Category Archives for "Repair A Phone"

Insightful information related to cell phone repairs in Austin Texas

January 2, 2018

Is Your iPhone Slowing Down? Learn The Truth About Apple’s Update

Is Your iPhone Slowing Down? Learn The Truth About Apple’s Update

If you ​have had an iPhone ​for ​some time now, you may have ​noticed ​your iPhone ​slowing down ​over time. It may have crossed your mind ​that your ​iPhone running slow after update ​whenever Apple releases a new iOS​.

Well, you are not alone. There is a conspiracy theory going around for quite some time now which states that Apple makes older iPhone models a disappointment to use after new ones are released. Older iPhone's tend to slow down or even shut down.

This lead to frustration among ​users which ultimately ​forced them to upgrade even though the older ​ones are perfectly fine in other aspects. This phenomenon can be seen ​in iPhone models such as the iPhone 6, 6s, and 6s Plus. Users of these models have reported their ​iPhone slowing down even when the battery seems to be in good condition.

It Started from a Reddit Post and Led to an Independent Research

The iPhone slowing down phenomenon ​of older ​models have been experienced by so many users which led to many to talk about it on sites such as Reddit​. Many Reddit users have actually reported that their iPhone's have returned to its normal performance after an iPhone battery replacement.

​These ​posts​ which suggested that the iPhone battery might be the cause of the iPhone slowing down performance of older iPhone's​ ​led to ​one of the Reddit ​threads to go viral. The Reddit talks ​pushed the Primate Labs founder and Geekbench developer, John Poole, to conduct his own study to find out for himself what​'s really going on.

Poole and his team have compared the performance of nearly 100,000 iPhone 6s and 7 units and analyzed the units’ performance data. Apple has released a fix for the shut down bug between iOS 10.2.0 and iOS 10.2.1.

His study has found out that units performed slower after the release of the fix for the shutdown bug. This ​iPhone slowing down performance was also noticed ​on other models as well entailing a rampant problem. In fact, after the iPhone 7 was reported to experience shutdowns, Poole noted that Apple iOS updates have led to the slowing down of ​that model’s performance as well.

However, unlike the conspiracy theory, Poole thinks that Apple slowed down the system of its older units in order to avoid overloading the batteries, which were considered old or aged at the time of the release of the fix.

From the Horse’s Mouth

After the commotion caused by the Reddit post as well as the somewhat confirmation from Poole’s research, Apple ​was backed in ​a corner and ​was forced to respond.

According to the tech giant:

 “Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.

Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”

It can be inferred from Apple’s statement that what Poole said was true. Apparently, Apple has been addressing iPhone’s shutdown issues due to old lithium-ion batteries.

With each new iPhone model, Apple has been consistently increasing the power of its processors and its operating system. These improvements puts a strain on old lithium ion batteries leading to shutdowns to avoid internal damage to its components.

Apple’s explanation has merit when one ​considers that the battery life of a smartphone has an impact on its performance no matter how great the processor or the operating system is. In fact, it is widely accepted that the faster the processor, the more energy it demands from the battery. Does this justify your iPhone slowing down?

Tech giants like Apple and Samsung are still finding the balance between a smooth and fast processor and a reliable battery life. It seems like iPhone users have to bear the burden of ​having their iPhone slowing down.

After all, a slower iPhone performance is much easier to handle than an iPhone that spontaneously shuts down while in use. Or worse, an iPhone that burst's into flames unexpectedly.

So What Can You Do?

So far, the fix which led to the ​iPhone slowing down performance has been given to iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and iPhone SE last year, and iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus this year.

Even though the slowed performance only affects certain models according to Apple, it will not hurt to do something to prevent it from happening to your own iPhone.

  1. Check your iPhone model first. If it is an older one like an iPhone 6, then your phone is probably slow due to the usual wear and tear on your battery. Delete unnecessary data if the storage has been used up. The latest iOS recommends some steps in order to free up your phone’s memory such as deleting old messages and media files with large sizes. If your phone is new like an iPhone 8, visit the Apple Store. It may still be covered by warranty and sometimes the performance can be a factory defect
  2. If you are planning to change the battery, ensure your phone isn't slow due to other reasons. Sometimes an old version of the iOS or applications might be causing the problem. Another thing you can do to speed up your iPhone’s performance is to turn off background app refresh, location services for individual apps, and motion effects.
  3. Refrain from exposing your iPhone to extreme temperatures. Avoid charging your device when you are in a heated place. If you can wait till you are in a cooler place, then hold off from charging your device.

​If you decide to get the battery replaced in your iPhone you can go to Apple directly or visit your local iPhone repair shop. The Austin Cell Phone has been repairing iPhone's in Austin Texas since 2012 and have repaired hundred's of iPhone's. 

For those who do not live in the Austin area you can utilize our mail in iPhone repair service to replace or battery or repair any other part on your iPhone. We have great reviews on our repair services and pride ourselves with ​our level of service.

Please leave us a comment below ​the share what you think ​about the recent news of ​the iPhone slowing down.

November 10, 2017

Starting A Cell Phone Repair Business, Learn The Basics

Think about starting a cell phone repair business? Consider this, cell phones are an integral part of everyday life. It used to be that cell phones were only used only for communication purposes. Now businesses use a ​voip phones system to connect mobiles and office based phones together so that no matter where anyone is, they can be contacted for out of office needs using a cloud system.

Ever since the boom of mobile internet and social media, cell phones are now a necessity. In fact, more and more smart phones are being sold and newer versions are being released every year. Phones are a great business to get into, as you can see, but like with any business, you need a clear plan. Top of the ​rankings business plan writers should be who you first talk to when you are thinking of opening your business so you know exactly what your goals are as a business. This way, you can deliver what your audience wants with great focus.

People go nuts with the latest releases of the big manufacturers like Samsung and Apple. But despite all the innovations put into these devices, they are still prone to breaking easily. 

According to statistics, 30% of iPhone users crack their screens every year. Whenever a person breaks her phone, a local cell phone repair shop comes to the rescue.

Do I Need A Degree To Have My Own Cell Phone Repair Business?

No, but having an electronics degree will help. Repairing cell phones is a meticulous job since you will be handling a device with micro parts. However, it is fairly easy to educate yourself with the nitty gritty of the craft. 

There are a lot of information available on the internet. You can browse through hundreds of articles detailing different aspects of the cell phone repair business that you have to know. 

In addition to written articles, there are also hundreds or maybe thousands of YouTube videos that you can watch which show you the different ways to repair a phone caused by different problems.

Read related article: Should you repair or replace a phone?

Is Starting A Cell Phone Repair Business A Good Idea?

Like we mentioned earlier, cell phones are very essential to people nowadays. Some people are very dependent on it. 

For instance, kids these days do not know how to go about their day without a cell phones. Businessmen, media men, and academicians also rely on their cell phones to finish important tasks and to stay connected. 

Getting into the cell phone repair business then is a practical choice. There are hundreds and thousands of potential clients everywhere you go. Finding these clients is not hard since you are surrounded by people who use them. 

A cell phone repair business also do not have to have a large amount of capital to start. With the right tools and the right marketing strategy, and of course, with a good knowledge of how to do repairs, your cell phone repair business will be booming in no time.

What are the Basic Tools to Start a Cell Phone Repair Business?

If you are decided on starting a cell phone repair business, then you will need some basic tools to get started. These tools do not entail shelling out a bunch of money. Some can even be found in your home. Of course, if you plan on building your business from the ground up, you will require some amount of money to do this. ​Atlantic Union Bank has many financial services available for businesses to make use of which includes loans that they can apply for and checking services. Without being properly financially prepared, a business cannot say that it is ready to withstand the challenges that come with the territory.

1. Anti Static Brush

It is important to clean the phone with a tool that will not damage it. Brushes can help you clean the parts before you proceed onto the repair itself. 

In some instances, cell phones have problems because of dirt and foreign objects stuck inside the housing. Since cell phones are electronic devices, an anti static brush is needed because normal brushes create static electricity. 

The anti static brush is very helpful especially if there is corrosion inside the phone due to water exposure.

2. Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is essential in repairing water damaged phones. When a phone has been damaged due to exposure to water. The first thing you need to do is to power the phone off and put it into a container of rice for at least 24 hours. 

This technique helps the rice absorb the water out of the device. Do it as soon as you find out that the phone has been in contact with water. 

If a client has brought in a phone which has been wet for days, then the first thing you have to do is to disassemble the phone and clean all the connections inside the phone with an anti static brush and isopropyl alcohol. 

The alcohol evaporates quickly and is non conductive which makes it a perfect solution in making sure no corrosion forms on the electronic parts of the cell phone. This technique will also help make the water dissipate fast.

3. Tweezers

Since you will be working with small parts, tweezers are a must have item in your cell phone repair kit. Enough said.

4. Suction Cup

Suction cups are useful when you are working with a screen. You will definitely need these when completing an iPhone screen repair. 

For the iPhone's, you can easily replace the screen with the help of suction cups. Simply let the cups stick using the suction and pull up and away the screens. Sounds easier than it really is and it is a lot harder trying to do this without suction cups. 

Therefore, you may want to invest in good quality suction cups and those that have different sizes. Suction cups are not so useful when repairing the Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

5. Digitizer Separator

Digitizer separator is essential when you are replacing just the glass on a phone’s screen. Since one of the most common damage of a phone is with its screen, you may need to give a little more importance to this device. 

If you want to get a machine to separate the glass and swap a shattered one with a replacement glass, then you need to be prepare to spend at least $200 to $400. There are certain kits that you may use which has a UV glue, wire, and molds for easier swapping. If you have a substantial capital, then check out a Vacuum Screen Separator.

Bonus tip: you can swap the glass using only a heat gun, wire, and temperature gun. Although it takes more time and effort. This is useful if you need a little more time to build your capital for the cell phone repair business but you also need to start now with the repairs. You may want to look to sites like ​​https://l3funding.com/line-of-credit​​​ to see about how you can go about getting the capital that you need.

6. Universal Smart Phone tool kit

As the name suggests, this kit has the tools needed to repair cell phones. It has tools of different sizes to fit the different components inside the phone. You can get this as a starter pack since you do not know which size of tool you may need while repairing.

September 8, 2017

Everything On The iPhone 8 Rumors & The September 12 Release Date

For those who do not know, 2017 is a big year for the manufacturing giant, Apple. The tech company will is celebrating its 10th year anniversary of the iPhone. People are excited for what is in store for this year’s release of the much-anticipated iPhone 8.

With only a few weeks to go before the big launch of the latest device, there are many rumors already circulating about it including one leak from Apple itself.

The Hardware: Living from Edge to Edge

Unlike its predecessors, the iPhone 8 is said to have a radical design with a display from edge to edge. It has been said that Apple will do away with the physical Home button and the only bezel that will be left is a small area dedicated for a front-facing camera.

Apple confirmed that it is working on a facial recognition technology so expect that the Touch ID may be eliminated in favor of the former. Because of its edge to edge design, the device may have a size similar to the of the 4.7 inch iPhone but with a display area same as the 5.5 inch one. However, there are also rumors suggesting that the display area will be 5.8 inches with 5.15 inches of usable space.

Read this related article: A Complete Review Of The iPhone 7

Since there is a huge possibility that the physical Home button will be eliminated, gestures might be used to navigate the phone. The display screen is said to be made of flexible plastic OLED rather than the usual LCD. This switch will help Apple come up with a thinner device with less power consumption but shows off a better display with higher contrast ratio and more true to life colors.

Let's hope that the new display is more durable than all of the previous models combined. Replacing the iPhone 8 screen will set you back $109. You can walk into our cell phone repair store in Austin Texas or use our iPhone mail in repair service that works for anyone in the USA.

Still, it is better to invest in a good case and tempered glass screen protector to avoid the costly repair.

Will Apple Go With An All Glass Body?

For the body, the iPhone 8 may veer away from the aluminum. Unlike its immediate predecessors, the latest device might be sporting a glass body similar to its great great grandparent, the iPhone 4.

The glass is said to be built around a polished frame of stainless steel just like the Apple Watch. It is also expected to be water resistant and hold up rain, splashes, and brief submersion in water. The water-resistant feature has also been confirmed by Apple’s supplier and such feature may extend to all iPhone models moving forward.

Inside its body, the iPhone 8 is expected to sport a 10-nanometer A11 chip which will help it be faster and more efficient. New technologies like wireless charging and facial recognition can also be expected. For higher-end models, optical image stabilization may be expected for both front and rear cameras.

The camera will also include 3D sensing capabilities that will allow it to locate and find the depth of objects in front of it. Such 3D capability will also help in its facial recognition features.

The Software & The A11 Chip

For this year, Apple will be sticking with its A11 chip for all iPhone models. The production for the newest chip began in May 2017. The chip is expected to give the users a faster and more power efficient performance compared to the present A10 chip.

The A11 can also lead to a better battery life that will surely be music to the ears of most users. The RAM of the iPhone 8 is similar to that of the iPhone 7 Plus, a 3GB one. The DRAM transfer speed of the latest models is expected to be 10-15 percent faster than the iPhone 7.

So What’s The Price to Pay?

Rumors have been circulating that the iPhone 8 will be the most expensive phone from Apple. The new OLED display, wireless charging, bio-metric features and improved camera performance have been pointed out as the causes for the price increase.

Some have priced the iPhone 8 at around $1,000 while others believed it will go beyond that. However, there are also rumors that lower-end models will be released for those who do not want to spend such a big amount of money on a new phone.

July 29, 2017

Wondering If You Can Replace the Glass Screen on an iPad?

In short, yes you can repair your iPad and replace the screen on it. It is a bit of a complicated process that requires you to use some tools and you have to know exactly what you are doing.

It involves taking off the glass that is already there using a heating gun and razors. You have to be careful with both of those tools because they can be tricky to work with and you absolutely must avoid wires and cables.

Makes sure to be careful because the screen can crack and splinter quite a bit, which can and will cut you and could even harm the device. Don’t let any shards go into the iPad itself.

Now Here Comes The Hard Part, Actually Doing It

This is also the point where things might become a little scary. As the broken glass is being pried and stressed in the removal process, there’s a good chance that it will begin to splinter and break.

Take care not to cut the iPad camera cabling when your razor’s in that area. This process can take quite a while, so you want to make sure that you take your time.

Then, you’ll have to make sure the connections are okay and make a swap with some things on this screen to use on your new one. Then, you have to add the new glass. This can be difficult and requires a precise hand to get everything to line up properly.

The LCD and the glass are separate on most models, so that adds another layer to the process.

Cracked iPad Screen Repair In Austin Before & After

Where Can I Get My iPad Screen Replaced?

Sound like far too much work? For most people, it is better to have the iPad screen replaced by professionals. The Austin Cell Phone is the best place to go in Austin for your screen replacement services. Our team will work with you to get your iPad at least looking like new.

If you aren’t close to Austin, you will have to do some research. Take to Google and look over the results for your city. Make sure to look at reviews and check for their warranty. You’ll want to do some digging to find a company that you can trust.

If you need bulk repairs for your iPads, such as a school collection or a business, we do provide bulk repair services and rates. Call us at 512-432-5528 today to get more information about our bulk repairs.

How Much Does it Cost to Replace the Screen on an iPad?

For most models, it will cost around $69-$89 to replace the iPad screen for most models. There are different models of your iPads, including minis and larger ones, so the cost will vary depending on that. Some of the older models may actually cost more, depending on how difficult repairing them is and how much the replacement part costs.

For how much it is to fix your particular model, give The Austin Cell Phone a call and we can give you more information. Also, we recently added the option to mail in your iPhone repair for those not located in Austin. Soon we will adding the option to mail in your iPad repairs, so stay tuned.

At the end of the day, replacing the screen on an iPad is a difficult task to do by yourself if you haven’t done it many times before. It requires quite a bit of work and even some luck that you don’t do anything potentially damaging. Instead, give the experts a call. You can reach us at 512-432-5528.

June 18, 2017

Should you get your phone repaired or just replaced it?

It's something that's bound to happen and we all hate it, having a broken cell phone hurts. We are so reliant on our phones these day's so much that if we don't have it it feels like a part of us is missing. For most people, not having a phone is not even an option. Our phones keep all of our pictures, music, phone number and important information.

When you have a broken phone your life seems on hold. There are actionable steps to take to get you reconnected either by repairing it or replacing it, we cover both options below.

Getting your phone repaired

Getting your cell phone repaired should be the first option you should consider. This option is usually cheaper that a replacement especially if the repair is minor. Today's smartphones are so sophisticated that a tiny crack could render the entire screen unusable.

A cracked screen is the most common cause of damage, next is water damage, and can be repaired quickly by a reputable local repair shop.

Most people plan to trade in their current phone to upgrade to the latest model. This can save you big of the upgrade price however if its cracked or damaged guess what, you can't trade it in.

The prices on the high end phones continue to rise and every little bit helps when it comes time to upgrade and this is especially true when you get an iPhone screen repair. When you plan to get your iPhone repaired make sure that you deal with a reputable repair shop that has good reviews. Otherwise you may end up with an iPhone that is in worse condition than it was before.

We are located in Austin Texas and we specialize in repairing iPhone's. We also do iPad repairs, Samsung Galaxy repairs and almost all types of cell phone repairs too. And, if you are not located in Austin, try our mail in iPhone repair service where you can mail in your iPhone, get it repaired and get it back fast,

Getting a Replacement

A different option is to replace the phone with a new or used one. You can walk into your carrier store, spend up to $800 and get yourself a brand new phone. If you had payments on your old phone you will have to still pay that off too. If this is what you decide to do, you should really look into electronic recycling to make sure your old phone isn't sitting in your house. It's bad for the environment, so you should really visit https://www.premiersurplus.com/ to see if they could recycle your old phone.

Simple, right?

Most people are not going to have the extra cash laying around to buy a new phone. Especially when the cost of a new phone can be as much as a car payment.

This is when you should consider buying a used phone. There are a bunch of good used phones ready to activate on your service that were left over from a previous upgrade. There are things you have to keep in mind when shopping for a used cell phone. You will want to make sure that the phone is compatible with your service and that there is nothing wrong with it. Buy a used phone on a classified site often means as is with no warranties.

There are business built around the sale of used cell phone and they should be your first choice. They often have been fully tested, clean, inspected and comes with a warranty.

Here at The Austin Cell Phone we do just that. Each phone we sell is hand tested, cleaned, inspected and verified clear to activate on your service. We also include the battery, wall charger and a 30 day warranty on all phones sold.

Buy A Used Cell Phone

Check out our online eCommerce site at Best Used Cell Phones. We have all of our inventory listed there. They are available for pick up at our brick and mortar store in Austin.

Or, just go without a phone

Who needs to have a phone with them all of the time anyway? Sure, you wont be able to receive text messages, remember your parents phone number and you would have to log onto a computer to reply to emails. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Challenge yourself to see how long you can last without your phone, you may just enjoy it. Get over your nomophobia and if you can get past the anxiety of felling like your not in the loop of things you may just start the trend we need as a society. Maybe that statement is a bit of an overreach but I can remember the days where there wasn't a cell phone in ever ones hand.

When the time comes to get reconnected with the world, whether you want to or not, visit us for either a repair or replacement. We will get you back on your feet the same day. You can also do baby steps by starting out with a flip phone first.

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