Is my iPhone salvageable?

[AppleGoat]

I dropped my iPhone 6 for the umpteeth time 3 weeks ago. It incurred no further cosmetic damage but, shortly after the fall, it started to misbehave and hasn't been right since. Most of the time, the touchscreen is unresponsive/frozen but the home and side buttons work fine all the time.

At other times, it works perfectly but these moments are few and far between. Typically, after a hard reset the touchscreen will operate normally but this will be fleeting. This has confounded my IT and Geek Squad friend, as it would seem to indicate it is a software issue. Assumedly, if it were a hardware issue, why would it, at times, work normally?

I have done not one, but two, factory resets. The second time, I didn't bring my backup in right away. No dice. I later paid a visit to the Genius Bar and he diagosed it as a hardware issue. He said the phantom gestures was a giveaway the touchscreen was broken and it could not be fixed since it is an internal problem.

Thus, for the cost of replacing the screen, they would just give me a new iPhone 6 for $129. Not a bad deal, especially since the trade-in value is greater.

Now, as strange as this may sound, my phone has sentimental value. Over the past 3 years, it has been with me through a lot. Including a mountain climbing feat I accomplished. The entire time my phone was my camera which led me to invest in an APS-C camera.

Do you think I should get a replacement unit or should I get one of those touchscreen replacement kits on Amazon?

Thanks in advance!

 

[noteple]

Take the Apple fix and don't look back

 

[fischersd]

+1 take the Apple replacement.

As to what is happening? Virtually every time you drop your phone you get what we call "micro-fractures" in the system board of the phone. Drop it enough times, there's shifts in the layers of the board and connections are made between circuits that were never intended. This can produce random, unpredictable results. It can also cause file corruption.

You need to NOT keep this phone - it's only going to cause you a lot more grief.

 

[AppleGoat]

+1 take the Apple replacement.

As to what is happening? Virtually every time you drop your phone you get what we call "micro-fractures" in the system board of the phone. Drop it enough times, there's shifts in the layers of the board and connections are made between circuits that were never intended. This can produce random, unpredictable results. It can also cause file corruption.

You need to NOT keep this phone - it's only going to cause you a lot more grief.

Thank you very much for the explanation -- it sounds like getting one of those screen replacement kits on Amazon would not be the answer.

Now my only question is whether I should take this opportunity to upgrade to a newer iPhone. I want the X the most but it is so darn expensive and because of the X the 8 feels like it is a generation old already.

I know Verizon runs those deals -- $200 trade-in towards a new phone but I assume that doesn't count defective, non-working phones.

 

[Brandonjr36]

I would just upgrade if I was you. The 6 is getting kinda old now. Might as well just upgrade. Then you don’t have nothin to worry about for awhile.

 

[Five_Oh]

Unless it stopped a bullet for you at some point, take the new phone.

On second thought, just take the new phone.

 

[bopajuice]

Get a better case.

 

[pdxmatts]

Now my only question is whether I should take this opportunity to upgrade to a newer iPhone. I want the X the most but it is so darn expensive and because of the X the 8 feels like it is a generation old already.

I think it's funny that you would consider the 8 a generation old but are considering getting a replacement for another 6. 😵 I would upgrade, anything would be better than a 6, even the 6S has more Ram.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/?afid=p238|su17qL0TP-dc_mtid_20925d2q39172_pcrid_221539685277&cid=wwa-us-kwgo-iphone-slid--

 

[fischersd]

Thank you very much for the explanation -- it sounds like getting one of those screen replacement kits on Amazon would not be the answer.

Now my only question is whether I should take this opportunity to upgrade to a newer iPhone. I want the X the most but it is so darn expensive and because of the X the 8 feels like it is a generation old already.

I know Verizon runs those deals -- $200 trade-in towards a new phone but I assume that doesn't count defective, non-working phones.

It never hurts to ask. Ask Verizon if the condition of the trade-in matters. If they say no, then you just saved yourself an additional $129.

If the condition of the phone does matter, then you're only going to save $71 off the price of a new phone with the trade in, if you get the Apple replacement first. 🙁

You could also get the Apple replacement and try selling it for more than $200 on Swappa - make a few $ more towards getting a newer phone.

 

[tromboneaholic]

The best Verizon iPhone trade in promo is for 6s or newer. T-Mobile had a trade in promo for 6, which was $300 for a working phone. It was a good deal for the 6, especially since I traded my wife’s 6 and mine that had a few scratches on the back after 3 years.