Smartphones are no longer just devices for calls and messages. With Apple’s Apple Intelligence platform built into the iPhone 17 lineup, Samsung’s Galaxy AI integrated across the Galaxy S25 series, and Google’s Gemini deeply embedded in Pixel 10 devices, today’s flagship phones function as personal AI assistants — capable of summarizing text, editing photos, translating conversations in real time, and handling complex tasks entirely on-device.
This shift changes the calculation when a phone gets damaged. For years, the decision to repair or replace was essentially about communication: could you still make calls, send messages, navigate? Today, a damaged phone means losing access to a sophisticated AI tool that many users have made a genuine part of their daily routine.
Apple Intelligence, available across the iPhone 17 lineup with the Pro starting at $1,099 and Pro Max at $1,199, adds writing assistance, image generation, on-device processing, and a significantly upgraded Siri experience. Samsung’s Galaxy AI, featured in the Galaxy S25 Ultra starting at $1,299, brings live call translation, AI-assisted note-taking, and intelligent photo tools. Google’s Gemini, integrated into the Pixel 10 Pro starting at $999, enables on-device AI reasoning for everyday tasks without requiring cloud processing.
These are not novelty features. For many users, AI-assisted tools have become a standard part of how they work, communicate, and manage information. When the device hosting those capabilities is damaged, the disruption goes beyond losing a phone — it means losing a personal assistant that has become part of daily life.
Professional phone repair services have kept pace with the sophistication of these newer devices. Experienced technicians now routinely handle repairs on the latest flagship models, restoring them to full functionality so that users can return quickly to the tools and features they depend on.
Screen damage remains the most common reason people bring in phones for service. But as cameras have grown more complex and battery requirements have increased to support on-device AI processing workloads, camera repair and battery replacement have also become more frequent service categories. Water damage assessment and charging port repair round out the most common issues that professional shops handle regularly.
The Fix, a nationwide electronics repair and retail network with over 250 U.S. locations, handles repairs across all major device brands and models, including the latest AI-enabled smartphones. Founded in 2013 and having opened 110 new locations in the past year alone, the company has built the kind of national footprint that makes professional repair genuinely accessible to most consumers.
The financial case for repair has grown alongside the capabilities of these devices. When replacement means spending $999 to $1,299 for a new flagship phone, professional repair is the obvious first consideration — not a fallback. Keeping an AI-enabled device functional through professional service is, in most cases, the fastest and most cost-effective path back to full productivity.
As AI becomes a defining feature of modern smartphones rather than a premium addition, the value of keeping those devices in working order increases accordingly. For users who have built routines around these capabilities, professional repair is the most practical way to minimize disruption when something goes wrong.


