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Your cell phone screen can be the hardest part. “Over 90% of the cracked screen repairs we do are replacement screens,” said Jack Murphy, VP of Replacements at iCracked, which repairs phones.

How do you fix your phone? You can find a professional, usually a phone repairman. Or you can buy the necessary parts and accessories, take full power and do it without outside help.

The simplest configuration is to send it back to the manufacturer. For example, Apple charges about $130 for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 Plus models and $110 for the iPhone 6. Otherwise, you’ll have to send it in the mail, which means you won’t have your phone for three to five business days. Can’t live without your cell phone that long? The organization will send you a loaner unit using Apple’s express exchange service ($29 extra).

sales representative. Alternatively, you can take your phone to someone else. Werx Repairing RadioShack promises a 72-hour turnaround time and offers a limited lifetime warranty. He charges $120-$130 to repair an iPhone 5 screen, $50-$250 for an HTC phone, and a whopping $300-$350 for a Samsung Galaxy S4 or S5. If you’re working with someone from another country, make sure they’re doing their job, says Ed Kuhner, VP of customer relations at HTC America.

HTC, the maker of Android mobile phones, is offering a free cracked screen repair at the beginning of half a year after purchase. Samsung’s Mail-In Replacement Benefits takes seven business days and spends $150 on a Galaxy S4 or S5. However, Samsung is unveiling a range of motion-focused cameras that will let you install a screen in an hour or less for a similar price. Two stores will open in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and a third in Los Angeles, with additional locations expected soon. (For other recommended repair locations, call the Samsung Helpline at 800-726-7864.)

iCracked has valuable experience in repairing Apple phones and Samsung Galaxy phones. About 800 “iTechs” are scattered across the USA and come to you. You can use multiple parts to change the screen in under 60 minutes, Murphy said. Most iCracked repairs cost around $100-$110 and these parts come with a lifetime warranty.

Be wary of anyone offering to replace the screen for $50 or less. Chances are you’re getting the wrong part, Kuhner said. “It could be another small cup, but you don’t know what kind of cup it is.”

The do-it-yourself way. You can save quite a bit of money by doing the repair yourself. IFixit, the creator of do-it-yourself repair technology and assistance, offers an iPhone 5S screen repair kit for $90, which is $20-$40 less than the repair fee. While it’s possible, screen replacement health systems aren’t for everyone; It’s a simple design with small screws and different parts.

In addition, if your phone has been in use for a long time, it is worth fixing the cracked screen and buying another phone. Laura Esteban, general manager of the Best Buy Mobile Specialty Store in Manhattan’s Union Square, says, “Maybe it’s not just the screen that’s hurt. There could be other problems that you are not aware of.

Credit:  Aryan Chawla