The Secondary Phone Repair Economy

Dropping your phone and cracking the screen or dropping it in water can make for a really bad day, but it's the kind of day 72% of us have experienced one time or another, and chances are, if you’ve broken a phone once, it’s pretty likely you’ll do it again. 

That crazy thing is that, even with the high and rising cost of a new smartphone, and with the hassles of setting up a new phone and dealing with phone carriers, 44% of people aren’t using a phone case when their phones get damaged and 55% add or upgrade a case only after a break has already occurred. 

In 2021, Americans are expected to spend 4 billion dollars on phone repairs and 59 billion on new phones, even though we’re holding on to our old phone longer than we used to. From 2016 to 2019, the lifecycle of a phone rose by 10 months, on average. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that these are the same three years when the top three smartphone brands increased their prices by 52%.

Buying a new phone is pricey, but it’s also not the only option. Very often, our phones can be repaired instead of replaced. Not only does it save us time and money, but it’s also better for the environment. 

Next time you break your phone (you know it’s gonna happen), think about repairing instead of upgrading. When it comes to smartphones, repairing is often the smarter choice.