How durable is your cell phone?

Many of us have a cell phone, but many of those phones will break or stop working even before the end of the service contract. <br/><br/>So what are we to do? New cell phones are expensive. The News

Wednesday, March 2nd 2005, 10:12 am

By: News On 6

Many of us have a cell phone, but many of those phones will break or stop working even before the end of the service contract.

So what are we to do? New cell phones are expensive. The News on 6's Rick Wells re-visited a repair shop the News on 6 told you about 6 months ago and found business still booming.

Cell phone makers jiggle 'em and drop 'em, they bang on 'em. They've developed lots of tests trying to duplicate the kinds of things we do to 'em. They're hoping to make them stronger. Fact is, a quarter of the cell phones we buy this year will be returned because they break. "He dropped it in some water." Michael Orr runs the fix-it-end of the Cellular Phone Repair Center near 71st and Memorial.

What they call liquid damage is the most common repair they do. Rick Wells: "How often does that happen?" Orr: â€œtwenty or thirty times a day." People spill coffee on it, drop it in a drink or the toilet or the sink. Usually these guys can fix it if they get to it soon enough.

Broken LCD displays is the second most common repair they do. Jeremiah Kerby had the phone in his lap and well. "Totally forgot it was in my lap, it hit the pavement and busted.â€ He can get it fixed here much cheaper than the cost of a new phone. Orr: "Pretty easy fix, just pop it out, pop it in." The repair took about ten minutes and Jeremiah has his phone back. "I'm excited about my next phone call, just so I can see the numbers."

Manufacturers will continue to try to make stronger phones, but if they break there is a place to take them.

The Cellular Phone Repair Center buys, sells, and repairs cellular phones. They are located on the southeast corner of 71st and Memorial. Their phone number is 955-1100 or they are on the web at /www.cellularphonerepaircenter.com.