How an old battery slows your phone down
Why a worn battery makes a fast phone feel sluggish, how throttling actually works, and how to check whether yours is the problem.
Read moreThirty-one of the questions we get asked most, from "why is my phone so slow?" to what a repair costs and how long it takes. Can't see yours? Text or call 0485 811 850 and just ask.
The everyday faults we see across the bench, and what's normally behind them.
It's usually one of four things: storage that's nearly full, an ageing battery that can no longer deliver power smoothly, a phone running hot and throttling itself, or a new operating system on older hardware. Free up space until you have about 10–15% of your storage spare, restart the phone, then check your battery health. A worn battery is the single most common cause we see.
Yes. As a lithium-ion battery ages its internal resistance rises and it can't supply the sudden bursts of current a fast processor asks for. Rather than shut down, the phone deliberately slows the processor down to stay stable. Fit a healthy battery and the reason for that throttling disappears, which is why a battery replacement so often makes an old phone feel new again. From $59, usually same-day.
Heat means something is drawing power. The usual suspects are an app stuck awake in the background, a poor-quality charger or cable, a worn or swollen battery, a damaged screen, or moisture inside the phone from an old spill. Warm while gaming, navigating or fast-charging is normal; hot while idle isn't. If it's too hot to hold comfortably, or the screen or back is starting to lift, stop charging it and have it checked.
It can. A damaged panel or touch layer can draw more current than it should, so the backlight and display driver end up working harder. Cracks also let in dust and moisture, which cause corrosion and small shorts around the display connector. A phone that runs hot around a cracked screen, or that started getting hot after a drop, is worth looking at.
You don't have to, but cracks spread, glass fragments lift under your thumb, and every crack is a path for dust and moisture to reach the electronics. That's what turns a straightforward screen replacement into a much bigger job. The repair price doesn't go up while you wait, but the damage usually does. Screen replacement starts from $89.
Lines, bars and blotches of colour mean the display panel or its connector is damaged — usually after a drop or pressure in a pocket or bag, sometimes after liquid. No reset or software fix will clear it: the display assembly needs replacing. It's worth doing early, because what starts as one thin line usually spreads.
Ghost touch is the digitiser — the touch-sensing layer of the screen — misreading. The usual causes are a cracked or poor-quality replacement screen, moisture under the panel, a swelling battery pressing on the screen from behind, or a cheap charger feeding electrical noise into the phone. If it only happens on charge, change the charger first. If it happens unplugged, it's a hardware fault: the screen or the battery needs attention.
Having to hold the cable at an angle is the classic sign of a charging port packed with pocket lint, or with worn contacts. Most of the time the port can be cleaned rather than replaced. If it charges properly on one cable but not another, it's the cable. If everything is slow and the phone is a few years old, it's usually the battery. Charging port repair starts from $69.
A worn cell can't hold its voltage when the phone asks for a burst of power, so the phone sees the voltage collapse and shuts down to protect itself. Cold weather makes it much worse. It's a battery at the end of its life rather than a software glitch, and a replacement fixes it.
Most often it's the glass over the rear camera. A drop can crack it while the lens underneath still looks fine, and the cracks scatter light into a haze that's worst in daylight or against a bright background. If you hear a rattle when you gently shake the phone, the stabilisation inside the camera module may be damaged instead. Both are repairable; camera repair starts from $79.
Often it's just the microphone mesh packed with pocket lint, which we clean out regularly. Phones have three or four microphones, so it helps us to know whether you sound muffled on normal calls, on speakerphone, or only on video. That tells us which one to test, and we can replace the one at fault.
Yes, and soon. Liquid damage is really corrosion, and corrosion keeps working quietly for days or weeks after the phone has dried out — which is why wet phones so often die a fortnight later. Turn it off, don't charge it, and don't put it in rice (it does nothing useful and rice dust gets into the ports). A $49 assessment and a proper clean now is far cheaper than a failed logic board later.
Not necessarily. A completely unresponsive phone is often a flat or failed battery, a charging port that's stopped delivering power, or a display connector knocked loose in a drop — all repairable. Try a known-good charger for half an hour, then a force restart. If the screen stays black, bring it in: we'll diagnose it and tell you honestly whether it's worth fixing.
What actually happens to your phone once it's with us.
Most screen and battery jobs are done same-day, often within the hour. Trickier repairs like water damage take longer, because the phone needs cleaning and testing properly. We always give you a clear estimate of both time and price up front.
Usually, for screens and batteries. Text or call 0485 811 850 with your model before you come so we can make sure the part is on the shelf, and we'll tell you how long to allow.
Screen, battery, charging port and camera repairs don't touch your data, and in normal circumstances everything stays exactly where it was. Even so, please back up your phone before any repair. We can't guarantee against data loss — especially on water damage and phones that won't power on — and backups are your responsibility under our repair terms.
For most repairs we need to unlock the phone to test the work properly: touch across the whole screen, Face ID, cameras, microphones and speakers. You're welcome to wait with your device, or to give us the passcode and change it afterwards. If you'd rather not share it, say so and we'll explain what we can and can't verify before you leave.
Every repair comes with a 12-month workmanship warranty. If something isn't right with the work we did or the part we fitted, bring it back and we'll make it good. The warranty doesn't cover new physical damage or water damage that happens after the repair. The full detail is in our terms.
For iPhone screens you choose between OLED, which matches the original display for colour, brightness and true blacks, and LCD, a more affordable aftermarket panel that still looks good day to day. We tell you which one we're fitting and what it costs before we start, and every part carries the same 12-month workmanship warranty.
Face ID keeps working: the Face ID sensors live in the front camera assembly, which we carefully transfer from your old screen onto the new one. True Tone and auto-brightness generally work on good-quality panels. Recent iPhones do show a note in Settings saying they can't verify a display is genuine whenever the screen wasn't fitted by Apple; it doesn't stop the phone working. Ask us about your exact model and we'll tell you what to expect before we start.
Yes, and we see plenty of them. We'll open it up, tell you what we find — missing screws, damaged cables, excess glue, the wrong part fitted — and quote from there. If a previous repair has caused damage that makes the job uneconomic, we'll say so rather than run up a bill.
No, and anyone who promises otherwise is guessing. It depends on what the liquid was, how long it sat there, and whether the phone was switched on or charged afterwards. That's why water damage starts with a $49 assessment: we clean and inspect the board, then tell you what we've found and what a repair would cost before spending any more of your money.
What it costs, how to book, and the three ways to get your device fixed.
Starting prices: screen replacement from $89, battery replacement from $59, charging port repair from $69, camera repair from $79, tablet and iPad screens from $119, and water damage assessment $49. The exact price depends on your model, and we confirm it with you before any work begins — no surprises at pick-up.
There's no deposit to book an iPhone repair. For non-iPhone repairs we ask for a small parts deposit, because we order your part in specially, and we confirm the amount when we text you back. The balance is paid on the day by card, contactless or cash, once you're happy with the repair.
Yes. Choose the come-to-you option when you book and we'll repair your device at your home, office or wherever suits, across Mount Waverley, Glen Waverley, Chadstone, Oakleigh, Clayton and the surrounding south-eastern suburbs. There's a $45 call-out on top of the repair price. See the areas we cover.
Yes, and mail-in is free. Choose mail-in when you book and we'll text you the address and how to pack the device safely, then repair it and send it back to you.
Booking online takes about 30 seconds and means we have your part ready, so it's the quickest route. Both drop-off points in Mount Waverley are private workshop units rather than shops, with no walk-in signage, so if you're coming without a booking please text or call 0485 811 850 first and we'll come out to meet you. We're open 7 days, 10am–9pm.
Phones and tablets of all the major brands: iPhone, Samsung Galaxy (including Z Fold and Z Flip), Google Pixel, iPad, plus Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo and most other Android phones. If your device isn't on that list, send us a message with the model and we'll tell you straight away whether we can help.
We'll tell you. If the repair costs more than the phone is worth, or there are several serious faults, we'd rather say so than sell you a repair that doesn't stack up. You can sell the device to us instead — working or not — or pick up a tested, warranty-backed refurbished phone.
Start a booking and the price for your model appears as you pick it, or just call or text 0485 811 850 with the model and what's wrong. We'll come back to you with a firm price, and nothing is charged until you say go ahead.
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Some questions deserve more than a paragraph. These are the guides we point customers to most often.
Why a worn battery makes a fast phone feel sluggish, how throttling actually works, and how to check whether yours is the problem.
Read moreA cracked or cheap screen doesn't just look bad: here's how it drives up power draw, heat and battery drain.
Read moreWork through them in order, from free fixes you can do tonight to the two that need a repair.
Read moreCable, charger, port or battery: how to tell which one is costing you hours, in about five minutes.
Read moreThe warning signs your battery is on the way out, what battery health means, and when a replacement is worth it.
Read moreThe right first steps (and what not to do), plus why the rice trick is a myth.
Read moreChoosing between an OLED and LCD replacement screen: the real difference in quality, brightness and price.
Read moreWhat you'll actually pay to fix a cracked iPhone screen, why prices differ by model, and how to avoid overpaying.
Read moreA simple, no-pressure framework for deciding whether to repair or replace your phone.
Read moreTell us the model and what it's doing. We'll tell you what it usually means, and what it would cost to fix.