You can also draw an analogy with cars. When I was in college, I drove several 1970&#x27;s Chevy Trucks. All big block 350 engines. It broke down several times and all I had to do was to visit the local junkyard, go get a part from a junker truck for under $50, and within a few hours, I was able to fix my truck. These days, no way you could that with a truck bought as far back as 1995.<p>This is the same issue with smartphones. Back in the day, it was easy to get your phone fixed. I ran both a Verizon and a Nextel service shop. The carriers were more than happy to provide training and access to tools and parts. For a mom and pop shop it took several hundred dollars for tools and a good starting point with parts (antennas, replacement screens, keyboards, flips, and main boards). Then you had a list of what they charged for each repair. Parts and costs and a set price for repairs.<p>The carriers really don&#x27;t see this as a revenue driver anymore and dropped their service centers. Now you see other &quot;unathorized&quot; shops springing up that handle repairs these days. the problem is the cost of the parts. A display assembly for an LG2 is somewhere in the neighborhood of $75.00. Add in labor and now you&#x27;re around $125-$150 to get your screen fixed. Not bad, but most people balk at those prices and simply opt to trash their phone and find something on craigslist or ebay.<p>Until the carriers get back involved, it&#x27;s an expensive proposition (on both sides of the equation) to do phone repair.