Category: Repair

One can argue that mobile devices surpassed laptops in portable computing. Regardless, the fact remains that phones, tablets, and laptops are part of our daily lives. Modern society’s social and economic relations depend on these portable technologies. However, these devices are also fragile and often get broken in many ways. This means tech repair will likely be part of your devices’ lifetime. It also means that having a basic understanding of their parts can help you when you do need repairs.

While mobile devices and laptops are two different categories, they share similar hardware. Read on to know the five general elements of your devices. It allows you to know better about the hardware before bringing them to tech repair.

1. Motherboard/SoC

The motherboard is likely the most important component of a computer. It houses the CPU and GPU. It’s where every other component connects to.

The motherboard lets all these components communicate and work together. The ports outside also connect straight to the motherboard. For both laptops and mobile devices, the motherboard is the last component you want to have water damage.

In laptops, some components like the CPU and GPU come soldered onto the motherboard. Only certain parts like the RAM and HDD are replaceable. It’s because there’s less space for sockets and slots, unlike on a desktop.

Since smartphones and tablets are much smaller, the same compromise applies. Mobile devices come with what’s called a “system on a chip” (SoC).

This one chip integrates all the components like the CPU, GPU, modems, and other parts that make a phone or a tablet work. Tech repair is often trickier for smartphones because of this integration.

The motherboard or SoC also houses memory and storage. Laptops’ memory and storage are larger and are user-replaceable. Mobile devices have smaller built-in RAM and internal storage.

2. Display

A computer can have a range of other output devices like printers and projectors. For laptops, smartphones, and tablets, the most important built-in output device is the display.

Laptop displays can range from 10-inch “netbooks” to large 17 or 18-inch screens. As for resolution, most laptops come with low-res 1366 x 768 screens. Higher resolutions come at full HD or 1920 x 1080 pixels while high-end models can go up to 4k.

Laptops and mobile devices rely on almost the same display types—LCD or LED. LCDs are more common and use a backlight that shines through some filters to create a picture.

Higher-end models often use LED screens. Instead of a backlight that’s always on, an LED display can control individual pixels. It gives the display deeper blacks and more vibrant colors.

For a phone, tablet, and some laptops, the display also doubles as an input device if they have touchscreen capabilities. Modern touchscreens use capacitive technology that measures input with a conductive layer.

3. Input Devices/Sensors

Input devices allow you to interact with your laptop, phone, or tablet. With mobile devices, the main input device is the touchscreen display. With laptops, you’ll have more options, making it a more flexible choice.

Laptops have physical keyboards, touchpads, and can also connect a mouse. Modern tablets can also connect external keyboards and pointing devices like the Apple Pencil for the iPad.

Sensors are also input devices. Smartphones and tablets have a plethora of these built-in.

All smartphones have a main and front-facing camera. Newer models even have over two main cameras.

Biometric sensors like fingerprint scanners are also standard for smartphones. These make smartphones more secure than regular laptops that don’t have biometrics. Also, phones or tablets have over five sensors that accord it with “smartness”.

These devices also have an accelerometer that detects orientation and movement. A gyroscope also measures orientation. A digital compass helps with geolocation.

An ambient light sensor measures surrounding light and adjusts the screen’s brightness accordingly. Finally, a proximity sensor detects if the phone is near your face. During a call, it turns off the display when you bring the phone to your ear.

4. Power/Battery

Laptops, smartphones, and tablets all have an internal battery. Since laptops are more power-hungry, they have larger batteries than mobile devices.

Laptops and mobile devices usually use lithium-ion technology. These can either be removable or non-removable.

Battery capacity, measured in milliamp-hour (mAh), tells you how much charge a battery can hold. Both laptops and mobile devices’ capacities can range between 2,000 to 6,000 mAh.

Smartphones today have more charging options at their disposal. There’s fast charging which can charge a device in an hour. Wireless charging is also becoming more common.

5. Operating System (OS)

The operating system or OS is the software component that starts and runs the computer. Without this, your laptop, phone, or tablet is useless. Since laptops and mobile devices use different architectures, their OS’s are very different.

Most laptops use Microsoft Windows while Apple notebooks use Mac OS. For smartphones and tablets, there’s iOS and Android. Because of their difference, a computer program will be incompatible with a mobile OS.

Computer operating systems are much older, being around for around 30 years. Mobile operating systems are a newer concept, being only over a decade old. Regardless, mobile operating systems are mostly Android-based.

Operating systems are prone to their own class of errors and damages. However, faulty or broken hardware can cause all sorts of OS malfunctions.

Know Your Device Better Before Tech Repair

Laptops, phones, and tablets help us in our everyday activities. Despite their sophistication, they’re prone to all sorts of damages. Knowing the basic components of your devices can help in case you need tech repair.

In general, laptops and mobile devices both have a motherboard. It’s a sensitive and important component that connects or holds all other parts.

They all have a display through which you interact and use the features. Smartphones and tablets in particular have a range of sensors that make them “smart”.

Looking for professionals to repair your device? Our team of experienced and skilled technicians can help. Select your desired device and get in touch with us today!

Last year, we saw many changes, including technology shortages. Many people had trouble finding a desktop or laptop to buy! Sometimes all you need is a replacement part that will get you up and running again. 

If your computer is giving you problems and you think it’s the motherboard, there are things to check. Before you run out and buy a replacement, read about these top 7 signs of motherboard failure. 

1. Early Signs of Motherboard Failure

You may get early signs of motherboard failure on a laptop or desktop computer. These early issues could be warnings. One symptom to look for is that your device is slow to startup. 

Some people love the convenience of Macbooks or other laptops.  When they start lagging on startup, that could mean you’ve got a bad motherboard. If you have checked other things like your internet and disk space, you may be seeing signs of motherboard failure on the laptop. 

After checking everything you can, it may be time to get a professional involved. You want your system to last a long time, so you need a company with restoration experience. You should take it to a reliable business that specializes in this type of repair. 

2. Blue Screen of Death

That trendy term may frighten some tech gurus. It means you have a system failure. It is not always a motherboard failure, but it is possible. It might even mean your computer is on the verge of death, so it is best to check out that motherboard soon. 

Sometimes the blue screen means you have a driver problem. It is not always as complicated as the motherboard. Knowing how to troubleshoot can help you save some time and money in the process. 

3. Device Will Not Power On

If your computer or laptop won’t power on at all, that is one of the motherboard failure symptoms. It is a definite hardware failure. You want to find out what part of the hardware got broken. 

You may even get some lights blinking, making you think it will power up. That could be a power supply going bad that has not died all the way. If it’s not the power supply, the motherboard may need to get replaced. 

The POST (power on system test) is another way to note hardware problems. That is the way a computer tests itself when powering up. It makes sure the unit has no hardware issues before the operating system gets loaded. 

4. Burning Smells

If something smells like it’s on fire, that could a sign of motherboard failure. Sometimes that smell comes from physical damage.

It could have chipped circuits or transistors that burned up. Those would cause the motherboard to fail or die. 

A burning smell means something is wrong and needs to get checked right away. That is not one of those things that can wait until you get more time. It could be something else, like a power supply issue, but a burning smell needs attention. 

5. Unit Runs Hot

You have ventilation areas on your laptop and desktop computers. These help keep your system cool. If you find that your unit is running hot, these may need to get cleaned right away. 

When the ventilation outlets become clogged, they can cause the system to overheat. Heat can make a motherboard bend. Even a small change like that can put pressure on screws and connectors. 

If a motherboard does not fit well, it will give you problems. It has to get seated the right way in the unit, or it won’t work well. Soon it’s likely to die altogether. 

Prevention is one smart way to keep your ventilation working as it should. Make sure you clean your laptop or computer. You can use compressed air or a lint-free cloth to do this. 

Keeping dust out of your unit is the best way to avoid overheating the internal system. You might not get all the dust, but you can keep it from clogging up and causing motherboard failure. 

6. Device Freezes Up

If you’re in the middle of working on your computer and it freezes up, that could be one of the motherboard failure symptoms. It could be a minor glitch and then start back working. 

When the glitches become more frequent, that could mean trouble is around the corner. If your programs stop in the middle of loading, and your system keeps freezing up, it could be the motherboard. 

Look for consistent patterns of freezing. When your motherboard is about to die, you will see it happen more. When this starts, it might run fine one time and then the next it gives you problems the whole time you use it.

7. Won’t Recognize Other Devices

If you’ve used a flash drive, you may have gotten error messages. Those start showing your computer won’t detect the device.

Sometimes that’s as simple as a bad drive. If you’ve tried other devices and still get error messages, that could mean these are motherboard failure symptoms.. 

When many external devices don’t get recognized, that’s generally a bad sign. That means it’s not the individual hardware issue. Your mouse, flash drive, and printer are not all dying at the same time. 

Keep Your System in Check

Seeing signs of motherboard failure need to get checked soon. It can cost a lot to repair or replace. That’s why it’s one of the components best left to a professional, so you don’t cause more harm.

You have to find the exact place that got damaged. If it’s a problem that mimics a motherboard issue, you could get lucky and only need to repair a few small things. 

Realizing you have a failing motherboard doesn’t have to cause you stress. When you need a repair, we can get your computer running again. Contact us today for more information on our services and how we can help! 

According to research conducted in 2019, more than 96% of Americans own a cellphone. And at least half of that amount own an Apple device. Clearly, cellphones have become a necessity in this modern society.

As with many other technologies, cellphones are prone to suffer some technical problems as we use them. The most common problem is that of having a faulty phone battery. Luckily, Android and iPhone battery replacement are not as expensive as you may think. 

Several possibilities cause a phone battery to die quickly. Sometimes you can fix it with some tweaks, but other times you’ll need to find the nearest Android or iPhone repair shop. Let’s look at the three most frequent reasons and what you can do to fix the phone battery problem.

1. Apps and Background Settings

Sometimes the phone battery is being drained by certain apps or background services. Let’s first take a look at some types of apps that drain a phone battery:

Streaming apps

The most popular streaming apps are Netflix, Prime, Youtube, and Disney+. While these apps are small in storage size, they use up a lot of battery while being used. The battery drainage occurs when using the app. It continuously receives information to stream (grab data from the server) your favorite shows or movies. 

Game apps

Modern mobile games are pushing the limits of even the latest iPhone, which means more and more games are graphically intensive. These kinds of games quickly drain your phone battery, and if your phone is not high-end, it may even damage your phone battery!

Communication apps

Apps like Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, or even Instagram, require constant synchronization, even if you aren’t using it. These kinds of background services drain a phone battery as they 

communicate with the servers every second and send notifications to your phone once a new message is received. 

Geolocation Apps

Whenever we need to look for a specific location, we use apps like Google Maps or Apple’s Maps. Some games or food delivery services utilize geolocation as well. Like the communication apps, geolocation services are working in the background, continually updating your location to the servers.

How Can You Fix It? 

If the phone battery is quickly dying because of an app, then you can fix it yourself. So what can you do to fix it?

• Reduce the number of apps on your phone
• Force close an app once you finish using it
• Stop apps from working in the background
• Reduce the amount of time you use an app

Of course, if the problem persists, perhaps googling “Android or iPhone repair store near me” may help.

2. Screen Time

Some people spend more than 4 hours using their phones. Apple’s Screen Time feature lets you also know how much you spend looking at your phone. And with many new phones having wider and more complex screens, it’s no wonder that a phone battery dies quickly.

Some apps also make the phone use a lot of resources to display. How can you check if an app screen time is using up your phone battery?

Whether you have an Android or iPhone, you must locate the settings app (the icon is usually a cog), then look for the phone battery tab. Once you are there, look for the phone battery usage section, here you can see how much battery each app takes while using.

Tips To Reduce Phone Battery Screen Drain 

Fortunately, a screen draining a phone battery is quite simple to fix. 

Let’s briefly see some tips:

• Use a black wallpaper
• Reduce unlocking screen often
• Reduce background refresh
• Use adaptive brightness
• Lower screen brightness

On the other hand, a broken screen requires a more professional touch, and the good news is that an Android or iPhone screen repair cost is not high. Now let’s go to the third reason why your phone battery is always low.

3. Bad Phone Service

Sometimes the culprit of draining a phone battery is the phone carrier service. Similar to how background services function, a cell phone carrier service is continually communicating with cellphone towers. And if it fails to connect to one phone tower, it will try again with another. 

This problem is quite common in rural areas or during subway/train rides. There is only so much you can do to improve your phone battery if you have bad services. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at what you can do.

Airplane mode

If you know you’ll be traveling into an area where you will have spotty service, then you should prepare by switching your phone to airplane mode. Airplane mode shuts off all communication from your phone to the cell phone towers. This will avoid it wasting your phone battery trying to connect with a tower.

Change service provider

As mentioned before, there is only so much you can do if the problem is terrible service. What you can do is change the provider to a more reliable one. Make sure to research to see which are the best ones in your area.

Network boosters

Suppose there is a specific area of your house or workplace with lousy service. In that case, getting a network booster will improve the connection. This will not only enhance your phone battery but also improve your overall service.

Prolong Your Phone Battery 

We need to be continuously connected in this modern world, so nothing is worse than a phone battery dying off quickly. Hopefully, you found the reason why your phone battery is always low and was able to fix it. And if your phone battery is still dying at a fast rate, then perhaps it’s best to take it to a phone servicing store.

If you aren’t sure what phone repair store to go to, then look us up! FruitFixed has plenty of stores located in Virginia, and we are still providing service despite the COVID shutdowns. We are experts in repairing anything tech-related, especially cellphones.

Don’t wait another minute and contact us today!

Everyone – and we do mean everyone – has access to some type of modern technology, whether it be a PC, a laptop, or a smartphone. It’s pretty clear that we’re dependent on this technology to help us work and to make moves, and without it, we’re pretty much stuck. Has your computer given out on you? Are you staring at a cracked tablet screen or angrily trying to turn your smartphone back on to no avail? If you’re in this predicament, you may be wondering if you should go to an electronics repair shop or if you should just buy a new piece of equipment.

Though buying a replacement may seem like the correct route to take, it would actually benefit you to take your technology to a repair shop to get it fixed instead. This article will go over why you need to take your equipment to an electronics repair shop near you. Read on to learn more!

1. Electronics Repair Shop Services Are Cheaper

In case you haven’t noticed, technology is not only becoming better each year but also more expensive. A number of high-end phones in recent years have been costing well over $1,000, and PCs and gaming laptops can easily be triple that amount.

You don’t want to spend all that money on a new device, but you do want something reliable and that allows you to complete your assignments. A repair shop can help you fix up your already reliable equipment for a price that’s much cheaper than buying a brand new one.

2. You Get More Value for the Price

Branching from the earlier comment, as the equipment to make modern technology becomes more premium and pricier, the overall devices continue to grow in an upward direction in price and performance. This means the tech value of your dollar has also decreased.

What this means is that where $400 might have gotten you a pretty good mid-range laptop a few years ago, that same amount will barely get you a good quality low-range laptop now.

If the device you currently own already has high-end specs, then you’d be better off having it repaired by a professional repair service. That way, you end up having a laptop that offers more for your needs without the hefty price tag to match.

3. Confidence in Craftsmanship

The word “new” may sound like bells to your ears, but not all new things are of top quality. In fact, there are numerous cases every year of new tablets, computers, and smartphones that have faltered or even needed a mass recall to fix the problem.

When you buy new, you’re taking a chance on your device and hoping that everything works out just fine. This problem is that if it doesn’t, and you don’t have a warranty that will cover your device, you’ve essentially spent hundreds on a defect.

When you go to an electronic repair shop, you know that any imminent problems you’ve been experiencing with your equipment will be taken care of, so you can have more confidence using your repaired computer.

4. Knowledgeable Tech Professionals

Your technology is your baby, and the last thing you want to do is leave it in the hands of someone who isn’t qualified to handle the job. Needless to say, you don’t want your cousin who claims to be qualified because of a few YouTube videos to work on repairing your device.

That said, you also don’t want to spend a ton of money going to the company itself to have your device fixed. By the time they’re done with you, you’ll pretty much spend double what the device was worth.

A third-party electronic repair service provider offers the bests of all worlds. They are extremely knowledgeable in the ways of technology, with many of them being certified to work on all devices, and you get quality repairs for a fraction of the price of retailers.

5. More Physical Locations to Choose From

Getting repairs done on your equipment via mail is notoriously slow. It takes days for your device to get to the repair center, even longer to actually get it repaired, and then a few more days to have it sent back to you.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly how most retail repair services work unless you live close by one in a big city. You don’t have time to wait for weeks for your technology; you need your devices ASAP so you can get back to work.

The great thing about third party repair services is that they tend to be much more local than retailers, so you can drive to a physical location to have your device looked over. What’s more, third-party services tend to have a faster turnaround as well, so you’ll have your device back before you know it!

Get the Services You Need

It’s clear that getting your technology repaired at an electronics repair shop is the way to go. Now, you just need to find the right repair shop that you can trust to take care of all of your computer repair needs. We’re the right people to handle the job.

At Fruit Fixed, repairing damaged technology is our profession. From iPhones, to Androids, to Macbooks, tablets, PCs, and even gaming consoles, there’s really nothing that we can’t fix. Best of all, we offer our services for only a fraction of the price of the competition, so you save money on a job well done.

Ready to have your device repaired? Take a look around our site to learn more about what we do and learn more about our story so you can find out what we’re really made of. Let us help you fix up your technology today!