Air Force alumnus Nicholas Williams has always been “hands-on” and “tech-savvy,” which proved invaluable when he launched Indiana Phones smartphone repair in Pacific Beach.
“My grandpa and I used to build remote-control airplanes together then race them in competition,” said the newly minted entrepreneur. “I was also building computers at 11 years old.”
Starting from a repair hut next to In-N-Out Burger at 2922 Damon Ave., Williams has since expanded Indiana Phones to 1630 Grand Ave. adjacent to Cycle Coffee.
On sdindianaphones.com, the company bills itself as the “go-to phone-repair shop for customers who want to bring their broken phones back to life.”
Is there life after near-death for cell phones?
“You betcha,” said Williams, who added most cell-phone repairs can be done easily and quickly in front of the customer.
“The most common repair is broken screens,” he said. “The second most-common repair is the portal not taking a charge. Battery replacement is third. Then home button and camera replacement. Most repairs can be done in 30 minutes.”
There are other, more-extensive repairs that take longer, like water-damaged devices, another of Indiana Phone’s specialities.
“That, and iPads, take a full 24 hours to do,” noted Williams describing the process.
“We remove any water from the phone then take the motherboard out and put in an alcohol solution to get rid of any rust particles so it won’t rust after we repair it.”  Williams estimated about 70 percent of water-damaged phones are repairable. Indiana Phones also does laptop and computer repairs.
About his unique, movie-themed business name, Williams, who’s big on puns said, “It just came to me one day hanging out by the pool trying to think of a catchy name for mobile cell-phone repair.”
Indiana Jones is the fictional archaeology professor Dr. Henry Walton from the “Indiana Jones” movie series who has survived a few death-defying chase scenes.
Williams is pleased about his second high-profile location on Grand Avenue in a brand-new building.
noting such spots “are hard to come by in Pacific Beach.”
Would Indiana Phones travel well? Are we going to see the company franchised some day?
“If I find a good enough investor,” replied Williams. Indiana Phones Where: 2922 Damon Ave., 1630 Grand Ave. Hours:?10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Info:?sdindianaphones.com, 619-577-3065.