Broken phone? Here's how to repair it

When we started carrying around fragile items worth hundreds of pounds, everywhere we went,there were always going to be a number of expensive casualties. Whether you are dealing with a shattered screen, or a phone that has suffered a close encounter with a cup of tea, you need to know your options.

DIY remedies
There are lots of videos and guides available online to help you mend a broken phone.

The website iFixit, for example, has guides on how to repair various problems on handsets including iPhones and Samsungs.

Video website YouTube also has numerous uploads of videos showing you how to repair a cracked screen or dry out a waterlogged phone.

And the only cost to you of doing it this way will be the price of the necessary parts.

Mobile repair shops
Most towns and cities in the UK have at least one shop where you can pay to have your phone repaired - as long as the damage is not terminal.

It might, for example, cost you about £50 or £60 to have your cracked screen replaced. That's a lot less than it is likely to cost to replace most smartphones.

With many shops offering same-day or next-day services, it's also a quicker way to get connected again.

Call-out services
For the ultimate convenience, try a call­-out phone repair service such as iMend.

The UK's first nationwide service of this kind, its more than 200 technicians will come out to you at work or at home and repair your phone securely in front of you, usually in no more than 30 minutes.

It might be more expensive than going to a shop. Repairing an iPhone 5S screen, for example, costs £84.99 - including a £15 call-out charge.

But the technicians will come out to you on the same day in most cases and the repairs they carry out are generally covered by a 12-month warranty.