Broke your phone? Oxford shops have your fix

Adel Saleh is talking to his customer. Photo by Kazi Mehedi Hasan

Adel Saleh repairs most any damaged mobile phone in just minutes. On average, nearly a dozen customers a day come to his shop for cell phone repair.

“People usually come to me with a damaged screen, damaged charging port or battery problems. I fix it in 10 to 15 minutes. It takes a little longer if the problem is complicated,” Saleh said.

Nearly 96 percent of adult Americans now own a cell phone of some kind, according to the Pew Research Center. To support the huge number of users who do not want to be away from their gadgets even for a moment, it stands to reason that the business of repairing cell phones is also increasing.

In Oxford alone, there are at least four places to get your phone fixed, including Cellairis, CPR Cell Phone Repair and Ubreakifix.

Saleh is the owner of Sam’s, which is near Papa John’s on busy Jackson Avenue. He took a training course and for the last nine years, he’s worked repairing cell phones.

This is 360 image of Adel Saleh’s cell phone repair shop. Photo by Kazi Mehedi Hasan.

His 800-square feet shop is full of mobile phone accessories as well as a variety of other items including perfumes, jewelry, bracelets, watches, T-shirts, hats and tobacco. However, most of the customers come for cell phone servicing.

“My phone screen has been in a little trouble for a week. Screen lights are popping up. I’ve been repairing cell phones and gadgets here for the past three years. He works great. I’ll pick up my phone shortly,” said 59-year-old retired dog shelter worker David Levy.

Saleh said customers value his speed.

“People can go anywhere for similar service, but many people come to me because I usually do their work in just a few minutes. It takes two-to-three days or more to repair a phone online or elsewhere. My advantage is that I get to work quickly. That’s why people come to me,” Saleh said.

One one day in September, three customers with broken phones visited within a half-hour, but Saleh turned one woman away.

“I don’t fix any problems with the motherboard of the phone. Nobody can do it except the manufacturing company.”

A signboard in front of the Saleh’s shop. Photo by Kazi Mehedi Hasan.

Born in Yemen Saleh came to the U.S.in 1999 and lived in New York before moving to Oxford with his family in 2006 to look for a job. He started his cellphone repair shop in 2010.

Saleh said he charges a minimum of $10 to fix a phone, but the price may go up, depending on the damage and the price of the spares needed for the repair. However, when he anticipates a high cost to repair a damaged cellphone, he recommends buying an old one instead of repairing it.

“Many people sell their old cellphones to me for various reasons. When I see someone’s phone set is damaged a lot, I advise them to sell it to me. Because repairing seriously-damaged cellphone is difficult, time-consuming and not cost-effective for the customer,” Saleh said.

This story contributed by Kazi Mehedi Hasan, an Ole Miss graduate student.