Apple Begins Offering In-Store iPhone 5 Display Replacements for $149

[MacRumors]

As part of a shift to lower repair costs, Apple has begun replacing iPhone 5 screens at its retail locations. The new display replacement service is priced at $149 and can be purchased with or without AppleCare+.

Changes to Apple's repair policies first surfaced last month, where a town hall session revealed that Apple would begin in-house repairs of displays in June in an effort to save approximately $1 billion per year.

MacRumors heard from a tipster this morning that the new repair policy had been implemented and the changes have since been confirmed in a forum post from iPhone repair site Quick iFix. The repairs are available for cracked displays as well as screens that experience multitouch issues.

Quick iFix notes that Apple's $149 repair cost is competitive, causing the site to change its own repair costs. Quick iFix charged $174.99 for a display replacement in early May, but began offering repairs for $139.99 a few days later.

Apple's new display repairs are in line with AppleCare+ pricing, which costs $99 up front and then $49 for each replacement. The repair service is a more affordable alternative for iPhone users who opted not to purchase AppleCare+, as iPhone replacement previously cost $229.

Apple is expected to roll out additional in-house repair options in July, offering repairs of the iPhone's camera, sleep/wake buttons, and logic boards. Additional changes to AppleCare are also reportedly in the works, with Apple rumored to be switching to a subscription based plan tied to customers rather than individual devices.

Article Link: Apple Begins Offering In-Store iPhone 5 Display Replacements for $149

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

At that small of a price difference might as well go to Apple for repairs.

 

[Zwhaler]

Wow that's expensive. They're going to make a lot of money from this. I'd rather get it done for half that by a 3rd party, but to each his/her own and to be fair it's not easy to find display replacements for that price but they're out there.

 

[siurpeeman]

note to applecare+ customers: if you crack your screen and want the whole phone swapped out and not just the screen, dunk the phone in water first.

 

[Charliemil4]

There goes the third party industry...

I run a third party repair service... our only differentiator will be location. God bless us.

 

[mrobit]

note to applecare+ customers: if you crack your screen and want the whole phone swapped out and not just the screen, dunk the phone in water first.

Just so people know this only applies to AppleCare PLUS. Just want people to be aware before they go intentionally dropping their phones in the toilet/pool/dunk tank/cat dish only to find it's not covered.

 

[b11051973]

My sleep/wake button has only been half working for a couple months now. I had been procrastinating getting it fixed. My niece scratched the crap out of my screen last weekend somehow. So, I went in to get it replaced, because I had heard about them being able to fix the sleep button in July. I wanted a full swap so I could get a new screen as well.

 

[iMikeT]

So what exactly does this mean to existing AppleCare+ customers?

 

[3282868]

This seems excessive as many have gone to Craigslist for inexpensive repairs with Apple parts. When I lived in L.A. during the 3G/3GS iPhones, friends recommended a guy who used his garage as a make-shift repair center. I was impressed as he had a professional business aesthetic. The display replacement cost ~$70.

 

[xxnemoxx]

Wow that's expensive. They're going to make a lot of money from this. I'd rather get it done for half that by a 3rd party, but to each his/her own and to be fair it's not easy to find display replacements for that price but they're out there.

To be honest, the iPhone 5 displays are expensive as hell to purchase, so $150 is actually a pretty decent price. only a couple a weeks ago the displays were about $200 for the part alone. I own a repair shop, so this is how I know.

 

[iThinkIt]

that's pretty fecund expensive... cheaper to get done elsewhere.

 

[xpected_one]

So what exactly does this mean to existing AppleCare+ customers?

This is what I am trying to figure out.. my guess is that for 149$ that covers screen only, where as those of us who bought AC+ we get entire replacement coverage for the 99$ plus 50$ deductible.

 

[Earendil]

Wow that's expensive. They're going to make a lot of money from this. I'd rather get it done for half that by a 3rd party, but to each his/her own and to be fair it's not easy to find display replacements for that price but they're out there.

For what you're getting though, is it that expensive? What's the price per pixel cost to replace a laptop screen? Or replace your desktop monitor?
At $150, that's 1/5 of a penny per pixel!

The other way to look at it is what it costs to replace the entire phone, in which case it still seems cheap.

Now, whether it's affordable on an individual basis is a whole different matter.

 

[DVNIEL]

Awwww... sad day for those people who can't stand a blemish on their phone and have to make up something to get the whole phone replaced.

 

[Earendil]

This seems excessive as many have gone to Craigslist for inexpensive repairs with Apple parts. When I lived in L.A. during the 3G/3GS iPhones, friends recommended a guy who used his garage as a make-shift repair center. I was impressed as he had a professional business aesthetic. The display replacement cost ~$70.

Which was for the old, cheaper screens, right? These new retina screens, it turns out, cost a tiny bit more than the old ones, and are in shorter supply.

that's pretty fecund expensive... cheaper to get done elsewhere.

Did you read the article? They quote the price from a reputable repair shop as being more expensive than this prior to Apple coming out with this pricing. Who with a guarantee offers this service for so much less, that $150 is "fecund expensive" ? Please, let the good people here know your source!

 

[sbailey4]

This is what I am trying to figure out.. my guess is that for 149$ that covers screen only, where as those of us who bought AC+ we get entire replacement coverage for the 99$ plus 50$ deductible.

I believe this is just a one time repair service on the screen. Nothing to do with AppleCare. Even non AppleCare users can go and get their phone display fixed for $149. I would suspect AppleCare users who need a new display would still pay their $49 ded just like they would now.

 

[ToomeyND]

This is the only place I've looked for screens (my wife dropped her phone on Saturday ), but it is $150 just for the part. To have apple install it for the same price seems like a pretty good deal. If others have a better solution other than saying, "I can get it cheaper elsewhere," please post it!

http://www.amazon.com/Screen-Digitizer-Assembly-Replacement-iPhone/dp/B00APSNZSG/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370288014&sr=8-2&keywords=iphone+5+screen+replacement

 

[baryon]

So, with AppleCare+ it costs $99 + $49 for a screen repair, and without it it costs $149? Why would anyone get AppleCare+, then?

 

[sbailey4]

So, with AppleCare+ it costs $99 + $49 for a screen repair, and without it it costs $149? Why would anyone get AppleCare+, then?

OK You may need to go read up on AppleCare. That is a full warranty for any issue INCLUDING the accidental damage (twice) for the additional $49. All other repairs are included for 2 yrs with no deductible. Also AppleCare would cover a full replacement due to water damage or fried main board , broken home button, fried wifi chip, etc. This repair is simply a one time broken display fix for $149. If you break it again you pay another $149.

 

[JoeyCloverfield]

Does this new price apply to those who have to send the phone to Apple? Or is it just in-store?

 

[Jovian9]

So, with AppleCare+ it costs $99 + $49 for a screen repair, and without it it costs $149? Why would anyone get AppleCare+, then?

B/C APP+ covers more than screen replacement. It also extends the warranty from 1 year to 2 years for anything that goes wrong with the phone that is not customer damage. As well as it gives you 2 incidents of breaking it for a $49 deductible.

So technically with APP+ you have 2 years of warranty and can break your phone twice (screen, water, etc.) and only spend a total of $200.00 to have it replaced twice. This would cost you $300 for 2 screen replacements plus you only have a one year warranty.

 

[iMikeT]

I believe this is just a one time repair service on the screen. Nothing to do with AppleCare. Even non AppleCare users can go and get their phone display fixed for $149. I would suspect AppleCare users who need a new display would still pay their $49 ded just like they would now.

I hope that's the case as it would suck to pay the full $149 instead of $49.

----------

OK You may need to go read up on AppleCare. That is a full warranty for any issue INCLUDING the accidental damage (twice) for the additional $49. All other repairs are included for 2 yrs with no deductible. Also AppleCare would cover a full replacement due to water damage or fried main board , broken home button, fried wifi chip, etc. This repair is simply a one time broken display fix for $149. If you break it again you pay another $149.

Suppose [accidental] damage happens twice to an iPhone under AppleCare, so that's $99 for AppleCare+, $49 x 2 for the replacement giving us a grand total of $197. Without AppleCare, it's $149 x 2 which is a total of $298. Total savings of $101.

 

[bsbeamer]

My local Apple retail stores have been doing this for $149 for at least the last 10 days - just went with friend of mine to get his iPhone 5 screen replaced and was told there's an 85% chance it works, or else I believe it was pay another $100 and you can get the phone swapped out.

 

[blue22]

"jish" insurance...

So, with AppleCare+ it costs $99 + $49 for a screen repair, and without it it costs $149? Why would anyone get AppleCare+, then?

I'd imagine the main reason for actually buying AC+ now would be precisely for having "just in case **** happens" insurance to cover the cost to repair more than just a damaged screen; i.e. a damaged frame body, broken camera part, or water damage, just to name a few areas of concern.

 

[Trik]

I agree with those questioning the worth of Apple Care+ now. I have had an iPhone since 2007, and the only thing I had go wrong was when I dropped it and smashed the screen (once in ~ 6 years of iPhone ownership). So, $99 + $49 for replacement, OR, $149 for replacing the screen. If you are especially klutzy, then by all means, but I upgrade my phone every year, so it's more cost effective to just pay after the fact now than it is to buy it beforehand and have nothing happen.