Fix your cellphone or iPod for a fraction of the cost - ABC15.com (KNXV-TV)

CLEVELAND - We've all dropped our cellphone dozens of times. Some of the more-sensitive smartphones can shatter easily. So what if you don't have cellphone insurance or you don't want to spend a lot? We found a few ways to fix your phone at a fraction of the cost.

The do-it-yourself movement has taken over. These days, it's all about DIY, from fixing your home to fixing your phone.

De'Andre Snyder shattered the screen on his iPod. When Apple told him it would be $200 to fix it, Snyder decided to take matters into his own hands.

"I bought a new screen and tried it myself from EBay. I spent about a couple hours on it. Eventually i got it," said Snyder.

You can buy smart phone repair kits online for $20 or $30. Most kits come with a new screen and tiny tools. You watch an instructional video on YouTube and then start the process. DIYers we talked to said it was challenging, even for a 13-year-old.
    
"It was harder than I thought it was gonna be. When I actually saw the video it looked easy, but when I actually tried it, it looked harder," said Snyder.
    
David Atchison wasn't quite so successful at fixing his shattered iPhone screen.

"This thing was more complex than any laptop that I've ever taken apart. That was a waste of four hours and I thought I knew what I was doing," said Atchison of Hudson. He eventually gave up and took his phone to a locally-owned company called Phone Ambulance in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
    
"Eighty percent of our business is shattered screens. Ten percent is water damage. People drop their phones in the sink or toilet or whatever. Luckily they bring it to us. The other 10 percent is a grab bag of missing buttons, speakers, batteries, things like that," Tom Jenkins, owner of Phone Ambulance.
    
Phone Ambulance promises a significant savings on electronic repairs. They charge about $120 for a cracked iPhone screen. Apple told us their price tag would have been about $200.
    
"Even with the carrier's insurance, we're a less expensive alternative. Our products come with a six-month warranty," said Jenkins.

Another viewer who had success fixing his phone himself suggested you buy more than one replacement screen, that way if you run into trouble, you've got a backup just in case. He says in the end, you're still saving money.

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