Students will have another option when it comes to mobile device repairs with Genius Phone Repair creating a new home on Grand River Avenue. The new business, which originated in Grand Rapids, deals with solving physical and hardware malfunctions and provides more options for student who have encountered phone troubles.
Genius Phone Repair conducts mostly physical damage such as replacing cracked screens, button repairs, headset jacks, charger outlets and internal hardware and water damage. It is independent from all other carriers, such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, though they work closely with one another, making the business unique from other options in the area.
Genius Phone Repair first opened in July 2011, and since then has opened five more locations throughout Michigan including their newest store in East Lansing. Co-owner of Genius Phone Repair Steven Barnes believes the new store will be helpful to students because his business offers a service not many already offer in the area.
“We figured, we’ve never really hit the college demographic, and we knew that at MSU and even Lansing, there wasn’t much competition. We realized there was a need for a store like ours out there,” Barnes said. “We found the spot right on campus and thought that it would be great for the thousands of students right on campus, so we wanted to be close enough to them so they could walk there.”
Screen replacements at Genius Phone Repair cost $79.99, while the MSU Computer Store also offers similar repair services for broken smart phone screens for $40-50. The MSU Computer Store services are not as extensive as what one could receive from insurance at a carrier’s store or uninsured at Genuis Phone Repair.
Barnes said his repair shop differs from mainstream phone stores because they offer their services even if the phone is uninsured.
“When a student does not have insurance on their phone, they can come in here and usually have their screen, which is 90 percent of our business, replaced for a reasonable cost,” Genius Phone Repair Store Manager Jayson Vander Stel said. “Even if they do have insurance, many times it’s cheaper than a deductible.”
Verizon Wireless at Cellular & More, located on Grand River Avenue as well, offers a wider variety of issues involving accounts, as well as similar repairs as Genius Phone Repair, but insurance is needed for service.
Advertising sophomore Amanda Bonner, who has had her share of phone issues, said she was unaware of the new repair store and in the past has had her provider solve her phone troubles.
“I’ve had multiple issues with broken phones, I’ve been known to drop my phone,” Bonner said. “Just this summer I dropped it and my screen completely shattered, so I took it to the Apple Store to get it replaced.”
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