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The iPhone hasn't been around for very long

by George Lovell | | 0 comments

At just 15 years old, the iPhone was absent for the first 99.992% of mankind, and 99.999999996% of life on earth. Yet here we are.

People experience a gamut of negative emotions that arise from not having the latest iPhone, including jealousy and shame. We think that we need to own an iPhone 13 to be accepted, productive and happy.



Anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens), have been around for 192,000 years. In that time, there's been about 118 billion of us.

Apple have sold an estimated 2.2 billion iPhones since production began. There's currently 1 billion active Apple iPhones, so we can assume about 1 billion people are using an iPhone right now. 

The most popular product line of all time, and one that you simply could not imagine life without - yet still, less than 1% of all humans have ever even seen one.

The iPhone 13 series has been very successful. Apple has shipped around 60 million units so far. That's 1 iPhone 13 for every 129 people on Earth. If you are fortunate enough to have an iPhone 13, you're part of the 0.77% of living people, and 0.0005% of humans ever.

The majority of people simply cannot afford an £800 phone. In many developing countries, owning a smartphone is still less common than not owning one.

The next iPhone, which 0.0004% of all Mankind will ever hold, will not contain some magical feature that will fix all of your problems, or that you suddenly cannot live without.

Regardless of which iPhone you have and how you feel about that, just reflect on the fact that through no agency of your own, you were born in a very specific time and place which affords you the undeniable luxury that is unlimited access to information, communication and entertainment.
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Playing games is part of our job

by George Lovell | | 0 comments

The most crucial aspect of game console repair? Thorough testing😁



From the creators of the N64, Game Boy, DS, and Wii, comes the Switch - the worlds first hybrid console, which enables the user to connect a handheld console to a TV. Released by Nintendo in 2017, the Switch has sold over 107 million units - meaning it is closing in on the Game Boy, but is still a long way behind the best-selling Nintendo DS.

Physically damaged charging ports and game card readers are commonplace on Nintendo Switches, particularly those operated by impatient children. But what we often see are short circuits which cause the charging circuit, game card reader, fan, or joy-cons to fail - through no fault of the user.

PlayStation and Xbox HDMI ports are about as fragile as Taylor Swifts heart, and may as well be fixed to the board with Donald Trumps hair. One yank of the cable and it's good night gamers. We suspect that this occurs so frequently due to kids moving their consoles from one room to another, from Mums house to Dads house, or to a friends house. Be very gentle, and avoid removing the cable from the back of the console. Also, never remove the HDMI cable whilst the console is switched on, as this can blow a component called the Redriver.

Some of these repairs can be a challenging puzzle - a bit of a game in itself. Each success is aptly satisfying, and as we gain more XP, we continue to level up!💪🏆
Thanks for reading!

See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about. 
 

Can't hear anyone on the phone?

by George Lovell | | 0 comments

It's hard to take your client or partner seriously on the phone when they sound like a droid in a tornado.

Do you frequently get ear infections? Perhaps blasting heavy metal through headphones 24/7 has given you tinnitus. Or maybe you're just getting old.

If none of these apply, then either your ears need cleaning, or your speakers do. In either case, we can help.

If your earpiece speaker is quiet or unclear, then it's often a quick, simple and inexpensive repair. We can replace the mesh or grill, which often gets blocked up with dust, earwax, sweat, sand, food particles, asbestos, and God-knows-what else - thus allowing the sweet, dulcet tones of your Mother-in-law to pass through your ear canal with pristine clarity. The speaker itself will not need replacing in most cases.


This fault mostly occurs in iPhones, particularly in the X, XS, XR and 11 series - so much so, that we've added "Quiet Earpiece Speaker" as a repair option on our website: Repairs & Services

Because you don't want to be that psycho screaming at their phone on the tube, or worse, having a long catch up with their mate on loudspeaker.
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See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about. 
 

New Galaxy Z Flip, Z Fold and Watch

by George Lovell | | 0 comments

The first mobile phones were bricks.

Immense innovation, investment, research and development resulted in smaller devices year-on-year, until eventually our mobile phones were small and foldable. 

Further innovation increased the utility of phones, giving us increasingly more capable devices year-on-year, with bigger screens for better usability. Consequently, phones were once again too big to fit into one's pocket.

Now, with even further innovation, phones are becoming small and foldable again.

Sometimes technology must commit to exploring and maxing out one path before circling back to progress on another. The end result is a "perfect" product. The best of both worlds.



The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 & Fold 4 are both slimmer and lighter than their predecessors, and feature a much improved camera system.

More notable are the software upgrades.

Android 12L is a new OS which has been specifically designed and optimised for Folds - enabling users to open full-screen apps in pop up windows, or split the screen in to two for multitasking. It's like a mini PC.

The Flip now allows users to make calls, reply to texts, access wallet, unlock cars and control home gadgets without flipping the device open.

The Flip is available in 75 bespoke colour combinations, which is pretty neat!

The Flip starts at $999.99. The Fold starts at $1799.99. At this price, you might expect the Fold to have equivalent or better specs than the S22 Ultra - but it doesn't. You are paying more for the fancy design - which may actually be worth it for some users, such as mobile gamers, or workers that travel without a tablet or laptop.

Given our love of the flip phone and their undeniable utility, it would be unfair to label the Galaxy Z Flip/Fold as a fad or gimmick. It would be better to view each iteration as a step towards the ultimate smartphone. We love to see companies pushing the boundaries of consumer tech with futuristic products that you can actually go out and buy (if you can afford it).

Here comes the competition: The Google Pixel Fold is rumoured to be coming soon. Things are about to get interesting.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 just dropped, and with a bigger battery and a body temperature sensor.



Wearables are starting to get their act together - soon to become a key personal possession for everyone and their uncle, just like our phones did in the previous decade.

More importantly, these look awesome. Regardless of how much you adore your Apple Watch, it will never come close to the Galaxy Watch in terms of aesthetics.
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See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about. 
 

A milestone week at Talkback

by George Lovell | | 0 comments

On the week that the mercury dips into the mid 30's (that's 93°F for the boomers out there👵), we reflect on our past 7 days in numbers...
 
> Our 100th Google review is literally a cracker (pictured), and solidifies us as the 5-star phone shop ⭐️



> We help 2 apprehensive elderly customers get to grips with their first smartphones 🧓
 
> More than 50% of customers purchasing a new device have elected to trade in their old one ♻️
 
> Over 3000 invaluable photos & videos recovered from a water-damaged device 🥳
 
> 25 screen protectors sold 💰
 
> 8 donuts, 6 apples, 1 box of chocolates and 4 beers gifted by awesome customers 🍻
 
> £28 spent just on tape/adhesive for repairs 😒
 
> (An estimated) 95% of customers needing their device repaired ASAP because they are going on holiday tomorrow or have a relative in hospital ✈️
 
> 0 workplace accidents, injuries or lawsuits 😅
 
Wear sun cream, drink water, and have a great weekend friends ☀️
Thanks for reading!

See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about.