Repair the component or replace the board: why we almost always choose the component
The same fault, two possible answers. The difference shows on the bill, and in what is left of your photos.
When a phone won't turn on and it is neither the battery nor the screen, the fault is on the logic board. From there, there are two ways to repair.
Replacing the board
It is the method of the big chains and manufacturer centres. A new or refurbished board, with a new processor and new memory. Consequences: the price (often half the device new, sometimes more), and total data loss since the memory leaves with the old board. On iPhone, Face ID and some sensors also need re-pairing.
Repairing the component
We find which of the hundreds of components has failed, replace it, and the original board carries on. Fixed price of 149 € on smartphones and tablets, your data intact, Face ID kept. It is slower (you have to search) and needs tools and schematics, but it is what keeps the repair reasonable.
When we replace the board anyway
When the processor or memory are destroyed, or when the board is corroded over a large area. It is rare, and in that case we suggest recovering your data from the old board before considering a replacement, or another device.
The workshop's bet
We aren't obliged to sell parts. Our interest is that the repair is as cheap as possible for you and lasts: that is what the 12 months guarantee.
Also worth reading
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.
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.
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”.