UK MNO EE has extended its two hour in-store repair service for mobile phones to stores across the rest of the UK.

The two hour in-store repair service was originally launched in Bluewater, Nottingham and Portsmouth in 2020  but is now being extended to 218 of its stores. According to its site it has 553 stores across the UK, so that’s about half the portfolio.

Typical repair times are apparently 1 to 2 hours, though where there is an intermittent fault or a more complex repair is needed, the device may be sent to a supporting store nearby for a next day service or to the main repair centre in Kent. The stores can apparently repair cosmetic damage, network calibration functions, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/NFC, battery, display, audio, camera, and software.

“Our superfast in-store repair service means customers can avoid the shame of a smashed screen and get back to enjoying the summer within a few hours,” said Bridget Lea, Managing Director of Commercial at EE. “Choosing to repair, reuse and recycle also means we’re all doing our part to help address the rising e-waste challenge.”

EE apparently feels explanation is needed as to why you might want to repair your phone should you knacker it in some way. It has therefore released a series of stats to accompany the announcement about the increased likelihood of cracking your screen now the sun’s out (a 46% jump apparently), and the devastating effects that could have on your image.

‘Those who fail to repair their screens are at a disadvantage across a number of different areas of life’ cautions EE. It also claims, according to a bit off surveying, that that one in six people aged under 35 would refuse to go on a second date with somebody having noticed their cracked screen, while 1 in 10 would deny someone a second job interview.

Serves you right, clumsy.

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