Fixing my iPhone's smashed and cracked screen: What's the best option?

So, my son didn't like the screen protector we put on his iPhone.

You can see where this is going, right?

I never, ever used screen protectors – those hardened plastic add-ons you can buy for your smartphones - until I moved to Oman and found them enormously popular. Eventually I bit the bullet and tried one out. It was a $15 Spigen one like this, if memory serves.

I then dropped my phone a few weeks after I applied it – and .. wow.. there was a huge crack in my Spigen screen protector... but my actual iPhone screen was still totally pristine.

I was sold.

Hashtag sold.

I bought one for my wife's iPhone.

And in due course, as my sons came of age and inherited our very old iPhone 11s, I installed a screen protector on both.

Son #1 was perfectly fine with it.

Son #2 really hated it. He didn't like it.

So he took it off. I warned him. But he preferred it without the extra layer.

Then someone sat on his phone and caused the screen to crack. At first it was just inconvenient - then someone mistakenly knocked it out of his hand, causing that crack to get a lot worse. A few weeks later, the phone doesn't work properly because of it.

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So what am I going to do?

Well, that's where I need your advice.

What is your suggestion?

When I lived in Oman, it was simple. There was a brilliant GadgetsOman repair shop that would sort everything out for me.

Here in the UK... I've been searching. Some of the reviews are quite concerning.

Here are the options as I see it:

Option 1: Apple

Apple estimates a £389 fee. Now that's for my iPhone 14, not the 11. I would presume it must be slightly cheaper than that.

Wait. I just went and checked. The actual estimate from an Apple store appears to be £349:

Given I can buy one (refurbished) from the likes of backmarket.com for £192, or just over £200 on Amazon (also 'renewed'), won't be doing that.

Option 2: Someone credible, like Vodafone

The Vodafone team just recently announced that 5 of their stores now offer screen replacements from about £69. The operative word is from. Although I'd imagine given it's an iPhone 11, a new screen replacement shouldn't be too expensive nowadays. Alas, with only 5 stores supporting Fix & Go at the moment, I don't really want to go all the way into London to avail of the service. I'd definitely be seriously considering this as the primary option if the local Vodafone store offered Fix & Go.

Option 3: Send it off to Timpson

Timpson, everyone's favourite local store (for everything from shoe repair, new keys, dry cleaning etc.,) also does phone repairs. Unfortunately, my local store doesn't offer this, so I'd have to send it in. Timpson's phone repair site suggests a new iPhone 11 replacement screen is £139. But I'd need to send it off to them.

Option 3: Google it (i.e. iSmash)

I googled a lot. The number one Google Ad result for 'iphone screen repair' (for my Google instance) was iSmash, who quoted £89 if you're going in-store:

The nearest iSmash is about 20 miles away... I could mail it in, just like Timpson.

I saw lots of positive reviews on the iSmash trustpilot. But I also saw quite a few 1-stars. Hmmm.

Option 4: The local shop (iTech Repair)

One of the local shops near me is part of a 12-branch chain of phone repair shops called iTech. Their website suggests a front screen repair cost of £64.99. That sounds pretty good. But, again, there are quite a few Google reviews that don't sound amazing, at all – and they're specifically for the local store.

I'm not sure about the quality or the screen they'll be replacing.

What should I do?

I don't know how iTech compares to, say, Timpson, or Fix & Go from Vodafone. Or, frankly, the stupid-crazy Apple store cost.

At least I know Apple would essentially be 'new'. Although I could buy 1.5 reconditioned iPhone 11 Pro Maxes for the repair cost.

I'm pretty sure that the Vodafone team wouldn't be saddling me with some rubbish fitting knock-off. Likewise Timpson.

I just don't reeeeeeelly want to be paying hundreds of pounds for a new screen. I don't think it's worth it. It doesn't feel worth it. I recognise these things are inherently expensive – and one of the most expensive aspects of a smartphone.

But, I also have some time pressure: Sending the phone off isn't a reasonable choice just because of the time of year, and our son needs the device. Or, put it another way, we need him to have it for convenience and safety. So I'm aiming for some kind of same-day service, I think.

What would you do? What am I missing?

I'm leaning heavily toward the local shop option. I'll go in, I'll talk to the team, I'll see what they quote me... And I'll report back.