MBL.REPAIR skill ladder
How repair levels work
Every repair shop on The Vendor List states the highest level it works at. Levels are about the kind of problem a shop can take on, not about how good the shop is. A great Level 1 shop is worth more to its customers than a sloppy Level 3 one.
Level 1 · Modular repair
Parts that plug in: screens, batteries, charge-port flexes, cameras, speakers, back glass on devices where it is a module. Diagnosis by swapping known-good parts.
Level 2 · Advanced repair
Everything that takes more than a part swap but stays off the board: frame and housing transfers, laminated back glass, liquid-damage cleaning, display refurbishing, soldered connectors and simple board-level data recovery handoffs.
Level 3 · PCB rework (microsoldering)
Board-level component work under the microscope. Level 3 is broken down diagnostically into 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 below.
Inside Level 3: PCB rework
Microsoldering is one skill, but the diagnostic work behind it is not. Level 3 is split into three tiers so that a shop sending out a board knows exactly what kind of technician is on the other end.
3.1 · Physical & scalable
Faults that are visually obvious or have a known, documented solution: torn pads, knocked-off components, connector replacement, backlight filters, known-bad ICs. The fixes were worked out by 3.2 and 3.3 technicians and can be reproduced reliably.
What it takes: Solid microscope and hot-air skills. Follows established repair guides and known solutions.
3.2 · Power & subsystems
Power and boot faults, plus subsystem diagnostics: charging, camera, display circuits, Wi‑Fi, audio, baseband and so on. True fault-finding rather than pattern-matching.
What it takes: Roughly 500 to 700 devices of board-level experience and genuine confidence on them. Schematics and board views are still needed to get around, but the systems are already known like the back of your hand.
3.3 · Data recovery & forensics
Parsing data out of devices that are too damaged to be worth taking through 3.2 for the sake of the device and are only valuable for what is on them. Hardware data recovery at its deepest.
What it takes: Knows the devices being worked on very deeply: power sequencing, storage, security chain. Data recovery as a whole happens at every level, but hardware-level recovery lives here.
A note on data recovery
Data recovery happens at every level. A Level 1 tech recovers data by getting a phone booting again with a new screen or battery; a Level 2 tech by cleaning liquid damage; a 3.2 tech by solving the power fault that stopped the phone booting. Tier 3.3 is specifically for devices that are past saving as devices and are only worth the data on them, which is hardware data recovery and forensics at its deepest.
Listing Level 3.2 or 3.3
Repair shops list for free at every level. A shop that declares 3.2 or 3.3 is making a serious claim that other shops will send boards on the strength of, so it has to be checked first: either an hour-long skills interview, or a YouTube channel where we can see the work. The interview is a natural conversation that covers electrical theory, schematic reading, BGA and reballing, low-density plastics, micro-jumper theory and execution, and your B2B process and policies, plus a short video submission of basic skills. Fail it and you can reapply after 6 months. Until both are done the listing shows as 3.1.
Why shops self-declare
Shops choose their own tier when they list, and must explain their Level 3 work in their own words. Reviews from other shops keep everyone honest. If a listing overstates its level, let us know.