Smashed your iPhone’s screen and need it repaired? Who you gonna call? Err… iMend, apparently
Everybody, at some point or other, has knackered their phone. Dropping it on a night out and smashing the screen; knocking it off the coffee table and dinking the side; accidentally sitting on it and causing damage to the chassis. It happens. And no-one, no matter how careful you are, can avoid this – sort of like being struck by lightning.
But now, if you do break your phone, you have a variety of options at your disposal. Most manufacturers do repair services, whereby you send your phone off and it’s fixed. Or, if you’re an Apple user, you go and speak to a genius in an Apple Store and they assess the damage and then, for a fee, set about righting your phone’s wrongs.
But what if you don’t want to go to a store or send your phone off to some stranger in a strange place? What if you want it fixed right away, in your office or home, at a date and time that is convenient for you? Simple: you call iMend – a new-ish company that does mobile repairs for mobile phones and tablets. Most phones can be repaired, though iMend says more popular models are easier to fix – Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC and Sony are your standards.
I had the chance to use the service not so long ago, they fixed a cracked screen on my iPhone 6 Plus. I’d heard about similar services in the past but, fortunately, had never had to use them. But then, one dark and drunken night, I dropped my iPhone 6 Plus and cracked the display. The next day I decided to give iMend a call. Below is a detailed account of my experience, the quality of service, and the company in general.
iMend Review: How It Works
Any business that is predominantly done over the phone requires good people – people with knowledge and good communication skills – on the other end of the phone. I had a couple of chats with a couple of iMend’s technicians in the run up to sorting out my repair. They were courteous, affable and seemed knowledgeable about my phone, its components and what could and couldn’t be done.
The telephone process is simple: you tell them the make and model of your phone (iPhone 6 Plus), what the problem is (a broken screen), and then they assess whether it can be fixed (it could be), and then they take your address and phone details and arrange a suitable date and time to send out a technician to patch up your battle-damaged phone or tablet.
And then you talk about money, a quote is given, and you decide whether or not you want to proceed. The fix my iPhone 6 Plus required a completely new screen, which involved taking the phone apart and installing a new display, all without messing any of the phone’s gizmos up in the process.
You can also do all of this via iMend’s website, though my experience was all done over the phone. Either way, whichever way you do it, a phone call is inevitable. Still, the website itself – which I checked out after – is decent enough and simple to follow. It even features a breakdown of what can and can’t be done, which is handy as some handsets get so banged-up they’re beyond repair.
iMend Review: The Visit
With the date and time set, I awaited iMend’s technicians. They arrived on-time, despite heavy traffic, and were both lovely chaps. Having been briefed on what the issue with my phone was prior to arriving, the technicians had everything they needed and set about fixing the phone immediately. I offered tea, as you do, but they declined.
The most interesting part of the entire experience, however, was seeing my iPhone 6 Plus dissected on my living room table. I watched over the technician’s shoulder, asked a number of annoying questions, and, after about 10 minutes, my phone was back together, completely fixed, and looked as good as new. There were a few additional checks that had to be performed to make sure the new screen was connected properly, but once these were done – it took about 30 seconds – the technicians bid me farewell and were off to their next job.
iMend Review: Verdict
The cost of the repair, which includes the house call, the technician’s time, materials and whatever else, was £144 (£129 + £15 for the house call). Now this is pretty expensive, especially when you pick up a new phone for less than that these days. But if you’ve dropped a ton of money on a new iPhone, or you’re in a two year contract with ZERO warranty, then it is probably worth your while taking the hit and paying for the service as it really does return your phone to its former glory. And because iPhones hold their value so well, it might even be an attractive option for those looking to sell on an old iPhone for a higher price.
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