Cell Phone Repair - Yes or No

Cracked iPod Touch Repair

2012-02-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

Here at WiGoClinic - Cell Phone Repair we get asked (everyday) what we can and cannot fix. I like to say if it fits in your pocket we can fix it. That includes the iPod Touch 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Gen!

Screen repair for these devices is common and under $100 in each case. Most of the time we can make the repair while you wait or drop it off and pick it up later if you prefer. Oh, and did I mention, you can ship it too for fast one day turn around.

So next time you drop your iPod Touch and the screen breaks, here is what you do:

Stay Calm. It's an iPod Touch, not the end of the world.
Bring it to one of our local shops OR ship it to us quickly, but don't break any laws.
Have it repaired by one of our expert techs with a brand new screen while you wait OR next day delivery -- again stay calm it won't be long now!
Retrive your iPod Touch from our shop and sing for joy or jam out with the latest tunes from Adele, LMFAO, Spanky McFarlene or whatever...
Thank your WiGoClinic Tech and tell the whole world where you got it fixed!!

Yes, we do fix other issues too, not just a cracked screen. And we do fix other devices! Give us a call or stop by and one of our friendly techs will be happy to help you.

Hope you visit WiGoClinic soon!

Groupon at WiGoClinic

2012-01-30T09:25:00.000-08:00

I've used a Groupon for dinner a few times and once for lunch. I've seen lots of massage offers and a few car care places. But how about a Groupon for Cell Phone repair?! Hey why not!

The WiGoClinic Groupon launched over the weekend and you have unitl Tuesday (1/31/12) to purchase one of 10 cell phone repair options here: WiGoClinic - Cell Phone Repair GROUPON

So far we have had a tremendous start and lots of people are saving a lot of money. But hey if we can save people some money on repair and get the word out about our service that's OK by me.

Enjoy the BIG discounts! Maybe we'll do again sometime.

Buying a New Cell Phone? One size does NOT fit all!

2012-01-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

I am so sick of all the so-called cell phone experts of the world -- except for me of course. From the best "tech" blogger to the guy at the local cell phone store. From the "respected" news media to my friends at church -- even my pastor is a cell phone expert, sorry Brother Jim. Everybody thinks they have the one cell phone that fits every person. THEY are wrong!

First of all, everyone quit quoting commercials and ad campaigns when you talk about phones. This only proves how dumb you really are. Gather some real world facts - especially if you are in the NEWS MEDIA. I get press releases all the time and then I hear a news anchor quote it and talk about it like it's a fact without saying it's from a press release.

Secondly, when it comes to buying a phone it is NOT ALL ABOUT THE APPS!

Sorry but I am so tired of hearing this over and over again. The Apps argument should be all about quality over quantity. All of the major O/S's have what most people need. I mean come on do you really need 50 different fart apps?

My Main point: Different phones have different pluses and minuses. Take off your blinders and look around. Be open minded. There is no Jesus phone -- sorry Apple and a big sorry to God for silly people comparing a phone to Jesus!

Everybody is hating on Blackberry right now but they are VERY secure phones and some people need security. Some people love that Blackberry keyboard and the business look and feel. My point is every O/S and OEM has it something for someone. Again be open minded when shopping.

I use a Nokia N8 mainly because it has a 12 Mega pixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a xenon flash but also because it is unlocked and AT&T can't screw me on data fees. And it's pretty... mine is the green one in the middle. Does it have it's downside, yes. Don't get me started about Nokia going to Windows Phone shortly after my purchase.

My wife has a phone with a full QWERTY keyboard and a very nice organizer built into it because she had to have a full physical QWERTY keyboard with a nice organizer built into it - why would I not get her what she wanted?!

My mother-in-law wanted to move-up from her Pantech "Old Lady Phone" -- her words not mine -- to an iPhone. We went over her needs and ended up with an HTC Titan. Read about it at: http://wigoman.blogspot.com/2012/01/htc-titan-with-windows-phone.html

So now MY Mom wants a new phone. Yikes!

So in conclusion, you have,
Four major operating systems: iOS from Apple, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry.
Nine Main Carriers (including PrePay): Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, TracFone, MetroPCS, Boost Mobile, Cricket, US Cellular and others.
Thirteen Major Phone Makers: Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC, Pantech, RIM, Nokia, ZTE, Huawei, Sony Ericsson, Apple, HP, Dell and others.

Look at size and weight. See how long the battery lasts. Read reviews. How much will it cost you? Not just upfront but monthly service, extended warranty, insurance and repair. Does it break easy? We fix a lot of phones at WiGoClinic!

Talk to other people but use your own brain! Lot's of people have opinions, but they doesn't make them right. Cell phone buyers remind me a lot of the old children's story about the Emperors New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen and a lot of people are walking around naked right now. Just saying.

HTC Titan - With Windows Phone

2012-01-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

OK so I took my mother-in-law to get a new phone just after Christmas. She wanted an iPhone but I personally think iPhone is way overrated. Long story short, we decided on the HTC Titan with Windows Phone -- yes that is how you say it "with Windows Phone". Let me just say that neither one of us were dissapointed.

HTC Titan - Wow!

First of all it's got a 4.7 inch screen! Double Wow!! We thought it would be too big, but hey, it's only 9.9mm thick. Triple Wow!!! Feels great in the hand and super easy to use. Big screen makes typing so much easier than on smaller screens. The screen will blow you away - really! And boy-howdy is it fast! Can I say quadruple WOW!!!!

So we walk-in the AT&T store and the guy who greets us rolls his eyes and turns us over to a younger geeker guy once we say we want to look at Windows Phones -- I guess we weren't cool enough for him to help us. Then the younger geeker guy says, "I have to be honest with you the Windows phones are really hard to use". What the ....??!! He then whipped out his dual phones one iPhone & one Andriod and says, "Trust me. I have used both and Android is the way to go". I tell him we'll look at the Windows Phone anyway.

After a few minutes of all three of us looking at the HTC Titan the young geeky guys says WOW this is actually really easy to use. Yea, I thought a simple O/S with active tiles and preloaded with a lot of nice stuff would be and it is. Add the 1.5GHz processor, 16GB memory, 512MB RAM, HSPA+ (almost 4G data), 8MP Camera w/ dual LED Flash and a 1650 mAh battery and I say NICE JOB to HTC & Microsoft on a job well done!

So in my humble opinion if your going to spend $199 on a smartphone ignore the hype, what the "cool" people and the uninformed media say and get yourself an HTC Titan.

New Location NOW Open & Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and I have resolved to "Be Better..." this year. One way I want to Be Better is posting information on this blog. So a BIG Happy New Year to you ALL!

A big shout out to Loudoun County to start the year because they are welcoming the newest location of the WiGoClinic - Cell Phone Repair Shop to South Riding. We have opened our first Store-with-in-a-store inside of the Wireless-Zone store -- thanks Roger to you and your Great staff for welcoming us into your shop!
Our 3rd Location is at:

WiGoClinic - Cell Phone Repair
25031 Riding Plaza (Inside the Wireless-Zone Store)
South Riding, VA 20152
Phone: 703-327-1931
Hours: 10AM to 7PM Monday to Saturday - Closed Sunday

Stop by and say hi to Jim and get your broken cell phone fixed TODAY!!

Liquid Damaged Cell Phone?! What Now??

2011-02-26T11:13:00.000-08:00

If your reading this post I will assume your cell phone has gotten wet. So the first thing you want to do is TAKE OUT THE BATTERY, set the phone on a paper towel and finishing reading this post to learn what you can do to save your cell phone. Liquid damage is not death to your phone. It can be saved, but you need to do something to save it and you need to act quickly.

Let me say first there is no magic bullet. There is no miracle cure. There is no ONE way to make your phone work again. There are thousands of DIY ideas out there and one might work for you -- some better than others. But there is no one way that you can save your phone and make it work again. Your best option is to take it into a cell phone repair shop and have them work on it ASAP! Time is of the essence here if you want to save your phone and/or the data on it.

Now before you roll your eyes again and say, "Gee WiGoMan, it seems a bit self serving to tell me to take my phone into a repair shop when you work for a repair shop." (Full disclosure here) Getting it dry is only the first step in the repair. Home remedies are nice and some will work, but if you really need your phone to work again and/or want data off of it TAKE IT TO A PROFESSIONAL.

Liquid damage is a funny thing and it will effect phones in different ways. I have seen customers completely submerge their phone in salt water and we were able to recover it and have it fully functional. On the other hand I had a customer get one drop of rain in an exposed charge port and it fried the motherboard, never to work again.

How do I Know My Phone Has Liquid Damage?
Every cell phone has at least one "Liquid damage indicator" that you can see. Most have additional indicators inside the device that only a technician can see. Either way it is pretty easy to know when a phone has gotten wet.

The indicator is normally a white dot or square. When the phone gets wet it turns red. Many times you will find the indicator under the battery or just inside the battery door. Most cell phone batteries also have a liquid damage indicator that will turn red when exposed to liquid. When you take your phone in for service this is one of the first things they will look at. The iPhone liquid indicator is a little tricky to see - one in the bottom port and one in the headset jack.

If you cell phone has gotten liquid damage you have voided the warranty. Let me repeat that: If you get your cell phone wet - in anyway - you have voided the warranty. You might not know how your cell phone got wet, but if one of the indicators is red it got wet and your cell phone carrier will NOT fix and/or replace your cell phone.

I Really Need My Cell Phone After Getting it Wet. Can I just try and See if it Works?

If you try and turn it on now you could risk MAJOR damage. It needs to dry! Water is conductive and it will burn out many components when electricity is applied. It will take 48+ hours to dry it out completely. If you cut corners it will more than likely die for good. Again get it to a professional Cell Phone Repair Shop if possible. If you want to risk it with a home remedy your chances of a full recovery are slim.

I've Read About Rice, Vacuum Cleaners, Ovens, Hair Dryers and Other Things to Try?

Home remedies to dry the phone can work, some better than others. Putting the cell phone in a bowl of DRY/UNCOOKED rice is not a bad idea. Get a hold of some Silica or Desiccant for the best results. This material will suck up the liquid in your cell phone and is arguably the best way to dry it out. DO NOT use a blow drier or stick it in an oven. You could cause more damage to the device. A slow method is the best. We're talking days here people, not a couple of hours. If you want it to work again you have to be patient!

Here is the problem with the home remedy of drying it out. Once it is dry whatever liquid got into the phone will leave behind corrosion. This is where things get tricky - in some cases sticky. Corrosion is the thing that will truly damage the phone - after all corrosion is the primary means by which metals deteriorate. Corrosion can and will eat away at main board components and cause severe damage over time. In other words, the phone might work after drying it, but there is a good chance it will fail later on for good. Think of corrosion like mold. It's bad stuff that can grow and cause big problems.

Massive Corrosion on Motherboard

Minor Corrosion to Connection

I Dried My Cell Phone and Now it Turns On. It's Fixed Right?
Maybe. Maybe not. The liquid will have left behind corrosion. The cell phone might appear to work fine after getting wet and drying. But behind under the cover on the motherboard the corrosion is eating away at circuits and connections. I have seen cell phones work for moths after getting liquid damage only to have things go out on the phone one by one. But even months after liquid damage we have been successful in repairing some phones.

I'm Getting a New Phone So I Just Want Contacts or Data off My Liquid Damaged Cell Phone.
Many times we have been able to retrieve data (Contacts, pictures, etc.) off of a liquid damaged phone. Our techs can take many different approaches to repairing a liquid damaged phone from full repair to data retrieval only. The faster we get it the more likely you can get your data.

So I Want a Professional to Fix My Liquid Damaged Cell Phone. What's it Gonna Cost Me?
It will cost you only $29.99 to check the phone into our shop and have it worked on. For that fee we will take apart the cell phone and put it through a cleaning and drying process to remove all of the effects of liquid damage. We will also assess the phone for any damaged parts that need to be replaced. After the initial work we will contact you with the results and give you a quote for the final work if needed.

As always if your in the Washington DC metro area come visit us at WiGoClinic - Cell Phone Repair if your out of the area and would like to ship your phone to reputable cell phone repair business you can follow this link to ship your cell phone to us for repair: Mail-in Your Cell Phone for Repair.

If you want to go ahead and buy a new phone or just do research on the cost of a replacement phone follow this link for great deals on Buying a New Phone Online

Cell Phone Liquid Damage - Tips to Prevent it

2011-01-29T13:57:00.000-08:00

WARNING: If your cell phone has gotten wet, stop and take out the battery NOW!! Seriously, take the battery out now and step away from the phone! Bring it into our repair shop ASAP - we can save it. OK, now enjoy the post and I hope you learn a thing or two to prevent damaging your cell phone.

Liquid damage is a funny thing. I had customer once who had the tide come in and completely submerse the phone in saltwater (not good). Our shop was able to recover the phone and bring it back to life. Then there was the guy who got one drop of rain in an exposed charge port and it fried the motherboard (really bad). So you never know what will happen when you phone gets wet.

Best advice is to NOT get your phone wet (I know, easier said than done). Here are few tips to avoid getting liquid damage (after all I have heard it all):

> Ziploc Bag it - Going to the pool, beach, water park, skiing, place with lots of water, etc. take along a small Ziploc bag to put your cell phone in. Sometimes simple and easy save the day.

> Bathroom - 1) If you're going to sit take your cell phone out our of your pocket FIRST. Maybe set it on the toilet paper holder or someplace else safe. 2) Lots of water around the sink. Probably not a good idea to set the phone next to the sink, ya think?! 3) Hot shower anyone? Steam bad. Leave phone in another room - you can always call them back after your clean and dry!

> Laundry - Check ALL of the pockets and then maybe call all of the family phones before your start - if they answer you can simply say, "Just wanted to let you know there will be clean laundry tonight!"

> A Baby - Yes your phone is shiny and can entertain for hours, but it's going in the mouth at some point -- saliva is a liquid too ya know. Plus there are a lot of germs on your phone AND it has toxic metals in it

> The Jokester - Joking around with someone's cell phone is just not funny and it can turn out to be an expensive joke too. Holding it above a cold beverage - not funny with greasy french fry fingers. Pushing someone in the pool with all of their clothes on can be very entertaining. Before you push have an accomplice ask to borrow their phone.

> Athletes/Gym Rats - Sweat is a liquid and can cause damage! Ladies don't stick it in your sports bra (true story: told customer her phone had liquid damage. She swore it NEVER got wet. Found out she was a runner and always took her phone. Where do you keep it? In my sports bra. Do you sweat? Oh yea, a lot... but, do you think that is what happened??). Like or not your hands get sweaty too. Don't handle your phone with sweaty hands.

> Restaurant/Bar - Setting your cell phone down on the table or on a bar or counter can lead to disaster. Lots of liquid lurking about and a spilled drink is always a possibility. If you must get your phone out put it on a napkin. If the table is wet or someone spills nearby you've got a chance to save it.

> Car Cup Holder - You just finished off a Venti Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino on a plus 100 degree day. You toss the empty cup in the back and slip your phone into the cup holder. It rings and as you answer it you notice an inch of slightly chilled water in the cup holder. Ouch. Try stuffing a napkin in the bottom or get yourself a nice car mount that's even better!

> Watch Out - True Story: Customer was texting and walking. Didn't watch where he was going and walked right into a canal. WATCH OUT! Be careful and pay attention to where you are going. If you must text and walk tryout one of those apps that let you see through the camera where you are headed.

> No Licking - True Story: How did your charge port get damaged? Not sure, but every time I plug in the charger I lick it to get a better connection. Not a good idea -- but funny.

Add a comment with your story.

Remember: If you do get your cell phone wet. TAKE OUT THE BATTERY. Then take it to your local repair shop ASAP if you want to be certain it will work. Home remedies are nice, but a professional cell phone repair shop has a much better chance of saving your phone than a bag of rice.

As always if you need a good place to go visit us by clicking this link WiGoClinic - Cell Phone Repair. We would love to help you out.

Apple iPhone Repair - What to Know

2011-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

The Apple iPhone has revolutionized the cell phone industry and introduced many users to their first smartphone. Most users will carry their life in this snazzy little smartphone. If/when it breaks life can be disrupted -- sometimes in a major way -- so get it fixed quickly. Repairs are common with the iPhone and most repairs will be under $100.

Here is a short list of the most common repairs for the iPhone:

Cracked Touchscreen/Digitizer (Front glass) - You know it's broken when you see cracks and feel cracks in the screen. You have two screens on the iPhone, this is the external glass screen that you touch is called the Touchscreen and/or Digitizer. This is an electronic component that registers your touch to control the functions. When cracked it can stop functioning and the cracks will allow dust, dirt and moisture into the device. This is a simple repair that can be completed at any repair shop in less than an hour.

Broken LCD Screen (Display Screen) - You know it's broken when you cannot see the display clearly. This is the second screen on the phone after the touchscreen/digitizer. It is an internal screen that produces the images you see. Even the smallest crack can grow quickly and it could soon shutdown the entire display. If that happens you will not be able to see anything on the phone. This repair can be done at most repair shops in less than an hour.

Low Battery (Power) - You know it needs to be replaced when you have to charge it more frequently. After a year to a year and a half the battery in the iPhone will start to diminish. This is common for most cell phones, but with the iPhone you will need to have it replaced for you since you can't just pop it out. At some point the iPhone will just die and you will not be able to use it without a new battery. Try and replace it before it gets too bad. This repair can be done in about an 30-60 minutes at most repair shops.

Home Button Broken - You know it needs to be replaced when it doesn't work or becomes very sluggish. It is usually not the "button" but a tiny flex cable under the button. It is possible that liquid has gotten into the button as well (see Liquid damage below). This is an inexpensive repair that can be done while you wait at most repair shops.

Audio/Headphone Jack Out - You know it is not working when you plug in your headphones and they don't work correctly. This could be one of a couple of things - a broken or damaged port, damaged flex cable inside, loose connection or liquid damage (see Liquid damage below). This repair can be done within an hour or two at most repair shops.

Charger Port Not Charging and/or Syncing - You know it is not working when your iPhone will not charge and/or Sync to a computer. This is another problem that could be one of a few things - damaged port, damaged flex cable, loose connection or liquid damage (see Liquid damage below). This repair can be done within an hour or two at most repair shops.

External Vibrate/Volume/Power Buttons Broken or Not Working - You know when they are missing or not working. This problem can be resolved by replacing the buttons or fixing the connection to these buttons internally. This repair can usually be done while you wait at most repair shops.

Housing Replacement - You know you need the housing replaced when you have cracks and/or bad scratches on the housing. This problem can be resolved by replacing the housing -- ask for housing that includes the chrome bezel (new housing old bezel looks bad). This is a nice way to make you iPhone look brand new after months of abuse or it is a nice way to change colors. This repair can take up to 2-3 hours to complete at most repair shops.

Liquid Damage - You may or may not know when you iPhone has liquid damage. It can happen in many different ways but if you know you have gotten liquid on or in you iPhone get it to a repair shop ASAP! Home remedies are nice but don't always work. Let a professional do the job in this case because even after the iPhone dries it will leave behind corrosion that could cause damage down the road. This repair can take days depending on the extent of the damage and how soon you get it to a repair shop.

This is only a partial list of iPhone repairs. Repairing an iPhone is always worth the money. Even if you don't keep it yourself it can be resold for a profit. As always if you are in our area or you would like to ship your iPhone to our shop for repair please visit our website at: http://www.wigoclinic.com/

Repair or Replace My Cell Phone

2010-11-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Since this is my first post. Here are my credentials in a nutshell: 20+ years in the wireless (cell phone) industry, last ten I have owned my own company and I have been doing cell phone repair work for the last eight+ years. I try to give an honest opinion and I'll throw in a little laughter too -- both of these things you might not appreciate. I've been interviewed a few times on TV, consulted with many companies, quoted in articles and posted on a few sites. Now I'm going try this Blog thing - bear with me.

REPAIR OR REPLACE MY CELL PHONE

When you damage your phone it is usually a very emotional thing. As it slips from your hands flying across the room you your heart stops and you say a little prayer or curse -- sometimes both. As you go to pick-up your beloved, yet often hated, cell phone you remember the sales guy trying to sell you a big bulky case and you think, "Why didn't I listen to that guy..why...why...why...?!" (True story: I once dropped my $700 Nokia N97 on the third floor of a shopping mall near the railing. It bounced three times before landing safely on the ledge only two inches from a launch and certain destruction).

So your cell phone is broken and now you must decide on how to move forward. You have a few choices to weigh out, but it comes down to this do you replace or do you repair your cell phone? Both have pros and cons, so let me hit on a few. I will go into more detail below on each option but let me say this first in defense of cell phone repair - many repairs will be less than $100 and take an hour to fix. I'll explain that more but keep in mind as you wade into the mix.

REPLACE your cell phone with insurance, new contract, refurbished, used or retail purchase. In all of these options you get a different phone than what you had -- of course that might be a good thing if you hated the old phone. Obviously the Pro here is a new working phone, so let me hit on the main negatives of each.

1) Insurance: Not a bad option if you are already signed up and paying the monthly $5-12 each month. First you need to call the cell phone insurance company (Insurion handles most if not all carriers). Be ready to deal with a call center and being on hold and only the account holder and/or an authorized person can call. They will process your claim and SHIP a phone to you (whatever you do don't break your phone on Friday of a holiday weekend!). You will be billed a deductible of between $100 and $150 if it is a smart phone (less for dumb phones). The phone they will send you will be refurbished NOT NEW. Once you receive it it is up to you to get the data (contacts, etc.) off of the old phone and on to the new. Not very fast not cheap.

2) New Contract: Not a bad option if you ready for a new phone, the one you want is available AND you plan on staying with your current carrier for another two years. Now if your not eligible to renew (this is usually 18-20 months into a two year contract) this option does not apply to you, move on. Keep in mind too that the discount you get for signing a new contract is only between $100 - 200 depending on the model. Also, keep in mind that the carrier WANTS you to sign a new contract and keep you locked in as long as possible. Bottom line - don't rush into it if your not ready!

3) Refurbished Phone: The jury is still out on this one. A refurbished phone was broken at some point so it may go bad again. Some industry people say refurbished phones have a pretty high fail rate. Plus they are hard to find. Some of the carriers sell them as a cheaper replacement option. Even though they are cheaper options they will cost you a couple of hundred for a decent smart phone. This option is many times only available from the online store. This takes time, not great savings here and you might be replacing it again soon.

4) Used Phone: Stay away from this option if at all possible. Even if it is free or super cheap it might cost you in the long run. First of all they are dirty and germy -- yes I said germy. A few groups have tested cell phones randomly and found they are sometimes dirtier than a public toilet seat. If your OK with that then go ahead -- in fact if your OK with that stop reading my blog NOW!

5) Retail Price Phone Purchase: Simply put this is the most expensive option of them all. New iPhone $500-600, new Blackberry $400-500, new cheapo phone $150-250. Some stores won't even sell you a phone without a contract. Cell phone sales guys HATE these customers because they make $0 on this sale and it's a lot of work. Expensive and not as quick as you might think.

REPAIR your cell phone. Cell phone repair is relatively new in the US, but very common overseas. Ten years ago, believe it or not, you could find a cell phone repair shop in every town in the US. But when phones became cheaper many customers simply threw them away and bought a new one. Then came the iPhone and it's beautiful 3.5 inch touch screen glass -- wait the iPhone is made of glass, glass breaks pretty easy right??! Yes, and so launched a huge revival in cell phone repair in the good old USA.

The average cell phone repair is less than $100 and most repairs can be completed within an hour. You get to keep YOUR phone with YOUR contacts, YOUR settings, YOUR pictures, YOUR stuff plain and simple. If your cell phone contract is not up and you have no insurance then repair is really by far the best option. In the other cases you just need to weigh it out and decide which is best for you.

Liquid damage (aka, water damage) can be fixed too. It is not the end if your phone gets wet -- it's not 100% either, but in many cases a phone that has gotten liquid damage can be fixed. I'll cover that in my another blog. I hope this was helpful. Come see us if we can help!

If your in the Washington, DC area come visit us at WiGoClinic - Cell Phone Repair Shop if your out of the area you can send us your phone for fast one day service. Visit our website at: http://www.wigoclinic.com/.

If you decide you want to purchase a new cell phone with a new contract, click here: Buy a New Phone