An icy sidewalk, a dropped phone, a shattered screen. Many Dartmouth students experience challenges associated with a broken cellphone each term, but new local resources aimed at repairing phones could help.
The Dartmouth Computer Store started offering phone repair services last term to students. Theresa Woodward, manager of computer sales and science for Dartmouth’s Information Technology Services, said that there are currently two technicians certified in phone repairs at the Computer Store.
Students with phone issues bring their devices into the shop and will most likely receive their repaired phone the next day, Woodward said.
If the issue is extensive, ITS will send the phone to Apple, she said. If this is the case, Woodward indicated that students will receive an interim loaner device that they can use while their actual device is being repaired offsite.
Woodward said that the reason that the College decided to provide this service was because students constantly approached ITS with phone issues.
Apple does not typically allow colleges to provide these services, but they agreed to try it out at Dartmouth as a test run, Woodward said. She said she believes it will be a useful tool for students facing technology issues on campus.
Erik Nordahl ’16 and Martín Anguita ’16 created a new phone repair service in January — Dartmouth Phone Repairs — after having experienced firsthand the high costs and frustrations associated with phone damage and repairs.
The service repairs iPhone screens in under an hour and is located at 303 South Massachusetts Hall, according to their website.
Nordahl and Anguita declined an in-person interview, but wrote in an email they experienced success after their company’s launch, repairing about 100 phones during their first month of operation.
The cost of Dartmouth Phone Repairs depends on the phone model, Nordahl said. Repairs start at $75.
Will Johnson ’19 said that he was happy to have this service.
Johnson said that he would be willing to pay more for the Dartmouth service because he trusts Dartmouth students to repair his devices.
“While I have yet to use the service, it’s good to know that there’s a safety net for me in case I break my phone,” he said.
The price of Dartmouth Phone Repairs is comparable to the price of phone repairs at Apple, which for newer models is approximately $80 to $150, depending on the exact phone model and whether or not the client has AppleCare.
NH iPhone Repair is another local phone repair resource for students and faculty members with cracked or broken phones.
Chad Johansen, the director of NH iPhone Repair, said that he travels from Springfield, Vermont to the College twice a week to repair devices for students and faculty at Dartmouth.
In addition to iPhones, NH iPhone Repair also fixes Samsung Galaxy devices and iPads, Johansen said, adding that the repair price depends on the type and model of the device that requires servicing. iPhones cost about $110 to $180, Samsung devices cost anywhere from $150 to $250 and iPads cost between $130 and $150 to repair.
Johansen said he can usually repair devices in an hour or less, and that there is an unlimited warranty for all devices that NH iPhone Repair fixes. NH iPhone Repair is also affiliated with iCracked, a national company that consists of a network of 3,000 technicians. Johansen said iCracked will honor the warranty at any location, even after students graduate.
Johansen also said that he always examines the extent of the phone’s damage up front. If he finds that a device is irreparable, he does not charge his client.
Maggie Stiefvater ’19 said that she is happy to know there are nearby resources at which students can repair their devices.
“It’s great to have a cheap way to fix a phone that is also right on campus,” she said.
