electronic waster. Who wouldn’t want to buy something that saves them thousands of dollars?
However, consumers seem to have become a little more price conscious recently due to a considerable rise in higher priced phones. According to studies, regarding the current state of the smartphone industry, the rising cost of high-end phones is one of the glaring reasons why people are increasingly veering towards refurbished phones.
Brand new phones like the iPhone X cost more than many other tech devices, and cause people to try and save as much money as possible to purchase them. Although they might eventually opt for the pricier phone, they may want a cheaper replacement phone in the interim.
In some cases, shoppers are choosing to skip buying brand new phones altogether, opting for refurbished models of existing handsets.

According to data from technology market analysis firm Canalys, smartphone shipments in Europe were down 7% year-on-year during Q1 2018. One of the major reasons for this is the lack of innovation from smartphone makers.

Additionally, there’s also a “saturation” of the phone market and the features that are appealing to consumers that’s leading to this decline in new phone sales and an increase in refurbished sales.
Essentially, the upgraded features of phones like the iPhone X aren’t enough to justify the purchase price. Many people are turning to older smartphone models instead. Apple has been making quality smartphones with features such as virtual assistant Siri, Touch ID, 3D Touch being present on older models.

Not only are the older models (with these features) cheaper in general but buying a refurbished handset (such as a refurbished iPhone 7) offers an additional cost saving, making them an ideal purchase for those buying a quality smartphone on a budget.

Why You Should Consider Selling Refurbished Phones?

As mentioned above, the demand for refurbished phones is on the rise, and mobile repair store owners can only benefit from selling them!

1. It Is Good For Business:

Customers may not always be in a position to buy a brand new phone, if theirs gets robbed or damaged. They may opt for a cheaper alternative as a replacement phone. Refurbished phones can be sold at a discounted rate. While there may be some differences in quality when it comes to such phones, it can be an incredible way to earn some money on the side.

2. It Is Good For The Environment:

Landfills are loaded with tons of discarded cellphones and other electronics. Not only is this bad from a perspective of increasing the amount of trash, but some components in those phones may contain chemicals that are toxic when they degrade. Chemicals like beryllium, cadmium, and mercury can pollute the environment.

Selling refurbished means fewer phones ending up in the garbage and a healthier environment.

TechRepair Offers A Buyback Program For Your Broken LCDs!

One of the parts most susceptible to being damaged is the LCD. Instead of disposing off the broken LCDs left after repairing the phone, you can sell the broken or unwanted screens to us, at TechRepair. All the screens are rigorously tested, to verify if the LCD and Digitizer are in working condition.

To know more about the program, head here!

Additionally, we offer the highest quality repair parts, that are meticulously tested and certified!

Given the customers’ preference for refurbished phones over the pricey original ones, it’s time for you to start selling refurbished phones and give your profits a boost!

Around 1 in 5 people will have their phone lost, stolen or damaged in a year — that is 2.2 phones per second.

It’s a real risk and can definitely happen to anyone. All you can do is be prepared for such an eventuality, and take the necessary precautions…

Here are some ways you can protect your cell phone!

Simple Ways To Protect Your Cell Phone!

To protect your cell phone, you can simply use the following steps…

1. Buy Insurance:

Cell phones are no longer a luxury — they’ve pretty much become a necessity in this technology-driven world. So, when your phone is lost, stolen or damaged it can cause major disruptions. This is where a cell phone insurance comes in handy!

Despite paying for its premium and deductibles, it helps you save your money and file for any claims of theft, accidental damage, mechanical failures, loss and more. Instead of relying on simple warranty plans which offer limited coverage for a limited period of time, cell phone insurance covers it all for however long you need it.

Many cell phone shoppers pay for their phones through monthly installments. Now, If you lose, break or have your phone stolen before you have paid it off, then you still have to make the remaining payments. What’s more, without insurance you can burn a huge hole in your pocket by paying for the remaining installments and payments for a new phone.

Cellphone insurance will help you replace your phone in case it's lost or stolen without any hassles on top of helping you repair any damages as well.

2. Use Cell Phone Cases:

Once you get a smartphone, the first thing you can do to protect it is buying a case for it. Carrying a smartphone without a case is like driving a car without bumpers. Nobody desires for their phone to shatter, crack or get dented.

Protective cases are the best thing to buy to protect your phone. Not to mention, with the multitude of patterns, styles, and colors to choose from, they are indeed hot sellers in the mobile phone accessories category.

Invest in a quality cell phone case that covers the corners, edges, and back of the smartphone. Even if you accidentally drop your phone, it should be able to absorb the impact.

3. Get A Tempered Glass Screen Protector:

A shattered smartphone screen is probably the saddest sight. A tempered glass film can be stuck onto the smartphone display to safeguard your screen from dust, scratches, and cracks when it falls down. Especially when you have little kids who handle your phone, it definitely helps.

While plastic screen protectors are a thing of the past, putting an extra film of glass on top of your screen is the best thing you can do to protect its display.

You should also consider tempered glass as a screen protector since scratches from house keys in your pocket or purse, and general wear and tear are commonplace. Opt for original tempered glass screen protectors that are designed for your phone model and have them installed by a professional.

4. Get Your Damages Checked at Cell Phone Repair Shops:

It’s the scenario that haunts every smartphone owner’s dreams. You are taking your phone out of your pocket and then bam — it doesn’t work or gravity does its thing and your phone is on the ground with a screen full of spiderweb cracks. What do you do now?

If you have a case and tempered glass screen protector, it will probably save you from the repercussions of being clumsy! But what if your phone suddenly gave up or slowed down on you for some reason? You will probably try to Google it and fix it on your own. However, a more sensible and viable option is to get it fixed by the professionals who are sure to give it a permanent fix.

Approach a cell phone repair shop to take a look at your phone. Many cell phone repair shops give you a free diagnostic check. After they inspect the phone, they will have the best remedy for your damaged phone.

It is important to find a reliable cell phone repair shop that uses genuine replacement parts to repair any damages in your phone. Make sure to steer clear off aftermarket repairs that are not authorized dealers and who source cheap-replacement parts.

5. Waterproof It:

The last thing you want to do is to drop your phone in water. Water is well-known to play havoc with electronic devices. It can also be in the form of rain or your device getting wet in a pool or beach.

It is good to waterproof your device to save you on a lot of expenses later on. Visit a cellphone repair shop to know how you can waterproof it. You can perhaps try a waterproof case for your phone as well.

6. Invest In A Phone Dock:

Many of us have our phones charged by the bed or other places where it’s tough to protect them from falling off and getting damaged.

It’s a great idea to buy a phone dock so that you will have a designated spot to charge your phone without any mishaps. Using a dock is a lot safer than charging it at any random place.

7. Hold Your Phones With A Firm Grip:

Despite having a case and tempered glass, it might still be that your phone has a nasty fall that somehow penetrates through the shield and is eventually damaged. This especially happens when you are not holding the phone properly. It is important to have a firm grip on your phone.

For people with perpetual slippery hands, it would be great to get a strap on the back of your phone with an elastic finger loop. Some cases come with built-in straps so that you have additional security while holding the phone.

Want To Get Your Cell Phone Repaired? Make Sure The Repair Shop Uses TechRepair's Services!

We, at TechRepair, offer cell phone repair shops varied services like replacement parts and phone unlocking! Our parts are extensively tested, and custom designed to meet the standards we have set for ourselves. Moreover, we offer a lifetime warranty on all our parts!

To know more about TechRepair's services, head here!

You might be aware of Apple iPhone users facing throttling issues where their phone shut down completely quite often. If you are an iPhone user and have been struggling with the same problem, we'd like you to know you're not the only one. It was back in November 2016 when Apple addressed the issue and announced publicly that a few users were facing throttling of their Apple iPhones.

With constant complaints of older iPhones acting up and issues like sudden shutdowns and usability problems being reported, Apple finally decided to deal with it in January 2017.  

To make the performance better, earlier last year the company made a secret attempt to resolve the issue by introducing an iOS update — 10.2.1. Of course, it did improve power delivery of all devices and in fact, even made it newer than the iPhone 6.

Apple tried hard to keep it under wraps as to why it introduced this update but it wasn't too hard for tech freaks and journalists to find out the ulterior motive of preventing battery shutdowns behind it. The update bore fruitful results as it stopped throttling of iPhone batteries to a large extent.

However, it led to the reduced performance of the iPhone. So basically, throttling did fix most unexpected shutdowns, but at the cost of reduced performance.

In January 2018, Apple did offer discounted battery replacements for iPhones 6 and newer models for the duration of 2018. Apple implemented a battery management feature in iOS 10.2.1 designed to “smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions.”

Also, due to unavailability of enough Apple stores worldwide (there are barely more than 500 worldwide), not many of the users could buy it.

“We do not want our customers to experience interruptions in the use of their iPhones, whether that is making an emergency phone call, taking a picture, sharing a post, or watching the final minutes of a movie,” said Jacqueline Famulak, who manages the legal and government affairs at Apple Canada Inc. “To address the issue of unexpected shutdowns, we developed software that dynamically manages power usage when, and only when, an iPhone is facing the risk of an unexpected shutdown,” said Famulak.

Signs That Mean You Need To Replace Your iPhone’s Batteries!

Not just throttling, consumers might also have issues with the battery of their Apple iPhones dying away and affecting the overall performance of the phone. In such cases, it is always recommended to replace the battery instead of investing heavily in a new phone.

1. A swollen battery:

Some signs of a swollen battery are a hazy white screen, a separation between the screen and the phone body, or a slight movement of the screen when you pinch the edges of the phone. Beware — do not puncture the battery and let its toxic contents out. Make sure you dispose off the battery properly.

2. Your iPhone shuts down suddenly:

If your iPhone shuts down all of a sudden, it is possible that the calibration may be off. To re-calibrate your iPhone, follow these steps:

• Use your iPhone until it shuts itself down due to low battery.
• Plug your iPhone into a reliable charger and let it charge uninterrupted until it reaches 100 percent.
• Once it’s fully charged, perform a soft reset by holding your sleep/wake button and your home button (sleep/wake and either of the volume buttons on an iPhone X) until the Apple logo shows up.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, then the battery may be the culprit and will require replacement.

3. Your iPhone 6 (Or Higher Version) feel sluggish:

It is possible that you may be a victim of throttling. One way to check this is given below:

• Tap the Settings App
• Select the Battery option
• Select Battery Health (beta).

Under Peak Performance Capability, if you see this:

This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to deliver the necessary peak power. Performance management has been applied to prevent this from happening again…

Your battery’s health is significantly degraded. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity...

…then your phone is being throttled and would benefit from a battery replacement.

4. Your iPhone has terrible battery life:

The amount of charge batteries are able to hold diminish with time and usage. It could just mean that the battery capacity is exhausted!

5. Your iPhone works only when plugged in:

If the battery is entirely dead, then the phone will not work even when plugged in. However, if plugging in helps the device power up, then there’s something wrong with the battery or the battery connector.

6. Your iPhone gets really hot:

The battery generates heat as it recharges. Usually, if the battery is alright, the heat is internalized, protecting the other parts of the iPhone from getting overheated. If your phone is suddenly too hot to the touch, it might be time to get a new battery!

TechRepair's Offers Superior Batteries For Your iPhones…  

TechRepair provides replacement batteries for your iPhone which guarantees improved performance and extended battery life. What makes it stand apart from other Apple iPhone replacement batteries available in the market?

Our batteries are of original quality, or in other words, meet the specifications of an original battery from Apple!

Just like all other parts, our batteries are individually tested before being shipped. All batteries will have 0 cycle count and over 95% efficiency when installed.

Some additional features that make our batteries more durable are:

• They are tested to function under extreme hot/cold conditions.
• They aren’t wrapped — to ensure a better fit.
• They have been verified for high output current capacity.

Additionally, we measure the power output through one full cycle of the iPhone replacement battery, to ensure that they reach their full potential and meet your expectations!

Priced between $14-$28, the iPhone replacement batteries come at an affordable rate! Also, all our batteries come with a 12 months’ warranty!

TechRepair's Tips For Testing Battery Efficiency…

To ensure that the efficiency of your battery is nowhere below 95%, you can follow any one of the steps mentioned below:

• Install coconutBattery on any MacOS device. This is the easiest and cheapest way to verify the efficiency of your battery.
• Use the ‘Console’ application that comes preinstalled in all Macs. All you need to do is launch the ‘Console’, plug your iPhone to your Mac, and search for battery health. It gives you a lot more information such as the current battery level, the power source being used, etc.
• We have special tools, namely a Special Battery Tester, to verify the necessary information about the battery.  

If you are a victim of throttling, get in touch with us, and get your batteries replaced immediately.

To know more, head here!

Ever dreaded walking into a phone repair shop and stumbling upon a huge queue of people already waiting for their issues to be resolved? The last thing you would want is to spend another hour or so, desperate for your turn to arrive!

Now if you have a repair shop, think about it from your customer’s perspective — Is the above scenario desirable? Not really, no. Thankfully, this problem can be solved quite easily — with the help of the latest technology in the form of Online Appointments Schedulers & Online Price Estimators. Online self-service technology equates to cost savings for the businesses, and also provides convenience and flexibility to time-strapped customers.

It lets them make their decisions in an informative and transparent manner, without the hassles of traveling all the way to the store and having to just hang around, till they can actually meet a representative.

Let’s understand, why as a mobile repair store owner, you need to have an online appointment scheduler and online price estimators in place.

Why Online Appointment Scheduler & Online Price Estimators Are Important for Mobile Repair Stores?

1. Helps Prioritize:

Having an online appointments' scheduler lets you prioritize and address grievances of customers who take the effort of booking with you first via your website. It gives them an upper hand and better chances of resolving phone repair issues prior to customers who may be waiting at the store.

This is because he or she has an exact time slot allotted via an online appointment, thus helping them get better services from your end.

2. Availability:

There may be times when you have too much on your plate or moments when you need to shut shop due to reasons such as political turbulence, bad weather or festivals etc.

An online appointments' scheduler lets your customers know all of this in advance as opposed to traditional customers who visit in person, only to find a closed sign hanging on the door. Basically, customers can check your availability and then book an appointment on the days when you are functional, simply at the click of a button.

3. Structured Approach:

Nobody likes noisy shops, agitated customers, and your executives feeling pressured due to all the chaos of too many requests to be handled all at once. When you own a phone repair shop, you belong to the industry where good service matters the most. Only then can you expect repeat customers to pour in and new customers to get added to the list.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you have some kind of structure around your services and an online appointments' scheduler will provide you with just that - A structured way to handle customer issues, taking away the confusion and disorder which might otherwise exist and take a toll on your business.

4. Commitment:

As mentioned above, when someone schedules an appointment with you, they have to be catered to exactly at the time allotted to them. It not only gives you a heads-up about the customer, the details and level of service to be provided but also encourages customers to stick to a particular time and stay committed to it.

They will also value your schedule and understand that they are dealing with professionals!

5. Price Estimate:

Before even booking an appointment with you, your customers should be able to get an estimate of the amount they would be charged, should they avail your services. It’ss plain good manners and great business acumen, to make them aware of your rates, before they take the effort to visit your store.

You don’t want anyone to book an appointment and arrive on time, only to find your services are not affordable for him or her. Since money is a subjective concern, having an online price estimator helps your customers make informed decisions about going ahead with your services or not, to save you and them both some good time.

6. Saves Time:

When you do not have a self-service online appointment scheduler for your customers, you are letting them rely on your staff to do the same.

Assuming an average of five minutes of staff time spent on every appointment, it can take over 10 hours of staff time per week for an office that books an average of 25 appointments a day. If you include the reminder calls, the time increases even more.

7. Focus:

You have a team in your store, that handles customers and solves real problems for them. They possess a certain skill set which is very valuable to help you run the business and you don’t want them to spend a quarter of their time on mundane tasks such as scheduling appointments and getting price estimates on calls.

These people who work for you want to gain meaningful experience and enrich their careers with you, which leads to job satisfaction, increased efficiency and better business for you. An online appointment scheduler and price estimator will let you and your team focus on core business tasks.

8. Online Matters:

Customers everywhere want to conduct business online today, be it ordering groceries, clothes, electronics, furniture, paying for a gym membership or even getting an appointment for a haircut. They would like to book appointments with you online, whenever, wherever, even after your shop hours are way over.

That’s how their psychology works. When you don’t offer an online appointment booking option, consumers can perceive that you are stuck in the past. And the thing would be if they believe that you don’t value them enough to provide them with just what they want!

According to a study conducted by ‘Fast Company’, 70% of consumers expect a business’s website to offer some form of self-service function.

It can be very frustrating for a consumer to deal with a company that doesn’t have what is nowadays perceived to be conventional technology. So, go ahead and opt for an online appointments scheduler and an online price estimator for smooth operations and a great customer experience!

TechRepair Offers These Services… For Free!

We, at TechRepair, provide everything from repair parts to unlocking services, to help cell phone repair stores offer the best to their customers. We also offer online appointments schedulers and online price estimators for free!

Get in touch with us to know more about the variety of services we provide!

For any product-based business, inventory is everything. And in the case of a mobile repair store, it is legitimately the undisputed backbone of the business!

In 2017, SquareTrade, a company that insures smartphones, reported that “a cellphone in the U.S. breaks every two seconds.”

The Significance Of Inventory In A Mobile Phone Repair Business:

As pins and needles are to a dressmaker, so are the assorted paraphernalia of parts and tools to a cell phone repair business owner. Starting from nylon spudgers to fine tipped curved tweezers, or precision knife sets to replacement display screens, the inventory list for the tools of this trade is exhaustive and can extend well beyond to the advertising and in-store marketing supplies as well.

You will have new stock coming in, and old stock that needs to be sold. You have to make sure you don’t have excessive stock lying around.

On the other hand, it is essential to always have sufficient stock on hand, let there be a sudden increase in demand. With the increasing popularity of expensive, but fragile smartphones, the repair industry has seen a boost in sales over the past few years! You can check out our recent article regarding this.

Having a good inventory manager, increases deal conversions, energizes the workforce, generates strong word-of-mouth publicity, and speeds up the lead time taken for a ‘damaged-to-repaired’ process of the product.

How Mobile Repair Store Owners Can Manage Their Inventory!

Below we list a few tips and tricks that will help you not only manage your stock but also track pilfering (if any) effectively.

But that’s not all! With this step-by-step guide, you will be able to align inventory with accounting (get a clear idea on profits), and be able to put together an enviably organized store that additionally does away with a ton unnecessary paperwork as a bonus.

1. Be up to speed at all times!

Accurately keeping track of the stock in the store is vital. In fact, it’s not just critical, it’s downright mandatory when it comes to maintaining a healthy business.

Start from the ground up and keep a close check on the tiniest of inventories and move up to the most expensive ones. This is crucial if you’re dealing with the repair of high-end phones such as iPhones.

Categorize, label and compartmentalize!

Ensure to keep a tab and after that, maintain a ready stock of the products most in demand. Reduce holding around an inventory of things that are least requested. This is one of the most efficient ways of never falling out of stock or getting cash trapped with stock that nobody ever asks for.

Needless to say, the daily organizing ritual can be tedious and tiresome if done manually, but done it must be. Alternately, use a systematic, automated POS software that will track and provide up-to-date, actionable inventory information.

2. Make accurate forecasting your mantra!

Quite unlike products based on seasonal demands, the business of mobile repair does not have specific time patterns when customers are expected to come in droves or not at all when its off-season. The trend is usually quite steady and fixed, so you should already have a historical inventory calculation.

That said, ‘forecasting for the future’ is a formula that you must master well. Take historical sales figures to make guided projections about future inventory requirements. Marketing and publicity also drive sales, so that should be another factor to consider.

It goes without saying that nowadays Inventory Control features are available with most software so that forecasting can be automated and data-driven as opposed to physically entered data that has heaps of space for human blunders.

3. QA check with a top-down, bottom-up approach!

Sounds simple enough we know, but often a simple routine check can be all that you need to keep the business running in ship shape. Understand that the mobile repair business DOES rely on certain complex parts that are intended to replace damaged parts — so appropriate QA checks are a good thing to do.

Auto reminders for running routine stock audits and automated checklists that give a low-down on obsolete/out-of-date inventories do greatly help in simplifying the above-stated quality check tasks and thereby making the business a lean, mean profit-making machine.

4. Use technology to your advantage!

Of course, keeping a physical count of inventory may become a time-consuming affair, prone to errors! Let a useful software that allows you, a mobile repair store owner, to seamlessly manage inventory, auto-generate invoices and send lightning-fast quotations, carry out the activity for you.

Technology has made inroads in every business, and the mobile repair industry has embraced it wholeheartedly too. Today, it is a proven fact that tech-led mobile repair enterprises have efficiently managed changing trends, competition, and fickle customer preferences by adopting, adapting and relying on technology-driven software.

As hinted to earlier, the best way is to invest in a POS (Point Of Sale) System that manages all key aspects of your cell phone repair shop — including the inventory! Some additional benefits, along with keeping track of the inventory, are as below:

1. Reporting:

Having a POS system helps keep a record of the inventory and the sales made throughout the year, as well as make smarter decisions about your business, ultimately impacting the bottom line.

2. Integration:

Integration, as a part of the centralized software solution, helps connect every component of the supply chain, and work with your suppliers to establish effective processes for replenishment of the stock, as well as special orders.

3. Scaling:

If you wish to build new stores in different locations, or expand the range of your offerings, or simply expand your customer bases, a POS will always come in handy to automate and monitor your business.

Manage Your Inventory Like A Pro With TechRepair New Software!

After Samsung, iPhone screens tend to be the ones that require frequent repairs. This could be because iPhone screens are made of glass - they crack pretty easily if subjected to rough usage!

There is no dearth of iPhone replacement screens in the market. Such is the quality of the ‘high copies’, that it becomes extremely difficult to distinguish it from the original!

All original Apple screens are manufactured by LG or Sharp, whereas the high copies are manufactured by aftermarket companies such as Longteng (IVO), TianMa, ShenChao, KingWo (Teevo), JingDongFang (JDF/BOE) and AUO.

To begin with, here’s how Aftermarket iPhone LCD is made!

Understanding The Process Of Making Aftermarket iPhone Replacement Screen:

Let us take the example of an IVO screen. A company first contacts IVO and asks them if they can produce a kind of LCD for their phone. They cannot ask IVO to develop LCDs for an iPhone outright - this could lead to copyright and patent issues with the parent company, Apple!

IVO and the company will sign an agreement, post which the company asks IVO to study the LCD in question. Once IVO produces the LCD, the company will ask its own factory or a third party’s factory to assemble the screens and proceed to sell.

Once the demand for these screens builds up, the company looks for other factories to assemble the screens for them, and continues to sell them in the market.

Eventually, the company will not assemble the screens themselves, as more brands keep coming in. They will directly sell the IVO LCDs to certain factories. These factories purchase the spare parts like the glass, frame, backlight, OCA, etc. themselves, and assemble the LCD with these spare parts.

To create a more effective cost-benefit ratio, and to compete with other similar factories, they may use different grades of spare parts, resulting in the differing quality of LCDs. In fact, the quality of Aftermarket LCD depends not only on the LCD, but also the quality of the spare parts used.

Therefore, not all IVO LCDs will be of the same quality!

The same is true for all other brands as well.

While it is always ideal to advise customers to buy original screens, the price differences between the originals and the copies could lead them to look around, and choose the cheaper alternative anyway!

In order to ensure that the customer is not cheated, it is important to explain the differences between the originals, good-quality Aftermarket copies and poor-quality Aftermarket copies. Some of the glaring differences are given below:

• A poor-quality copy looks washed out - it will have much lower brightness, contrast, and vibrance.
• The copy screen will have much lower resolution than the original.
• The frame may have been shabbily installed.

Let’s take a more detailed look at the problems that might come up!

Differences In Quality Between Original And Copy LCDs:

It is clear that the copies aren’t direct ‘copies’ of the original iPhone LCDs. They are closely compatible replacements that have been manufactured from scratch and may have varying differences in quality. Here are some of the quality issues customers may have to face:

1. Problems With The Digitizer:

One feature that differentiates an original from the copy is how the digitizer (touch sensor) is designed. In the case of an original, it is manufactured as part of the LCD itself. In the case of a copy, the digitizer is placed on the glass.

As mentioned earlier, while the bare LCDs are manufactured by a few, several other companies purchase these and assemble them along with the other spare parts to make them functioning screens. The quality of the spare parts used determines the ultimate quality of the screen.

So, even if you could purchase an LCD from the best “copy” manufacturer,  the digitizer/touch (as part of the separately-manufactured glass) might have been sourced from non-dependable sources!

Unfortunately, the quality of the digitizers used would only be as good as the supplier’s word for them. A lot of them might switch to cheaper ones to gain a better margin!

For instance, with the iPhone 6S and 6S+, Apple moved the chips responsible for touch processing onto the LCD itself. The ‘copy’ screen will end up having ‘copy’ chips too!

Additionally, if you drop an Apple original, the glass often breaks, but if the LCD itself is unharmed, you can continue to use it until the glass is fixed. This is usually how Mobile Repair Stores and Aftermarket Suppliers refurbish original parts with aftermarket glass. As for the copies, since the digitizer is on the glass, it stops working when it breaks. In fact, the LCD itself is more likely to break due to the thinner and more fragile glass.

2. Poor Quality LCD Panels:

The LCD panels may have poor image quality, as mentioned earlier. They could have issues in brightness and contrast, a more ‘coarse’ look as compared to the original, and a reduced refresh rate.

3. Repercussions Of Parts That Don’t Match:

There will always be a telling difference between the performance specifications of an original and a copy. For instance, in the case of a copy, the battery can get drained more quickly and mess with the operating system which was meant for the original screen design. Your backlight could get damaged too!

4. Fingerprint Problems

With the 6S, 6S+, 7 and 7+, the home button- part of the 3D touch- is part of the screen assembly. A lot of times, the home button flexes on copies don’t work properly and stop the touch ID from working.

Overall, copy screens may be more prone to damage, than the originals, even if used carefully!

There are issues with the frame that holds the LCD in place - often, they just come off! This can cause damage to the flex cable, and the screen will need to be replaced.

Finally, unlike the original, the home button often sits lower in its hole in the case of a copy!

Given the differences between the original and the Aftermarket copies, it might seem wrong to promote the sale of the latter. However, it is a fact that customers tend to choose the cheaper copies over the originals. Also, customers may have to wait longer to get original replacements as most Mobile Repair Stores don't keep them in stock.

So, what is important is to get replacement screens that are as close as possible to the originals. As mentioned earlier in the article, some of the most popular brands available in the market are Tianma, IVO, BOE, etc.

Let’s analyze these brands to make the choice easier for you, and your customers!

Analyzing The Different Aftermarket iPhone Replacement Screens:

Here are the features of the different brands that manufacture copies of iPhone screens.

1) KingWo (Teevo):

KingWo claims to provide a close to perfect copy of the iPhone LCD, especially in terms of brightness and polarizer. Here are some of the features it offers:

• High-quality connector.
• Teevo certified LCD and Digitizer
• RA copper FPC folding is 30% more than any ordinary material.
• Excellent brightness (5.5-inch above 400nit, max.565nit; 4.7 above 450nit, max.550nit)
• Kingwo3D let you play 3D games.
• 360° vision with sunglasses.
• Compliant with the original iPhone LCD test standards.
• Comes with Camera Ring/Sensor Ring/Flex Cable Foam.
• Comes with cushion pads.
• Has a home button connected flex cable (to avoid damage).
• CE and RoHS approved.

The Teevo LCD, when tested, displays a luminance above 400-450 cd/m2, as against 300-350 cd/m2 of other brands.

The white image chromaticity of a Teevo LCD is X 0.288+5% Y 0.296+5%.

Additionally, it comes with an anti-fingerprint oleophobic coating that prevents fouling and scratches.

2) Tianma:

When you compare a Tianma LCD screen to an original…

• It is found that the Tianma screen is thicker owing to a plastic layer added onto the glass.
• The flex textures on the LCD flex cables are different from those of the original.
• The IC module of the original screen is totally covered, while the Tianma screen is partly covered for its reassembled IC.
• 30% of Tianma screens do not fit perfectly for its higher bezel - although, this does not affect daily use.
• There are no differences between the home button hole alignment between Tianma and the original.
• Unlike the in-cell structure of the original, Tianma applies G+F technology making it slightly thicker.
• Tianma screens have relatively lower hydrophobicity - they lack the special materials on the surface of the original.
• As compared to the original, Tianma screens are colder and green-toned.
• Both touch and 3D touch function well.

3) JingDongFang (JDF/BOE):

When you compare a BOE screen to the original…

• The BOE screen is thicker than the original because of a plastic layer added to the phone glass lens. The assembly weight, the home button size, and the thickness of the whole screen and glass lens are higher than the original.
• The display and digitizer touch screen flex cables are different in length and textures.
• BOE screens have strip-like touchscreen textures, while the original has none.
• As against the original’s in-cell structure, BOE screens use G+G technology.
• While the original is waterproof, alcohol-proof, and hexane-proof, BOE screens don’t have any such features.
• BOE screens come with an uncomfortable LCD supporting bezel frame.
• There are color changes in BOE displays when compared to the original.
• Some BOE screens have backlight leakage and shadow issues.
• BOE screens have touch insensitivity issues.

4) LT (IVO):

When you compare an LT screen to the original…

• The assembly weight, the home button size, and the thickness of the whole screen and glass lens are higher than the original.
• The display and digitizer touch screen flex cables are different in length and textures.
• LT screens have visible touchscreen textures like diagonal lines and light spots, while the original has none.
• As against the original’s in-cell structure, LT screens use G+G technology.
• While the original is waterproof, alcohol-proof, and hexane-proof, LT screens don’t have any such features.
• LT screens come with an uncomfortable LCD supporting bezel frame.
• There are color changes in LT displays when compared to the original.
• Some LT screens have backlight leakage and shadow issues.
• LT screens have touch insensitivity issues.
• With LT screens, there’s a gap between the LCD touch screen assembly and the body.

Which Of These Aftermarket Screens Are More Cost-Effective?

1. Original Refurbished
2. KingWo (Teevo)
3. AUO 
4. TianMa
5. Longteng (IVO)
6. JingDongFang (JDF/BOE)
7. ShenChao

In terms of price, ShenChao and JDF are usually considered as the cheapest screens you can find on the market. For Middle of the pack in terms of quality with a competitive pricing TianMa and Longteng are good choices. For the highest quality on the market KingWo (Teevo) and AUO are your immediate go to choices.

Looking For Dependable iPhone LCDs? Choose TechRepair!

At TechRepair, we provide iPhone LCD screens and digitizers that are individually tested and packed into premium boxes. These parts are tested when manufactured and certified by our team to ensure the highest quality standards.

What’s more, these repair screens and digitizers come with a lifetime warranty!

Take a look at our products here…

Looking for someone to sell your broken or unwanted screens? Sell them to us for in-store credit or PayPal! All screens will be tested by our team to verify the working status, and offer you the best rates on the market!

Fill out the LCD Buyback Form here…

Now, if you've nodded your head in agreement to all the above questions, then you should consider starting a cell phone repair business. Why this industry? Because this is a multi-billion-dollar industry and growing by leaps and bounds with minimum investment required.

The industry is growing annually at an average of 3% or higher, and the estimated revenue is thought to be a whopping 4 billion dollars. With the increasing number of smartphones being sold and damaged, the cell phone repair industry is growing at a rapid pace. A frustrating piece of news for consumers is a tremendous business opportunity for the repair shops.

Growth Potential Of This Industry

Cell phones have become extremely popular these days. Now and then, either the phone breaks or is not functioning well. Buying a new phone is not always a feasible solution. Hence, repairing the phone is a necessity.

With cell phone sales continuing to skyrocket, the growth potential of the repair industry is enormous. Surely and indeed, the industry will soon become one of the bigger money-spinners of the technology industry, with more and more individuals wanting to opt for repair services rather than buying a new phone.

Considering the fact that this is a new industry, there aren’t many resources available to guide you on getting started with the business. But we plan to change that! Not only will this article give you a sneak peek to all the essential details on starting the business, but it will also exhaustively cover the scope of activities of the repair business owner, the target audience and its growth potential, the initial start-up costs, legal considerations and much more! Also, please do take note all the prices and laws involved in this article are Canadian Based, if you are not in Canada this article is for you but be wary of the prices and regulations in your location.

Let’s start...

Business Models

To get started with the cell phone repair business, you'll find that there are many ways with which you can begin. The two most popular are the storefront and mobile repair business. Let us understand each one better.

#1. Storefront

The storefront brings in more legitimacy and builds trust among customers. However, the initial costs associated with a store is high and would attract a substantial capital.

#2. Mobile business

This is an ideal business model for people with low capital.

In this model, you can appoint delivery executives to either pick and drop the device after repairing or maybe it can be sent to the customer via courier. Initially, the profit margins might be low,  but rest assured, they will gradually improve as you increase the customer base.

Which business model is apt for you primarily depends on your situation.

Understanding The Costs Involved

Most of the start-up costs incurred would be towards rent and utilities depending on the location of the shop. Some business owners operate as kiosks at a mall to bring in operational cost-effectiveness. Others might work out of their home, thereby reducing the overhead costs of brick and mortar. If it is a mobile repair business, then customers could find your business online via a social media page or a website. Consider all the options before deciding upon what works best for you. There might be some additional costs involved too.

Let us list them below:

#1. Parts Inventory

Depending on the demand, you might want to stock at least 5-15 pieces of each item that can be undertaken for repair depending on you and your staff expertise. This cost might range between $100 – 500.

#2. Tools inventory

Now that you have all the parts you would need to repair the phones; it is time to have the right tools. Many cell phone repair kits are available, but each cell phone requires different types and number of tools. To have a basic repair kit, it would cost you about $50.

With the two most important factors - business model and costs being understood lets now get into further nuances of this industry.

Finding genuine parts and reliable hardware for cell phone repair can be a tough nut to crack. There are plenty of knock-offs in the market and it makes it critical to pick a vendor who can guarantee genuinely good quality parts.

We at TechRepair, vouch for the quality of parts we offer for iPhones, Samsung, LG, and other brands. Be it digitizers, LCD screens, smaller repair parts… you can rest assured of finding the best replacement parts for cell phones.

Do check this for more.

Steps To Start A Cell Phone Repair Business

• Business plan:

  Have a business plan with the costs, target audience and the break-even time-frame to ensure success in your business.

• Legal entity: Establish a legal business entity and register for the state taxes.
  
  
• Business accounting: Record your expenses and income to understand financial performance better.
  
  
• Permits and license: Obtain necessary permits and licenses wherever applicable.
  
  
• Branding: Define your brand as this is how your customers will perceive your company.
  
  
• Website: Having a site will attract more customers, and a social media presence will accelerate growth.

How The Dynamic Nature Of The Evolving Smartphones Affects Your Business?

Cell phone repair is complicated with a variety of multi brands and diversified techniques available. The most comfortable phone, to begin with, are iPhones due to their high-end design and the minimal number of parts that require fixing. Also, not everyone has an iPhone. The market is still dominated by Android phones when it comes to the sheer number of users.

Again in Android phones, there are multiple brands, all having their own design, hardware and parts. Some of the leading brands are Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus, etc. there are still plenty of brands and sub-brands which are widely used by people. This entire range of devices means, they all require more equipment and a little more technical experience to fix them.

The Earning Potential Of The Industry

#1. Charging Customers

Depending on the device model, the repair prices would vary. For instance, the average cost of a broken screen can range between $75- $300. Also, the repair cost of a $1000 phone would be far more affordable than replacing with a new one. So expect more earning potential with this line of business.

#2. Net Profits

The profit margins of repair costs to that of part costs are enormously high. The money made from one repair can very soon help in quadrupling your inventory.

If the average revenue is $80 and you fix ten devices a week, then the revenue per week is $800. The average net profits in this industry range between $50 – $65 000, with higher earning potential as you become more established.

What Sort Of Marketing And Promotion Is Required?

Succinctly put, the marketing and promotion should be the heart and soul of your business, as customers aware of your business and services will be the deciding factor for your success.

Using inexpensive and effective methods to promote your services will not only keep the costs low but at the same time, ensure visibility. Initially, flyers and brochures can be distributed to increase visibility. The next is to start a webpage or a social media page. Since most customers would do a google search to find a repair shop, make sure that you use keywords to push your business to the top of these searches. Word of mouth and positive reviews will bring in more success to your business.

Retaining Your Customers!

Customer reviews and referrals are essential for repeat business. Do not over promise and make your prices too low to attract customers. Costs need to be ‘competitive.’ To ensure customer retention and repeat business, a positive reputation and positive feedback are critical.

Since this business is customer driven and dependent on your repair and service reputation, it is vital to share success stories and to connect with your customers via brand promotions or marketing activities. Do have a strong rapport with your parts supplier too - repair service demands the timely availability of parts. Hence, establishing strong ties with the suppliers would promote business. Qualified parts and trustworthy and reliable service are the keys to staying profitable in the long run.

Ready to get started!

Be it cell phone repair business, sourcing of good quality reliable parts, unlocking services and more - do check out Techrepair.io!

Even if you are extremely careful about your phone, chances are at some point in time, you would have made a trip to the nearest mobile repair shop.  

If several surveys are to be believed, there has been a tremendous growth in the cell phone repair industry.

In fact, a report from IBIS states that the revenue of the cell phone repair industry is estimated at $4 billion, with an average of 3% or higher annual growth.

What could possibly be the reason for this significant boost? Well, there are quite a few of them.

Durability of Smartphones

Even though the market is flooded with phones with the best quality camera, latest technology, and massive storage capacities, the durability aspect is highly questionable.

No company can assure you an extended shelf-life of a cell phone. To make smartphones affordable, the overall quality of the hardware suffers. While no company plans to offer or sell sub-standard mobile phones, there are often third-party providers of internal parts, making overall quality control nearly impossible.

Fragile Display

Let's face it, butterfingers is not a documented medical condition, but it is a life-threatening one... for the phone at least!

Besides, we are all so capable of dropping our phones from time to time. We as individuals are completely capable of causing a lot of damage to the screen of our mobile phone :)

Glass by the nature of it is a fragile object. Gorilla Glass and similar ones can be stronger than most, but they are surely not unbreakable.

Fixing the Old Phone Instead of Investing in a New One is Always a Pocket-Friendly Idea

Even though you may be facing a major issue with your phone, you would still not be that keen to invest in a new one.

Firstly, it is an added expense, which can be avoided. Secondly, it is a tedious task to transfer contacts, media and other important data from one phone to another.

A simple repair job can at times fix a lot of common issues. This is why consumers still prefer to continue with the same phone by simply going in for a phone repair.

The Technological Challenge

There are a lot of people who may not be comfortable with how gadgets and mobile phones work. For them a mobile repair shop is a go-to place for any issues, big or small, they may face with their device.

If the above-mentioned points and statistics are taken into consideration, the current state and the future looks bright and shiny for the mobile repair industry.

The market of second-hand phones, be it Android or iPhone, utilizes many terms that the layman doesn’t understand. From IMEI to Blacklist to GSX check, thrown around regularly, there are numerous other words like these.

What does the average person do when they are looking to either sell their smartphone or purchase a pre-owned one? How do they know if the IMEI of the device is not blacklisted? Through this exhaustive article, we aim to answer some of the most common questions related to buying a pre-owned phone.

One by one, we explain ways to check and double check if a device has been stolen, reported lost or has unpaid bills attached to it. Succinctly, we provide methods of finding more about your phone.

Understanding A Blacklisted Phone And Its Repercussions!

The blacklist is precisely what the term states. It is a record of all the smartphones stolen in USA and Canada and reported. It is a database that is created and shared by all wireless carriers. The common belief that Apple or other Android companies are the makers of this list is untrue. America or Canada is not the limit of the blacklist; various countries have their own database which they share internationally.

The Issue With Blacklisted Phones!

If a smartphone is recorded in a blacklist, it will not connect to any cellular network. No carrier will allow the phone to make or receive calls even when the phone has a valid SIM card. Since blacklists are shared among different nations, the device will not work in any of them. For example, a mobile that has been shoplifted or burgled in the US will not function north of the border too. The reverse also applies.

Implemented in 2013, the problem with blacklisted devices is that they are worthless. No network will activate them within or outside the home country. You cannot use them to make calls, send SMS or even access mobile data. All one can do is connect to the Wi-Fi or employ the phone as an iPod. Built to counteract the burgeoning theft of mobiles, the blacklist is made up of unique numbers called IMEI found in every mobile device.

Understanding IMEI & Their Usage!

It is simple to unravel the mystery surrounding the IMEI. These are numbers put on various elements of a phone. These digits are added so that each cell phone can be identified easily. The acronym for International Mobile Equipment Identity is IMEI. Every smartphone manufactured in the recent past has this “unique identifier.” All carriers and nations have a common standard as per which they create an IMEI which means it takes zero effort to point out a stolen phone. Furthermore, while a SIM card can be removed from the gadget, the IMEI cannot be erased by the average person.

The Undeniable Reason Every Phone Should Have An IMEI!

In short, the IMEI is used to recognize any mobile. Because it can be used to spot a phone, it is consequently used to prevent robberies. Let’s say the stealing of an iPhone occurs. The thief changes the SIM card and continues to use the phone as theirs. There are few to nil chances of recovering the phone. On the other hand, if there is a number that is “hard-coded into the hardware” of the phone, even upon switching the SIM card the stolen mobile will be recognizable.

How the Blacklists interacts with the IMEI?

It is apparent, by now, that each mobile built has its own IMEI number. These digits etched on hardware have low chances of removal without irreparably damaging the phone. When information reaches a network provider that a particular phone was robbed/ stolen, it adds the corresponding IMEI to the blacklist. The mobile is also locked out of the carrier’s system and then from the cellular network. To make it easier to understand blacklist, think of it as a register of the IMEI codes of every phone robbed in a country.

How To Check The IMEI Code Of A Phone?

There are two procedures that can be used to check the IMEI number of any phone:

• The first method is also the fastest way. Open the keypad of your mobile and type the following: *#06#. When you press the last hashtag, a new screen will pop up instantly. This screen will show the IMEI code. If the gadget has two SIM cards, then there will be two IMEI numbers visible on the pop-up.

• The second method to check the IMEI of any phone is to go on the Settings tab, then About Phone, then the Status and finally the IMEI information. This process becomes useful when the previous one does not work.

Do note that dissimilar to other functions of the phone, it is not possible to copy and then paste the IMEI code. One has to write it down manually.  

Can A Phone Be Removed From The Blacklist?

The straightforward answer is yes. As long as you are the original owner of the phone, you can exclude it from the blacklist. For example, a stolen phone is reported and then blacklisted. Sometime later it is returned to the owner. To un-blacklist it, the real purchaser will have to call the network carrier and inform them. It is the service provider who removes the IMEI code from the blacklist.

The longer answer leads to most probably no. Any person, who has purchased a stolen phone or a preowned mobile that was blacklisted, cannot get it removed by themselves. The only way is to contact the previous owner and:

• Either ask them to get it withdrawn from the database,
• Or ask them for a refund.

Check If Your Phone Is Blacklisted

A simple tool to check if your phone’s IMEI is blacklisted or not is provided by Unlockr. All you need is the IMEI code and a working email. In as less as 60 seconds the answer is sent to your mailbox.

Find Out The Carrier Your Phone Is Locked To

A mobile sold by a Carrier is most often locked to the network of the Carrier. The phone cannot be used on any other mobile network. Therefore, it becomes vital to check which carrier your phone is currently locked to. To have your device unlocked you need to know the carrier. The easiest method to do so is to find the IMEI code of the phone, go to Unlockr and follow the steps.

Steps A Mobile Owner Can Take!

The gist is that knowing the IMEI code of a smartphone is essential. It can inform if the gadget is blacklisted or not. It is highly advised to return a blacklisted phone, if found, to the wireless carrier. They can take the appropriate steps to put it back in the hands of the first buyer or owner.

Apple’s iPhones can be quite complicated to repair. Users need to shell out a lot, and also wait for a considerable amount of time to get them repaired directly from Apple’s dealers.

The other option would be to hire the services of a third party store for repair and replacement. However, when third-party repairs are sought, one must ensure that the replacement parts meet the standard of quality — especially in case of an LCD.  A spurious part, or one that does not meet the quality standards, will pose problems with the touch, display, viewing, software updates and many more.

Price is not the sole factor for buyers to consider. LCD screen suppliers need to study how to provide the best service solution to their customers.

In the replacement market, there are various Chinese-made LCD technology products such as LT, Tianma, Auo, and LG. One is not sure as to how each of these would meet the expectations of the customers, in terms of matching with the Original equipment (OE).  

The replacement market or aftermarket (as popularly called) LCDs, if not sourced properly, will lead to a host of issues such as:

1. Thicker, Wider, Longer screens:

Research has indicated that unlike OEMs, especially those of Apple, the aftermarket spare screens are marginally thicker causing fitment issues as well as backlight consistency. This leads to dimmer screens, and can also lead to dark spots on the screen.

Further, these are slightly longer as well as wider than the original parts and hence, while attempting to fit them into the original frame, there are possibilities of the original frame bending or breaking.  This increases the pressure and risk of the mobile service operators, requiring greater care to ensure minimal or no damage to the OE.

2. Notch Difference:

This refers to the bundle of possible differences popularly called notch difference that occurs when replaced with a screen other than OE. This requires re-adjusting the cameras that are actually fitted to the original height in the case of OE.

Such issues especially those of thicker screens also leads to touch sensitivity, which in turn lead to delayed response time (which can be irritating while texting).

Research has also indicated that replaced non-OE screens with these differences leads to a quicker battery drain, with the screen heating up, resulting in safety issues and frequent recharging.

3. Color:

Apart from physical discrepancies, there are also differences in the color gamut, with LCDs having a narrow gamut compared to the OE. The color tones of the replaced screens are usually significantly cooler, as compared to warmer color tones of the OE.

4. Display Structure:

In OE iPhones, the touch screen is rooted in the LCD screen. This form of structure helps make the display thinner as against other smartphones.

However, in aftermarket LCDs, the structure is quite different making them thicker, leading to response delay and battery usage.

How To Select A Better LCD Screen?

Several factors have to be considered when choosing a proper LCD. One must look out for a better Display and Touch Panel. There are basically two types of mobile displays: TFT LCD (Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Displays) and AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode). Presently there are super AMOLEDs too, where the touch system layer is embedded into the display.

An indicative set of Touch Panel technology terms are discussed below:

• GG (glass lens and glass sensor): This has a single glass sensor and better mechanical strength.  It has ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) glass in rhombus structure that enables multiple touch points.
• GFF（cover glass and film sensor): It has double layer film sensors, ITO glass in rhombus structure enabling multiple touch points.
• OGS (one glass solution): The touch screen and glass is laminated into a single piece, and the glass has ITO coating. This LCD screen will be thinner, flexible and sans air gaps. It is also cheaper.
• In-Cell: This has the Touch panel along with a sensor beneath the color filter glass.
• On-Cell: Here the Touch panel plus sensor is embedded between the polarizer and the color filter glass. This is a comparatively easier technology when compared to in-cell.

In-cell and on-cell technologies are relatively newer ones and costlier too. They do not offer a stable performance.

GFF technology has slightly enhanced sensitivity, but low optical effect. OGS possesses single lamination only, and that can lead to security problems.

In comparison to various other technologies, GG is widely used and relatively lower priced.  But using this has its own disadvantages as discussed earlier, as it is far from the OE.

Understanding KingWo Technology

The advent of KingWo (KW) LCD technology with CE and ROHS certification has addressed the fear of clients in the replacement market, with regards to getting a closer or a perfect match with the OE.  

KingWo technology has a perfect combination of Brightness, Chromaticity, and Polarizer solution in the aftermarket mobile business.

The Brightness, Chromaticity and Polarization factor tested for KingWo technology by the third party Teevo, has shown that this technology is way ahead and matching the OE, as compared to its Chinese counterparts.

1. Teevo's Brightness Testing:

This refers to the brightness variation that gets dispersed around the screen and is best noticed when using the full-screen display for purposes such as while using spreadsheets, documents, etc.

For instance, the Luminance (amount of light reflected from a particular area) comparison between conventional LCD technology and that of KingWo technology as tested by Teevo is described below:

2. Teevo's Chromaticity Testing:

This refers to the quality of the color regardless, of its luminance. The chromatic triangle formed used in the sRGB (standard Red, green blue) primaries is an essential metric for gamut verification.

Chromatic changes scatter, but they are not noticeable on the screen while the brightness factor gets noticed on screen. Improper chromaticity may cause unnatural graphic displays and deterioration in color reproduction.
KingWo has passed the white image chromaticity test with the never blue never green and never red tint factors indicating the best possible chromaticity.

3. Teevo's Polarization Testing:

This refers to the polarizing filter which is a transparent crystal that allows light waves of a particular polarization direction to pass through. For instance, a vertical polarizer allows only vertical polarized waves to pass through it, while the horizontal waves are blocked completely.

The following figure shows a Vertical Polarizer:

An LCD display uses two polarizers to control brightness. However, since each display has millions of pixels and each pixel requires to be controlled independently, it is impractical to rotate polarizers within every pixel.

This is overcome by liquid crystal. LCDs use a form called Twisted Nematic (TN) crystals. These molecules are cylindrical and are found in a twisted arrangement.

Liquid crystals possess two properties that help in LCDs. First is the ability to adapt themselves in an electric field, and the second is to enable twisting the polarization of light that passes through them.

Polarizers and Liquid crystals together control the brightness of LCD Pixel and form the base of conventional twisted Nematic TFT LCD, i.e. TFT LCD and its relative IPS LCD. TFT LCD is widely used and costs less, but has restricted color reproduction and viewing angle while IPS (inline plane switching) LCD has up to 170 degrees wider view angle and better resolution as well as brightness and chromaticity when viewed from different angles and is a little expensive.

Pricey LCD Displays give better quality resolution with broader viewing angles. Apple uses Retina Display that comes with high pixel density and a wide array of pixel densities ranging from 326 ppi for small devices, 264 pi for medium and 220 pi for larger ones with better viewing distance.  

The best part is KingWo technology has achieved 100% in this polarizer testing and one can get a 360-degree perfect vision even with sunglasses.

Further, this technology has anti-fingerprint oil coating that makes it scratch resistant and in this case a shade better than the OE.

Hence, though the generic replacement market screens may be cheaper, it must be remembered that they are LCDs and not the OLEDs used by OEMs.

Some prominent KingWo Product features are:

• Superior quality connector.
• RA copper treated of FPC with 30% more foldability the folding as compared to ordinary material.
• Extreme high brightness to view even in strong sunshine.
  (5.5-inch above 400 nit, max.565 nit; 4.7 above 450 nit, max 550 nit)
• Kingwo3D enables better playing 3D games.
• 360° exceptional vision with sunglasses.
• 100% clearance in the original test standard for iPhone LCD.

Bonus: How To Look For A Cell Phone Parts Supplier!

According to Teevo 2018 survey data, there are top 5 factors that influence buyers to make a decision:

• Company History: An established company is expected to have great professionals who have helped it survive for this long.  It is expected to have a good reputation in this industry and can help buyers avoid the risks.
• Good Quality: A professional inspection procedure by the vendor before shipment, indicates better control of the product quality.  A complaint from the buyer regarding a poor LCD screen is too costly in terms of replacement, reputation, and cost especially if the buyer is overseas.
• After-sale Service: Buyers always request at least one year warranty from the third party service providers, besides product warranty. There are very entities that are able to offer such warranty, with TechRepair being one of them.
• Factory Sourcing: Compared to trade companies, LCD screen factories can supply the quality that the buyer needs with a high performance-price. This coupled with a long warranty clause will be an added bonus for the purchaser.
• Supply Chain: Third-party cell phone service centers request and offer customized package solution, requiring suppliers to have the ability to allocate their supply chain resources to meet the customers’ demands.

To conclude, the supply chain of cell phone replacement part market is huge and unorganized, without any standards.

Hence, finding a trustworthy partner who can build a long-term relationship and help in long-term growth is essential for cell phone repair shops and the closest that comes to the OE are the centers that use KingWo technology.  

Some custom tests offered by Teevo are:

• Touch Screen
• Bright Display
• Polarizer
• Oil Film
• Thickness
• Fingerprint
  

Hence, those looking for a perfect aftermarket LCD screen should insist on spares that have better LCD quality. They should bear in mind that the ones that are perfect in terms of Brightness, Polarizer, and Chromaticity are the perfect aftermarket ones to go for.  

TechRepair is a perfect one-stop shop for sourcing all mobile parts, as they are tested using internally defined standards, and they offer various grades at various amazing prices.

Further, they also educate mobile store owners regarding various mobile parts present in the market, as only an informed person can make the right decision.

To know more click here!

TechRepair guarantee's that every Apple screen they supply for repair shop owners is impeccable. How does it ensure that they deliver only the highest quality of replacement screens?

The answer lies in the extensive in-house testing done on every screen they supply. Each LCD screen is tested individually using an integrated control system and then packed into premium boxes. From the point of purchase till the time of shipment, each screen undergoes strict testing procedures and only then gets certified by the TechRepair team.

5 Rigorous Inspections Conducted By TechRepair

The repair screens undergo through several tests and procedures before being delivered to mobile repair shops. To make sure that TechRepair has the lowest return rate, TechRepair touch screens have to pass these five tests!

• Cosmetic
• Structure
• Function
• Aging
• Vibration

To understand better what each inspection checks for in the touch screens, we take an extensive look into them.

Cosmetic Examination:

The first assessment of an iPhone or iPad replacement screens is scrutiny for any flaws. A search of the surface of the screen with a fine tooth comb for scratches, dust particles, bubbles, and sundry begins. The display has to put a check mark on the following:

• The glass lens is not damaged.
• Glass lens has no off paint.
• The flex cable neither damaged nor broken.
• The front bezel is free of damage, debonding and screw-hole blocks.
• The adhesion of the backlight adhesion should be standard.
• Look for the effect of water and alcohol on the screen surface.

A final judgment on the toughness of the entire touch screen assembly is taken before moving onto the next evaluation.

Structure Try-Outs:

Once the aesthetics look clear, the touch screen is judged on its structure. The process is more comprehensive than what other competitors in the market use. Each screen is tested one by one for:

• The length, breadth, and width of the screen are precise as per the standard.
• The LCD metal plate matches perfectly to it.
• The screw-hole aligns exactly.

After the screen has cleared these three checks, next comes the examination for “fitness with iPhone housing.” After installation of the display, they run a pilot for:

• Leakage of light.
• Backlight conflicts with the screen.

Function Appraisal:

Succeeding the screen's structural and aesthetic audition, it is checked for normal functioning. Upon installation the Apple screen display should qualify:

• Touch function test which involves swiping up, down, left and right. Even the icons are moved around the screen and pages are switched from one to another.
• Home button function test.
• Touch ID function test.
• 3D touch function test along with sensitivity.

The color of the screen is probed to certify it complies with the standard. Some color calibrations that the screen undergoes are:

• Pure color check.
• Polarizer check under which the screen turns black.
• Color coordinates examination for a perfect contrast.
• Color brightness using the CA310 color analyzer.

Aging Audition:

The next due-process that an Apple screen is put through by TechRepair is an aging test. There are two examinations done on random screens to guarantee that the display remains normal even after extensive use.

The first evaluation is the Run Dynamic where a video plays for two hours at the extreme temperature of +45 degree centigrade. The second is called the Run Static test and the conditions of it are:

• -20℃/2Hrs.
• +55℃55%RH/2Hr.
• +55℃/4Hrs.

After both tests, a repetition of the set of functional checks takes place and assessment of the adhesion level of the backlight.

Vibration Assessment:

The last trial that the touch screens undergo at TechRepair offices is the electromagnetic vibration test. The screens are packaged in top-quality blister boxes and then put for sixty minutes on the machine at an amplitude of 2mm and 50Hz frequency.

Like in the aging tests, another round of functional and backlight checks take place after passing of the vibration test.

A Lifetime Warranty That Is Never Needed!

There is a reason why LCD screens and digitizers by TechRepair transform even the most broken iPhones into brand new. Each display is quality controlled and only stamped with a certification if and when they pass every one of our five rigorous tests.

A screen not issued with a top-notch test report faces rejection. Those that succeed are packed and sold to Mobile Repair Stores with a lifetime warranty that never needs cashing.

Wondering what to do with the broken LCD screens from the phones you’ve got in your stores? The easy solution might be to discard them in an ecocentre. However, there’s another more beneficial way to get rid of them! SELL THEM!

The Benefits Of Selling Your Broken LCD Screens Are Twofold!

Selling off broken LCD screens has two important benefits!

1. You Contribute To Saving The Environment!

The amount of trash created by broken gadgets has become a global concern now. With billions of people using smartphones and upgrading them to newer and advanced devices are making so many phones redundant, which the owners simply throw away or sell off to mobile repair shops.

Selling broken LCD screens ensures that they will either be worked on and made fit for repurchase, or simply recycled!

2. It Helps You Make A Buck Or Two!

Selling your broken LCD screens can earn you some money, which can help you mitigate some of your cash flow problems!

Sounds promising, doesn’t it? Wondering how to find a company to sell your broken LCD screens to?

Here’s TechRepair's LCD Buyback Program For You!

We, at TechRepair, have been providing best-in-class mobile phone unlocking services, phone repair parts as well as prepaid vouchers to well over 300 mobile repair stores.

Through our LCD Buyback Program, we buy your broken LCD screens - at the best prices on the market! The prices are determined based on the phone model and the grade of the screen. The screens are tested upon reception to verify the damage on the LCD and Digitizer. 

The process is really simple - All you have to do is fill this form!

To know more about the prices and grades, head here!

So, don’t simply throw away those broken LCD screens. Hand them over to us, and earn some quick bucks. To know more, get in touch with us today!

To run a mobile repair store successfully, it isn’t enough to depend only on your sales or outsmarting the competition. Here are some ways for the mobile stores to reduce costs, save time, and maximize profits!

Here’s How Mobile Stores Can Save Money And Time!

1. Hire Skilled Technicians!

Mobile repair stores should employ trained staff. These days one sees a lot of job hopping, especially by junior technicians.

Stores can face tough times if their trained staff moves on. Therefore, it will be prudent if they can always have some temporary hires to replace the ones who leave! That way, they will never lose out on providing services to their clients.

2. Choose Reliable Vendors For Spare Parts!

They should always have ample amount of spare parts readily available. Getting good quality spare parts in advance and from vendors who charge a nominal rate, can ensure that they are always ready to serve their clients!

And, that too at a reasonable cost to them, while the profits of the store do not get affected.

3. Automate Activities That Take Up Time!

Mobile repair stores need to get automated. Making prudent use of technology, they can manage data on their clients, the services provided, availability of spares, and even send promotional or service reminder messages to their clients.

If such data is just a few clicks away, it will be easier for them to manage inventory very and the time they take to revert to their clients will be optimally reduced. The time and effort saved will convert into financial savings… and increase efficiency!

4. Choose A Mix Of Online And Offline Advertising!

To maximize profits, another key aspect is expanding their client base. Now, how can they ensure this? By advertising.

If they advertise effectively, combining the best tools in offline and online marketing practices, they will be able to grab more eyeballs! Sure, online marketing is less expensive than offline. But, they have to work on the best combination to get the best results.

5. Clear Extra Stock!

Maintaining excess stock can be expensive for mobile repair stores. Old spare parts that are lying around can be cleared out using discounts. This is also a good way to draw in more customers.

Joining hands with other businesses to offer mobile repair services to their clients is a good idea. This can help them widen their reach.

Cutting costs does not translate into cutting corners. If mobile repair stores cut corners, they will sound their own death knell! One dissatisfied customer spreads the word to more than 10 people at any point in time.

TechRepair Offers Quality… At Reasonable Prices!

TechRepair offers multiple grades of repair parts, at various price points, to offer multiple solutions for customers.

We also have an LCD buyback program, where we buy broken screens at competitive prices.

To know more, head here!

Here's Where Phone Replacement Parts Come From! Can You Trust Them? Let’s Find Out!

There are a lot of questions that arise, when it comes to cell-phone repair! One of them, is whether the replacement parts being used are genuine or of questionable quality?

Are these parts sourced from the parent company, or is there a lot more going on here than is visible on the surface?

Here’s the lowdown on what transpires in the repair ecosystem!

The Aftermarket ‘Factories’!

Independent phone repair shops are often unable to source replacement parts directly from the parent company, especially if they aren’t authorized dealers. These shops end up buying them from third-party companies with ‘massive factories’, situated mostly in China.

These are significant operations creating components by the millions, given the extensive demand for aftermarket parts across the globe.

How Do These Parts Fare In Terms Of Quality?

Unlike popular opinion, aftermarket parts are not necessarily of inferior quality! Some are 'total disasters', but some could be a fairly close match — 'Not quite as good as genuine parts, but close.' Some components are 'indistinguishable'. These are commonly categorized as After-market parts and High-Quality-After-Market parts respectively.

Unfortunately, there is no universal grading system to work with, since it is essentially a free market with no defined standards! The lack of an overseeing authority, makes using aftermarket parts a gamble. It all really depends on how urgently consumers need their devices repaired. If they are unwilling to wait, ‘close-enough’ will have to do!

Are Aftermarket Repairs Safe?

As mentioned before, given that it’s a free market with no regulation and no accountability, it is impossible for a customer to know the quality of these aftermarket parts.

What independent repair shops can do is ensure they get their aftermarket parts from companies that have certain parameters to test product quality. They need to be upfront with customers, about where they source their products from.

Having a good supplier relationship, vetting the supplies, trial and error to get the best components, and in some cases, even having a quality control team overseas with suppliers, goes a long way in getting quality components!

Why Don’t Independent Repair Shops Affiliate With The Parent Company?

A shop cannot just become an authorized service provider. It needs to meet the company’s requirements.

For instance, the process for a repair shop to become an Apple Authorized Service Provider is riddled with exams, training courses, and can cost thousands of dollars. The shops are expected to meet Apple’s standards at all times, with an audit being conducted ever so often to ensure compliance.

Sure, there are benefits to this. Customers trust that the parts being replaced are authentic, while the repair shops have access to product, service, repair and troubleshooting guidelines.

However, there may be limitations to the repair services that can be undertaken even by the authorized service provider. For instance, Apple limits the repairs its service providers can do in-house. For a lot of repairs, devices must be sent to Apple, for a repair turnaround time that can span days.

Without the possibility of affiliating with the parent company, repair shops are essentially left with two options — purchase aftermarket parts from third-party companies, or refurbished parts that have been taken from broken phones, revamped, and purchased in bulk!

Refurbished, Recycled Or Reused Components!

An alternative to buying aftermarket components, many companies take LCDs from broken phones that are repaired and sell them to a company that refurbished them. New digitizer components are attached so that they can be reused.

This company will then sell the displays back to the repair shops for use in future phone repairs.

Techrepair offers an LCD Buyback Program for all iPhone models, at competitive prices! To know more about the program, head here!

Unlike many companies, Techrepair provides best-in-market repair products to ensure the quality service. Following are some major contributing factors in making Techrepair a winner against its competitors.

1. Lifetime warranty on all LCD's.
2. Defined specifications on LCD's.
3. 12-month warranty on Batteries and Accessories.
4. Live chat support from 9 AM to 6 PM EST 7 Days a week.
5. Free Monthly Returns
6. Free shipping for orders over 250$.
7. Multiple shipping solutions provided.
8. Custom Labelling Solution for your Repair Parts.

Transparent Knowledge Transfer

Techrepair not only believes in just providing good service but also to transfer the knowledge associated with the products to you. Which in turn makes you able to convey the customers with the vital information about the parts.

Best Screens

Techrepair works with their own pre-set screen specifications which result in the most balanced screen displays and convincing colour accuracy to match the original screens.

Powerful Batteries

Every single battery has 0 cycle and over 95% efficiency when installed in the phones.

Since there’s a demand for cheaper, and faster repairs, independent repair shops are thriving, and so is the demand for aftermarket parts.  Techrepair manufactures quality driven repair parts to satisfy the customers' needs. If you are to access the best, you have to try Techrepair.

As a mobile repair shop owner, it is essential to know where the replacement parts come from, and how to distinguish between them. After all, there is a marked difference in quality, and can influence the time taken for repairs, as well as the durability of the repaired product.

Understanding The Different Kinds Of Parts A Mobile Repair Store Owner May Have To Source!

Mobile phone repair parts are categorized as under:

• Aftermarket Parts.
• OEM Parts
• Refurbished Parts.
• Original/Genuine Parts.

1. Aftermarket Parts

These are the parts that are produced by third-party companies and supplied to the repair shops. While the general perception is that these parts are inferior in quality, not all of them are necessarily so.

Some of them could are close enough to OEM quality, and it may become extremely difficult to distinguish between them!

2. OEM Parts

O.E.M. stands for 'Original Equipment Manufacturer'. Generally, these are the parts that are produced by many dealers and suppliers that together make the product.

Factually, these parts are built by the contracted suppliers, under the OEM standards proposed by the product manufacturers. In other words, When you buy a new phone, It contains all the OEM parts, or parts that are manufactured as per OEM standards by the contracted suppliers.

Here are some visible differences to between an OEM screen and an aftermarket screen to understand the concepts thoroughly:

• OEM screens will have foam pads over the flex cables while aftermarket screens will either have no pads or poorly placed pads.
• OEM screens use a rectangular white film under the ambient light sensor while aftermarket screens typically do not.

3. Refurbished Parts

Refurbished parts simply mean refined, reconditioned, renovated parts. These are nothing but the previously used parts, returned to the manufacturer owing to some issues.

Such parts then undergo rigorous testing, repair & a certification process, before they are resold under the new label, as ‘refurbished parts’. These parts are tested to meet the refurbishment criteria of the company before they are to be shipped for resale.

Some companies, like TechRepair, also purchase broken screens at competitive prices. To read more about this, click here!

The components bought are classified under the following grades, and payment against them is determined accordingly!

• Grade A: looks new and it doesn’t have any major signs of handling or wear.
• Grade B: may have visible usage signs, mostly light scratches or chips.
• Grade C: has obvious signs of wear.

4. Original/Genuine Parts

Genuine parts are the parts that are originally manufactured and put in the cell phone when it was a new one and have the manufacturer's logo on it. This does not mean the product manufacturer builds it. It is often built by a different company, but the manufacturer's logo is added.  These are the most expensive parts as you are paying for the manufacturer's brand logo.

A Key Difference Between Original And OEM Parts!

An OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) part is a part built by the same company that built the original product for the phone maker.  It is the exact same part that is on your phone, except it does not have the manufacturer's logo.

These parts are the same as the genuine ones, but cheaper as you are not paying for the privilege of having purchased an original part straight from the manufacturer!

If You Are Looking For Great Quality At Competitive Prices… Choose TechRepair!

TechRepair takes its work seriously, as a service provider to all mobile repair shops. We provide multiple grades at multiple prices, to offer the multiple solutions to your customers.

The standards are defined internally, rather than depending on the specifications of commonly known brands!

Our screens and batteries are tested, before being shipped out.

To know more about how we are superior to our competitors, read this!

We, at TechRepair, believe in educating mobile repair shop owners on the differences between the parts available in the market! After all, only if you are informed, can you pass on the right quality to your customers.

Standing out from the rest is one way to keep your bottom line lush!

How To Ensure Your Mobile Store Always Rakes In Profits!

Here are ways you can boost the profits of your mobile store, increase customer influx and expand your market!

1. Don’t be vague… Define yourself!

You should clearly define the services you offer. Incorporate these points in an advertising plan!

2. Don’t underestimate ‘old ways’ of advertising!

The oldest and the best method of advertising is word of mouth. You must provide efficient and exceptional service that the customer decides to advertise your service center through word of mouth to his family, relatives, and friends. You can also ask your customers to promote your shop!

Print flyers and business cards, which you can leave in places or shops which are potential customers like supermarkets. You could request the local news agency to add your flyers to their newspaper while they distribute it on a particular day. You could stand in a busy market area and hand out flyers to potential customers.

Print stickers about your business; distribute them to your customers. Stick them on public notice boards or other places where it is authorized to do so.

You can print details of your business on “No parking” signboards and distribute them or put them up in areas where this is allowed. Print T-shirts with business details on them and wear it, distribute to friends, family, and customers who are willing to help advertise by wearing them.

3. Embrace modernity… Make good use of social media!

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are good ways of bringing in new customers these days. Facebook allows you to advertise your business at a nominal cost through ads. Interesting videos on Facebook will allow you to capture a better share of the market and increase the reach of your business.

These days most people search for things online, so it is vital that you have an excellent online presence to ensure that your business flourishes. Promote your business on as many online sites as possible!

4. Make your store stand out!

To allow potential customers to reach you easily, they should be able to locate your repair shop without any difficulty!

Invest in a store design that distinguishes you from the rest. This could be by having an attractive entrance, sufficient signboards, and using colors that capture and retain attention!

TechRepair offers you another way to stand out from the competition - through the quality of your repair products, like a lifetime warranty on screens, etc.

5. Offer incentives… Like special offers!

From time to time, make special offers and discounts around public holidays and public events. Post details about these offers on social media, outside your service center and in public places where you think there will be potential customers.

You should try to offer discounts and other freebies a few times a year. Make use of old spare parts by giving discounts on them. This will attract customers. Place the discount sign in such a manner that will entice people passing by the shop into inquiring about the discount.

Plan discounts cleverly, so that they attract customers to walk in and enquire about the offer. Offering discounts on accessories is an easy way to attract customers.

6. Employ wisely!

If you want a flourishing mobile store, it is vital that you hire skilled technicians. It isn’t very easy to hire and retain skilled workers, as they are in great demand and hence, are likely to switch jobs easily!

To avoid a crisis where you are understaffed, it is better to hire more technicians than required. Train junior technicians with the help of senior ones as fast as possible, so that they can handle complicated assignments as well. Good and well-trained technicians increase the productivity of the service center, thus improving the reputation of the shop as well.

The same goes for the sales staff! The manner in which the sales staff interacts with the customers will either build a lasting relationship or end it before it even begins. Staff should be courteous, welcoming and friendly. They should allow the customers to speak and listen attentively.

Your staff must never give the customers the impression that they know more than the customers. Customers like a staff that comes across as confident, trustworthy and proactive. A good body language and a positive attitude go a long way in forming a favorable impression with the customers!

7. Invest in good-quality spares!

For a mobile business to run successfully and efficiently, it is important to have a constant supply of spare parts. If they aren’t always available on hand, there could be delays in repairs!

You will have to source a reliable spare parts supplier in your locality, who will supply you with spare parts as and when required. Do not overstock spare parts as their prices tend to fluctuate. Also, make sure that the vendor doesn’t overcharge you for them!

TechRepair offers a multitude of products like batteries, cables, connectors, digitizers, camera lens, etc. of the highest quality, with a  1-year warranty at the very minimum, free monthly returns, and with free shipping for orders over $250!

8. Make sure you are prompt and proactive!

In today’s world, mobile phones are indispensable; people cannot live without them because of the amount of data stored in them!

Being prompt with the repairs, and acknowledging the impatience of the customer, goes a long way in retaining clients.

9. Automate every time-consuming activity!

For your business to be more efficient, you must consider automation.

There are special software available for mobile stores, which keep track of spares stock, inventory, profit and loss, the status of repairs etc. There’s also software that sends automated text messages to the customers informing them about the progress of the repairs.

TechRepair is working on providing this solution to its customers - keep your eyes peeled for an announcement!

10. Don’t ignore the price!

Keeping the prices below that of your competitors would be ideal. However, make sure you don’t overdo it! If the prices are too low, the customers may doubt the quality of your work!

Apart from that, it may lead to losses. However, keeping the pricing low is important, to broaden the customer base. However, at the same time, remember you cannot provide quality service at a throwaway price either. It’s all about having the right balance!

11. Believe in the power of estimates!

It is always a good idea to give the customer an estimated cost of the repair before you begin your work. This will allow the customer to decide whether he wants the repairs or not.

Giving an estimated cost of repairs also prevents unnecessary confusion later on once you complete the repairs. With an estimated cost of the repair, the customer can decide whether he is getting his money’s worth or not.

TechRepair offers tools that can help you get an estimate of the repair costs!

12. Try to build your niche!

If your service center can provide repairs for advanced models of smartphones and tablets that other service centers are unable to provide, you will have a niche market. Many customers, attached emotionally to their devices, especially the more recent ones like tablets, are uncomfortable changing them!

So if you can repair these for them, they will recommend you to their friends and family, thus bringing in more business. People are willing to pay well if a device they are attached to, is repaired well. Repair shops that fix all problems easily attract more customers. Though it may be challenging to fix these devices, it will be well worth your time.

13. Take feedback from your customers!

It is essential to get customer feedback as it will give you an idea of the satisfaction that he has had with your service. You will also get to know if improvements are needed in any area!

It is important to know whether the customer thinks he is getting value for money! If the customers realize that you have made improvements based on their feedback, they will ensure that your reputation grows further by word of mouth.

14. Add complementary products and services!

Another strategy that you can use to increase customer base is to add the sale of complementary products and services. This will help you make inroads into other markets as well.

You can start repairing and servicing of computers, laptops, gaming consoles, etc. You can add data recovery services as well. By providing the same service you will be unable to increase your profit beyond a point, so it is essential that you diversify.

15. Collaborate with organizations!

One more way to increase business and your customer base is to tie up with companies.

You can offer to repair mobile phones for free for the employees of a company, and collect the charges from the company. The employees feel satisfied that the company is providing them with an additional perk, and the company will benefit from satisfied customers. You could also tie up with another business that offers hardware repairs only and offer to give them help with the software!

16. Study what your competition is getting right!

If there are other businesses in your field of work that are doing better than you, study them. Find out what strategies they are using to attract customers. Find out what their marketing strategies are. You can follow those strategies to improve your own business and increase profits.

Competitors will always be there, but it is a good opportunity for you to grow your business and learn by observing them. Use innovative ideas to ensure that your business grows despite competition.

17. Optimize your business, cut costs wherever possible!

One of the best ways to run an economical business is to cut costs. You have to study your business carefully and look at areas where you can cut costs to increase profits.  

One way of cutting costs in mobile repair jobs is to get spare parts at reasonable rates or at discounted rates, and on time. Another method is to advertise aggressively online, which is more cost effective than offline advertising.

FYI, placing a bulk order on TechRepair will help you get better prices!

18. Most importantly… Respect the customer!

Treat customers with the utmost respect and care at all times. Sales staff should be trained to handle difficult customers carefully and defuse the situation. They should remain calm and collected irrespective of how the customer behaves and not take things personally.

Often customers may make unreasonable demands as they do not know the technical aspects of what they are demanding. Sales staff should be able to explain the same to them without offending them. Avoid arguments at all costs. Your business depends on the goodwill of the customers, and hence they should be treated well at all times.

Follow these tips and watch your mobile store flourish, customer satisfaction increase and profits soar steadily!

If your screen doesn’t show white lines, there are many factors that could make the touch out of control, for example. It could be a system problem, a flex cable loose, a touch IC problem, static electricity or even a touch panel problem.

We suggest you to use the original data cable and charger to charge your phone, as for the loose flex cable problem, we suggest that you tear down your phone to reconnect the flex cable between the screen and the mainboard.

How to solve Static electricity problem?

Step 1 : Take off the battery for a few minutes

Step 2 : Use a hair dryer and blow the sccreen evenly until the screen becomes hot.

Step 3 : Reinstall the battery.

First we need to know the structure of the LCD screen and how it works!

As you can see from the picture above, each LCD screen contains backlight unit, rear polarizer (near to backlight unit), TFT array, liquid crystal, color filter and front polarizer (nearest to the screen’s display).The cause of all your problems in this case are the polarizers, which are used to filter the light. It allows the light in various angles to pass and effectively eliminate the extra glare. The polarizer plays an important role in display image quality and performance.

Speaking of the polarizing film, we need to know the working principle of a polarizer. It allows specific directions of light to go through. That explains why the color fades when looking at your screen from various angle while wearing polarized sunglasses because your naked eyes cannot see this. When you put both polarizers in perpendicular angles you can’t see any light going through. When wearing polarized sunglasses, you add a third layer of polarizer which makes it difficult for you to see properly just like the pictures shown below.

These two polarizers here mimicking you wearing your glasses while looking at a polarized glass. The front polarizer is equal to your polarized sunglasses, and the other polarizer is equal to the one in your phone (the one near the display), you can see the magic cube clearly when the 2 polarizers are parallel to each other, as the angle change, less light can pass through the polarizer and the magic cube seems to fade away.

Here we found some other cellphones also encountered this phenomenon.

For example, when you test with a Samsung Galaxy S5, when you put it at 45°, the screen gets black, other angles are fine.

On the Meizu you can see it clearly in a 90° angle, however when you put it horizontally, the screen gets completely dark.

You can see clearer examples on the iPhone screens with different shades of colors.

And for iPhone 6 series, there is only little discoloration on the screen.

Luckily, LCD display technology has been quietly evolved in recent years, more and more cellphones are tending to improve their screen technology, and the polarizer issues can hardly be found in smart phones now.

Conclusion:

For China made screens, most of the factories are currently using third party polarized films instead of OEM ones because it's much more expensive. According to our research, you may experience this problem in nearly half of all China made iPhone screens

1. Almost the same appearance and the same dimension for both iPhone 7’s and 8’s.
2. Featured with the same flex cable structure and screw layout on the front bezel.

So we can't find the differences from the front but there are some small differences on the back. The buckle on the top of the iPhone 7 is plastic and the buckle on the bottom is metal. The iPhone 8 is just the opposite with the plastic buckle in the bottom and the metal buckle at the top.

The iPhone 8 Plus Screen is featured with no gap between the Ambient sensor and the Proximity sensor.

Function Test

1. We installed an iPhone 8 LCD screen on an iPhone 7.
2. We tested the touch function, unfortunately it doesn’t work.
3. We tested the 3D Touch function, and we realised the 3D Touch also does not work.
4. We tested an iPhone 8 Plus Screen on iPhone 7 plus. Display is working but there is still no touch.
5. We Installed the iPhone 7 LCD screen in the iPhone 8; the phone is stuck at the Apple Logo with a white screen. After force restarting the iPhone 8, it is still stuck at the apple logo.
6. So the test results are that the iPhone 8/8 Plus LCD Screens are not working on the iPhone 7/7 Plus and the iPhone 7/7 Plus LCD Screens are not working on the iPhone 8/8 Plus.

What is an ESN

ESN or “Electronic Serial Number” is a unique 32-bits identification number embedded by manufacturers in wireless phones.In addition to being programmed into the phone’s microchip, the ESN typically is found on a label under the cellular phone’s battery. The ESN is automatically transmitted to a base station when a call is made. The number is used to authenticate the validity of the phone to prevent fraud. ESNs are currently mainly used with CDMA phones. The first 8 bits originally represented the manufacturer code, leaving 24 bits for the manufacturer to assign codes to mobile devices. This system allowed for up to 256 manufacturers and up to 16,777,215 unique codes for each manufacturer’s mobile devices. To allow for more manufacturers, the manufacturer code was extended to 14 bits, leaving 18 bits for the individual mobile device codes. With this system, the manufacturer could only assign up to 262,144 codes. In 2006, manufacturers started running out of unique ESNs, requiring a transition to the new MEID standard to replace ESN. ESN number is located under the battery, below the battery, on the back or bottom of the device.

What is the Blacklist

Phone Blacklist is a list of blocked IMEI numbers generated by the operators. It contains the IMEI numbers of phones which have been reported as stolen or lost. If the phone is placed on the blacklist, it becomes useless. It is impossible to make and receive calls since the signal to the phone is blocked. You can check if a device is reported as lost or stolen in North America by using our free imei lookup tool from your unlockr dashboard.

If you are receiving a Code Error with the supplied Unlock code, please email us at support@unlockr.ca or contact us directly on the live chat with the following information:

1. IMEI number(Press *#06#, please do this again to verify the one supplied by you was correct)
2. Network the phone is currently locked to(Not the network you wish to use it on)
3. Phone Model
4. The Error Message(You received when trying to input the code)
5. The Message that appears on your phone (Before you enter the code)

The IMEI shown on the device may not be the actual IMEI of the phone.

Each phone has an IMEI, each IMEI has an unlock code that is based on a combination of the maker, model, carrier, and edition. Some special boxes are being used to modify a device's IMEI.  It's mostly seen on blacklisted devices. People are changing the IMEI of the device to be able to use it while being blacklisted. Unfortunately, when this device is sold to someone else who wants to get it unlocked, the code given will not work since the code provided is for the wrong IMEI.  Unfortunately when someone changes the IMEI, it is most of the time impossible to know the original IMEI of the device.

The phone may not be using original factory installed software.

Sometimes people will “hack” their phone in order to add free versions of paid apps or customize things that the manufacturer would not authorize/support, or even to unlock the phone temporarily.  This may have been done by someone other than you. Reinstalling with the original software of the phone sometimes can make your unlock code work.

Nokia Lumia Series

1. Turn on phone with a non accepted SIM card
2. Phone will prompt you for unlock code
3. Enter unlock code
4. Your phone is unlocked!

Nokia Except Lumia Series

1. Switch ON your phone without SIM Card
2. As if making a phone call, on your dial pad compose: #PW+UNLOCKCODE+1# OR #PW+UNLOCKCODE+7# OR #PW+UNLOCKCODE+5#
3. When your phone displays “SIM Restriction Off” then it means it’s fully unlocked.

If your phone doesn’t have a full QUERTY keyboard do the following below: The letter P appear after press 3 times quickly the button star ( * ) The letter W appear after press 4 times quickly the button star ( * ) The letter + appear after press 2 times quickly the button star ( * ) For ROGERS, FIDO and ChatR use +7 at the end first if code error then try +1 For all TELUS/BELL devices use +5 at the end first, if code error then try +1 or +7 For all TMOBILE USA devices use +1 at the end. For all UK Networks use +1 and +7 at the end.

AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 Invalid Code Message:

If the Unlock Code provided is saying error, please continue to enter the unlock code provided until the phone asks for the “PUK” code. Please don’t worry about the attempts, once you have diminished all your tries, the phone will ask for the PUK code. This is where you enter the Unlock Code.

Troubleshooting steps

My Nokia phone displays a “Code Error” message (Nokia and Nokia Lumia).

If you received an unlock code with 7 digits, add a “0” to the front of the code. Do the same (add a “0” to the beginning) if the unlock code you received was 19 digits long. These messages indicate your Nokia has run out of unlock attempts. You can reset the counter by following this tutorial. Check that you can reset the unlock attempts of your particular Nokia model because this process doesn’t work for the C1 and C2 series.

My Phone is asking for the “PUK” or “Security Pin” or “Password”

If your phone is asking for one of the above, it is the Sim card personal password or phone security password NOT the Network Lock which we provide for you. You can contact your service provider for this. Once you bypass this, you can use the Network Unlock Code provided by unlockr.

I have tried everything mentioned above and the unlock code doesn’t work.

If we did not answer your questions or you have a different problem unlocking your Nokia or Nokia Lumia, reply to the instructions e-mail we sent you including the message history with a detailed explanation of the problem you are having. In this way, we will be able to locate your request and assist you much quicker.

Now that we have installed the widget from the wordpress store, the rest is very simple,  

[unlock_widget src="//login.unlockr.ca/widget/?storeId=WIDGETSTOREID"]

Make sure you replace the WIDGETSTOREID with the correct code of your widget. It can be found on the addons section of Unlockr when you click on "manage this addon" and go to the "preview & install" section.