Samsung launches speedy repair centres

Cape Town - Samsung is looking to accelerate the mobile phone repair process with a launch of a faster repair service in major centres.

On Wednesday, the manufacturer announced a Samsung Quick Repair Service (QRS) intended to speed up minor technical issues for Samsung devices at Samsung Brand Stores.

"We recognise that our customers already have demanding schedules and cannot afford to wait in queues getting their devices fixed or software upgraded," said Richard Chetty, service director at Samsung Electronics SA.

Unlike the standard of sending a device with a broken screen for a repair that can take days to effect, the Samsung QRS is expected to carry out most repairs within an hour.

Teams at the repair centres which are located in shopping malls in major centres in the country are able to repair screens, motherboards and cameras.

Easiest to repair

"90% of repairs can be done within the hour but some of the more complex issues may need a longer waiting period in order to ensure that the job gets done correctly and the mobile device returns to the consumer in a fully functional state," Chetty said.

As smartphone prices come down and technology moves forward it is likely that fewer of the devices will be repairable.

Already, sealed units such as the Sony Xperia Z3, HTC One and Apple iPhone are tricky to repair.

The smartphone repair industry is set to grow. (Duncan Alfreds, Fin24)

According to iFixit, known for its smartphone tear-downs, the Motorola Droid Bionic is the easiest smartphone to repair because of its modular design and removable battery, whereas the One, iPhone and Amazon Fire are the most difficult to repair.

Despite the high price of flagship models, the cost of smartphone ownership is trending downward, making it more feasible for people to replace than repair older phones.

Despite that though, the repair industry in the US continues to rise as phones are given a second lease of life through hand-me-downs.

According to an industry analyst, the repair industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 10.9% thanks, in part to still fragile displays on smartphones to a total of $1.1bn.

"Much of this growth has been on the back of the rising popularity of damage-prone smartphones," said IBISWorld industry analyst Nima Samadi.

But that growth is expected to slow to 2017 as the cost of smartphones comes down and the market reaches saturation point.

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