Repair or replace: how to decide
Is your laptop or phone worth fixing, or is it time for a new one? A few honest questions help you decide.
Repair usually makes sense when
- The fault is a common part: a screen, battery, charging port, keyboard or storage drive
- The device still gets security updates from Apple, Google or Microsoft
- The repair costs well under what a similar replacement would cost
- It does everything you need, and a faster SSD or more memory would fix the slowness
Replacing may be better when
- The device no longer gets security updates, so it’s getting less safe to use online
- The repair would cost close to the price of a replacement
- Several things are failing at once
- It’s too slow for what you need even with upgrades
Questions to ask yourself
- How old is it, and does it still get updates?
- What would a replacement that does the same job cost?
- Is my data backed up either way?
- Would an upgrade (SSD, battery, memory) give it a few more good years?
Not sure? Book a £25 diagnostic, which is free if you go ahead. I’ll tell you honestly if it’s not worth fixing, and I can move your files to a new device if you replace it.