The workshop blog
What crosses the bench, explained simply: why it breaks, what we repair, and what will save you a return visit. One article per subject, no needless jargon.
Consoles and controllers
Switch OLED cracked screen: glass alone or full panel?
On the Switch OLED the touch glass and the display panel are two parts. Depending on what is broken, the repair doesn't cost the same. How we decide.
Is a PS4 still worth repairing in 2026?
HDMI, power supply, drive, overheating: on a PS4, Slim or Pro, almost everything can be repaired for less than a second-hand console. When it is worth it, and when we say no.
Xbox Series S that shuts down mid-game: the TV cabinet is often to blame
The Series S is compact and likes air. Shut in, it heats up, slows down then cuts out. Cleaning, thermal paste and a few simple rules.
Nintendo Switch 2: what we already repair at the workshop
Screen, USB-C port, battery, fan, game-card reader: the first Switch 2 repairs, and what we are still waiting for on the parts side.
Sending your console by post: how to pack it so it arrives in one piece
PS5, Xbox or Switch by Colissimo: what to put in the box, what to leave at home, and how to pad it to avoid transport damage.
PS5 that blinks then shuts down: power supply or logic board?
Light goes blue, white, then nothing: how we tell a failing PS5 power supply from a logic-board fault, and what it changes for the price.
Joy-Con drift: repair instead of buying a new pair
Joy-Con drift is the best known of all. A new pair is expensive; a new stick fitted at the workshop, much less. How it goes.
PS5 controller drifting: why it happens, and the Hall-effect stick option
DualSense stick drift isn't a manufacturing defect but mechanical wear. Classic stick or Hall-effect stick: what we fit, and for whom.
PS5 with no picture: why the HDMI port breaks, and how we replace it
The HDMI port is the number-one PS5 fault at the workshop. Why it fails, how to recognise it, and why micro-soldering avoids replacing the logic board.
Switch: the Joy-Con is no longer recognised when attached
A Joy-Con that works over Bluetooth but not once clipped on: that is the console rail, not the controller. Small part, repaired within the hour.
Switch that won't charge: the cheap charger and the M92T36 chip
A Switch that stays black with a flat battery often has no battery problem but a charging-circuit problem. Where it comes from, and why it can be repaired at component level.
PS5: the drive no longer takes the disc, or spits it out
Disc that won't go in, comes straight back out, or isn't recognised: PS5 drive faults, and what can be repaired without replacing the whole unit.
Xbox Series X that won't turn on: what we check first
A silent Series X after a thunderstorm or a power cut: internal power supply, touch button, or logic board. The order in which we look.
PS5 that overheats and shuts down: liquid metal, the quiet fault
Sony put liquid metal between the PS5 processor and its heatsink. Over time it migrates, and the console shuts down mid-game. What we do at the workshop.
Xbox controller: soft triggers, drifting stick, failing battery
The Xbox Series and One controller ages in three places: the triggers, the sticks and the battery compartment. What can be repaired, and how fast.
iPhone, Samsung and Android
The “unknown part” message after an iPhone repair: what it really means
For a few generations iOS has shown a warning after a screen, battery or camera change outside Apple. What it implies, and what it doesn't.
“Face ID is not available” after a drop: what happened, and what can be repaired
Face ID that disappears after a drop or a botched screen replacement: dot projector, flex cable, or logic board. What the workshop can do, and what nobody can do.
Galaxy: green lines or a black patch after a drop, or after an update
A vertical green line, an ink stain that spreads: two very different AMOLED screen faults, and why the second is urgent.
Broken iPhone back glass: why we replace it with a laser
The glass back of iPhones can be replaced without changing the frame, thanks to a laser machine that lifts the shattered glass. What that changes for price and turnaround.
iPhone 17: what we already repair, a year after launch
Screen, battery, port, back glass, camera: the repairs available on the iPhone 17 at the workshop, the prices, and what is still quoted individually.
iPhone in a boot loop or stuck on the apple: software or logic board?
An iPhone stuck on the Apple logo may come from a failed update, a dead battery or a logic-board fault. The order in which we look, without losing your data.
Bent iPhone: why a new screen won't last on a warped frame
After a hard drop or a back pocket, an iPhone frame can warp. Fitting a screen without straightening it means breaking it again within weeks. What we do.
Android that won't charge: one time in three, it is dust
Before replacing a USB-C port, we clean it. What we find at the bottom of ports, how we remove it without damaging the contacts, and when replacement is needed.
iPhone battery: when to replace it, and why 80% isn't a magic number
Maximum capacity, shutdowns at 30%, throttled performance: the real signs that an iPhone battery is at the end of its life, and what a new battery changes.
iPhone that won't charge: port, or charging chip?
An iPhone that only charges with certain cables, or not at all, has either a worn port or a damaged charging chip (Tristar/Hydra). How we tell the difference.
iPhone “No Service” or “Searching…”: when it isn't the carrier
An iPhone that no longer picks up anything after a drop or a liquid often has a baseband problem, the radio section of the logic board. How we diagnose it and what can be repaired.
Samsung Galaxy: why we only fit genuine screens
On a Galaxy the AMOLED screen and the fingerprint reader are one. Compatible screens almost always disappoint. Our choice, and what it costs.
iPhone dropped in the pool: the first 48 hours decide everything
Summer in the Gers means the pool and the lake. An iPhone that falls in isn't lost, provided you do the right things fast, and above all don't do the wrong ones.
Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold: folding screen, hinge, and what can be repaired
A bubble on the fold, an inner screen half dark, a creaking hinge: the typical faults of foldable Galaxys and what we can do at the workshop.
Recovering data from a dead iPhone: how it works, concretely
No backup and an iPhone that won't turn on: the only solution is to get the logic board running again. Steps, limits, and what you need to know about the passcode.
iPhone screen, compatible or original: how to choose without regret
The price varies twofold. What “premium compatible” means with us, what the Apple screen adds, and for which models the difference really matters.
iPad, Mac and PC
iPad that no longer lasts the day: replacing the battery, an underrated repair
A five-year-old iPad with a new battery is good for years. Why this repair is trickier than on an iPhone, and why it is worth it.
Laptop with a broken screen: panel replacement, all brands
A laptop panel is replaced in a day, at a fixed price, without touching Windows or your files. What we need from you to order the right panel.
iPad that won't turn on or stays on the apple after an update
It is often not the update itself but what it reveals: tired memory, a flat battery, a component at its limit. What we do before erasing anything.
MacBook with soldered SSD: why data recovery goes through the logic board
Since the Apple Silicon Macs, you can no longer remove the drive to read the files. What that means when the Mac fails, and how we recover anyway.
MacBook Pro: “spotlights” at the bottom of the screen, or a screen that goes off when opened
The “stage light” defect and the screen cutting out past a certain angle come from a backlight flex that is too short on the 2016-2019 MacBook Pro. Repairable without changing the screen.
iMac 24" M1 that won't turn on: the external power brick, and the rest
The Apple Silicon iMac has its power supply in an external brick, with a magnetic connector. What fails, the order in which we look, and what can be repaired.
Slow laptop: an SSD gives it a second life for a fraction of the price
A PC over five years old with a mechanical hard drive takes minutes to boot. A new SSD and Windows reinstalled, data transferred, make it usable for years.
Laptop: the charging port wobbles, or only charges when you hold the cable
A laptop charging port with play ends up desoldering itself. On a daughterboard or soldered to the logic board, it can be repaired; what changes is the method.
Intel MacBook Pro 2016-2020: repair or replace?
Butterfly keyboard, Touch Bar, end-of-life battery, screen flex: Intel MacBook Pros stack up known weaknesses. What is worth it, and what we advise against.
MacBook: the trackpad lifts or the case won't close, that is the battery swelling
A swelling MacBook battery deforms the chassis and can damage the trackpad and screen. Why not to wait, and how we replace it safely.
MacBook Air M1 that won't turn on: what we find most often on the board
The MacBook Air M1 is five years old and starting to arrive broken. Charging circuit, short after liquid, power chip: the typical faults and their component-level repair.
Cracked iPad glass: glass only or full screen, depending on the model
On an iPad 9 or 10 the touch glass is changed on its own. On an iPad Air, mini or Pro the panel is bonded and is replaced with it. The price difference, and how we decide.
Galaxy Tab and Android tablets: what can be repaired, and what isn't worth it
Glass, screen, battery, port: on an Android tablet everything depends on the model and its new price. How we advise you honestly.
Coffee on the MacBook keyboard: what to do in the first ten minutes
A liquid on a MacBook isn't a death sentence, if you cut the power fast and don't switch it back on. The method, and what we do next at the workshop.
Drones
DJI drone: “gimbal motor error” after a crash, what we repair
The gimbal is the most fragile part of a DJI drone. Flex, motor, complete module: what breaks depending on the impact, and why the price is announced after diagnosis.
Swollen drone battery: don't fly with it, and don't put it in the bin
A DJI intelligent battery that swells or has a weak cell can cut out in flight. How to recognise it, what the battery check says, and how we recycle it.
Drone drifting or refusing to take off: IMU, compass, and when calibration isn't enough
“IMU error”, “compass interference”, drone sliding sideways in a hover: sometimes a calibration fixes everything, sometimes it is a sensor or a board. How we tell the difference.
Drone: a grinding motor or a broken arm, before it falls out of the sky
A drone motor that makes an unusual noise or turns stiffly is a motor about to fail in flight. Arm, motor, ESC: what gets replaced and what we check afterwards.
Drone fallen in water: fresh water, sea water, and the hours that count
A drone dropped in a lake stands a good chance. In the sea, salt attacks everything within hours. What to do before sending it to us, and what can be saved.
Why drone repair prices start with “from”
On smartphones the price is firm in advance. On drones it is confirmed after diagnosis. It isn't a trick: a crash rarely damages just one part.
From the workshop
Three-euro chargers and cables: what they really damage
Some of the charging-circuit repairs we do begin with a petrol-station cable. What happens inside the phone, how to recognise a good cable, and what carries no risk.
What is micro-soldering? What we really do under the microscope
We talk about micro-soldering all over the site. In practice: which tools, which components, what size, and why it lets us repair what others replace.
My phone is under two years old: manufacturer warranty or independent repairer?
The legal conformity warranty covers factory defects for two years, not breakage. When it is better to go through the seller, and when an independent repair makes sense.
The 49 € diagnosis, deducted if you repair: exactly how it works
What the diagnosis includes, why it has a price, when you don't pay it, and why we prefer that to a “free diagnosis”.
Repair the component or replace the board: why we almost always choose the component
A new logic board is half the device's price, and your data lost. A component is a few euros. The two approaches, and what each one implies.
Why the workshop is by appointment only
No counter, no waiting: a slot, your device, and our full attention. What it changes for you, and how to book in two minutes.
Sending your phone or console to the workshop: how to pack it well
Half our repairs arrive by post. What to put in the parcel, what to leave out, and how to wedge the device so it arrives intact.
Smartphones and summer heat in the Gers: what the battery dislikes
A phone left on the dashboard or by the pool ages in an afternoon what it would age in months. The simple habits, and the signs of a battery that has suffered.
The phone in rice: why it is a bad idea, and what to do instead
Rice doesn't draw out water that is already inside, and the time spent in it is corrosion time. The right method, in five steps.
Backing up your phone before a repair: five minutes that avoid the worst
We never touch your data, but an accident remains possible on an already damaged device. iCloud, Google One, computer: the simplest method for each case.
The 12-month warranty: what it covers, and what it doesn't
Every repair is guaranteed for twelve months, parts and labour. What that means in practice, how to claim it, and the two logical exclusions.