iPhone 5 or earlier R.I.P. iPhone 5s. Where can I get a replacement?

[conteaparis]

So long story short, I just smashed my iPhone 5s in the Kmart parking lot. It's still "working"...for now, but chunks of glass are slowly peeling off and I had to pop the screen back in cause it was bowed out. Yikes. Up until that moment, it ran great imo for a 5(?) year old phone. Where's the safest place to get a replacement unit? There are a lot of places selling "pre-owned" like eBay, but how do I know which ones are not going to rip me off (like a stolen phone or something)? Would it even be worth it to just get the screen replaced?

I wouldn't be totally against getting a newer phone either. I'd rather buy a brand new phone vs a refurbished one anyway (bad Apple Care experiences). I'm not a heavy phone user, so I'm looking more towards the lower end. iPhone X is awesome and all, but I'll be getting one in like 5 years anyway when the prices aren't seizure-inducing anymore. I don't want anything more smashable than the 5s! The new glass iPhone's absolutely terrify me. I'm way too clumsy with these things. In fact, the 5s was a hand-me-down, because I dropped my 4s into a puddle not even a year ago. On that note, water resistance would be really, really nice to have.

The iPhone SE seems like the most reasonable trade up. Is it worth the current $350 price tag though? I'd be going from a base 5s to a phone that has 32GB storage vs 16GB (getting the Storage Full message a lot lately), Apple Pay (really think this would be useful), a better camera (basically 70% of my phone usage), and a much faster processor I'm assuming. Isn't the SE kind of old too though, so will it simply become obsolete within a couple of iOS updates? I don't like the form factor of the new iPhones vs that of the 5s. Larger screens, yeah, but I have an iPad for that. But since the SE is the same as the 5s on the outside, I'm guessing that it's not water resistant either. Those are some factors I am weighing. I'm on T-mobile, and the last time they did the BOGO iPhone SE deal, I passed on it. Is there a chance that will return during the holidays if they want to clear out their stock or something? If anyone in the know could give me some tips, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[BugeyeSTI]

If you love the small form factor the SE is your best choice. If you want water resistance and newer features your only option is iPhone 7. The 7 will most likely be supported longer than the SE but the difference in performance isn’t huge. Really depends how much money your willing to spend on a new device

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

The SE is still a very capable phone and runs very well on the latest iOS 11 updates. I think you'd be surprised at how quickly you would adapt to a larger screen size and the 4.7 inch models are very manageable. Since you don't want the added frailty of more glass, the iPhone 7 would be a perfect upgrade and they're selling for much cheaper than the current lineup. The SE has the same internals as a 6s so you'd be getting an additional year of support out of the 7.

I'm not 100% sure on the SE but the iPhone 7 and up are rated IP67 and have performed very well in water tests that I've watched.

 

[timeconsumer]

So long story short, I just smashed my iPhone 5s in the Kmart parking lot. It's still "working"...for now, but chunks of glass are slowly peeling off and I had to pop the screen back in cause it was bowed out. Yikes. Up until that moment, it ran great imo for a 5(?) year old phone. Where's the safest place to get a replacement unit? There are a lot of places selling "pre-owned" like eBay, but how do I know which ones are not going to rip me off (like a stolen phone or something)? Would it even be worth it to just get the screen replaced?

I wouldn't be totally against getting a newer phone either. I'm not a heavy phone user, so I'm looking more towards the lower end. iPhone X is awesome and all, but I'll be getting one in like 5 years anyway when the prices aren't seizure-inducing anymore. I don't want anything more smashable than the 5s! The new glass iPhone's absolutely terrify me. I'm way too clumsy with these things. In fact, the 5s was a hand-me-down, because I dropped my 4s into a puddle not even a year ago. On that note, water resistance would be really, really nice to have.

A replacement 5s is my target, but iPhone SE seems like a reasonable trade up. I'd much prefer to buy a brand new phone vs a refurbished one anyway (bad Apple Care experiences). Is it worth the current $350 price tag though? I'd be going from a base 5s to a phone that has 32GB storage vs 16GB (getting the Storage Full message a lot lately), Apple Pay (really think this would be useful), a better camera (basically 70% of my phone usage), and a much faster processor I'm assuming. Isn't the SE kind of old too though, so will it simply become obsolete within a couple of iOS updates? I don't like the form factor of the new iPhones vs that of the 5s. Larger screens, yeah, but I have an iPad for that. But since the SE is the same as the 5s on the outside, I'm guessing that it's not water resistant either. Those are some factors I am weighing. I'm on T-mobile, and the last time they did the BOGO iPhone SE deal, I passed on it. Is there a chance that will return during the holidays if they want to clear out their stock or something? If anyone in the know could give me some tips, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

If you'd like to keep the iPhone 5s, you could have Apple repair it. Here's a link to their repair options:
https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/service/pricing

If you're interested in getting a new phone, the SE would be the upgrade to the 5s.

You can also find good deals from the Apple refurbished site, I know you said that you don't like refurbished devices, but Apple refurbished devices are really good. Here's what Apple says about their refurbished iPhones:

• We test and certify all Apple refurbished products and include a 1-year warranty.
• All refurbished iPhone models also include a brand new battery, new outer shell and a new white box.
• Supply is limited and availability is guaranteed once we receive your full payment

For example, you can get a refurbished 6s 16GB in gold for $369: https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/iphone/iphone_6s

As far as what device to go with, the SE is still a good choice. It has a good battery life and is fast from everything I've read about it. Since Apple is still selling it as new, it should get software support for awhile. I'm not too familiar with T-Mobile, but you should be able to get a good deal on a device around this time of the year.

 

[noobinator]

Look at www.swappa.com and search for the phone you'd like. I'd recommend the SE as well but you can find many different phones. Find a seller with lots of good feedback and look carefully at all the pictures and read the descriptions closely too. You will be backed by PayPal.

 

[ftaok]

If it's just a smashed screen, you can easily replace it. I've replaced the screen on tons of iPhone5 units and it's really easy. The 5s is a little more involved because of the touchID sensor has to be moved from the old screen to the replacement one.

ft

 

[Brandonjr36]

So long story short, I just smashed my iPhone 5s in the Kmart parking lot. It's still "working"...for now, but chunks of glass are slowly peeling off and I had to pop the screen back in cause it was bowed out. Yikes. Up until that moment, it ran great imo for a 5(?) year old phone. Where's the safest place to get a replacement unit? There are a lot of places selling "pre-owned" like eBay, but how do I know which ones are not going to rip me off (like a stolen phone or something)? Would it even be worth it to just get the screen replaced?

I wouldn't be totally against getting a newer phone either. I'd rather buy a brand new phone vs a refurbished one anyway (bad Apple Care experiences). I'm not a heavy phone user, so I'm looking more towards the lower end. iPhone X is awesome and all, but I'll be getting one in like 5 years anyway when the prices aren't seizure-inducing anymore. I don't want anything more smashable than the 5s! The new glass iPhone's absolutely terrify me. I'm way too clumsy with these things. In fact, the 5s was a hand-me-down, because I dropped my 4s into a puddle not even a year ago. On that note, water resistance would be really, really nice to have.

The iPhone SE seems like the most reasonable trade up. Is it worth the current $350 price tag though? I'd be going from a base 5s to a phone that has 32GB storage vs 16GB (getting the Storage Full message a lot lately), Apple Pay (really think this would be useful), a better camera (basically 70% of my phone usage), and a much faster processor I'm assuming. Isn't the SE kind of old too though, so will it simply become obsolete within a couple of iOS updates? I don't like the form factor of the new iPhones vs that of the 5s. Larger screens, yeah, but I have an iPad for that. But since the SE is the same as the 5s on the outside, I'm guessing that it's not water resistant either. Those are some factors I am weighing. I'm on T-mobile, and the last time they did the BOGO iPhone SE deal, I passed on it. Is there a chance that will return during the holidays if they want to clear out their stock or something? If anyone in the know could give me some tips, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

You can get an iPhone se at Walmart for AT&T for $149

 

[robotica]

I second the getting the screen replaced option and stick it out until the next upgrade cycle.
Can get a screen repaired for about £30 professionally at a third party repair shop.

 

[Cergman]

Who's your carrier?

There are tons of deals on iPhone SE's if you get one locked to certain carriers. AT&T has one for $150 at BestBuy. I think the SE's are still incredible phones, even as much as I do love my X.

 

[saltd]

The SE is a beast. You need it.
[doublepost=1513383869][/doublepost]

Who's your carrier?

There are tons of deals on iPhone SE's if you get one locked to certain carriers. AT&T has one for $150 at BestBuy. I think the SE's are still incredible phones, even as much as I do love my X.

Same here. Love the X, but I can’t bear to sell my SE.

 

[fischersd]

I'd get the screen replaced, then get the SE refresh (rumoured to be out in the spring of next year). That one should tide you over for another 5-ish years.

 

[44267547]

I second the getting the screen replaced option and stick it out until the next upgrade cycle.
Can get a screen repaired for about £30 professionally at a third party repair shop.

Generally I don't always recommend third-party repair, because if something does go wrong with the repair process, Apple won't stand behind the product, especially if they are using third-party parts that are not OEM. I'm not saying that's the case for every third-party repair store, but there have been instances where Apple has declined service because of another third-party stores work.

 

[KhunJay]

So long story short, I just smashed my iPhone 5s in the Kmart parking lot.

sorry for your loss....he was an outstanding phone who always served his masters well and put performance before profit unlike the new Timmy regime.

Mine is chundering on like a trooper on iOS9 and a new battery....altho he has been retired from active duty and will only be deployed on the frontline when I am travelling to third world dumpsters where you can get killed for an iPhone X.

 

[ftaok]

Generally I don't always recommend third-party repair, because if something does go wrong with the repair process, Apple won't stand behind the product, especially if they are using third-party parts that are not OEM. I'm not saying that's the case for every third-party repair store, but there have been instances where Apple has declined service because of another third-party stores work.

In this case, the phone is way past warranty. There’s no open recall issues. It’s an easy repair. There is very little risk for doing it yourself, let alone a good repair shop. Apple’s price for a replacemyent battery screen is way too much for a 4 year old phone.

Just my opinion.

 

[44267547]

In this case, the phone is way past warranty. There’s no open recall issues. It’s an easy repair. There is very little risk for doing it yourself, let alone a good repair shop. Apple’s price for a replacement battery is way too much for a 4 year old phone.

Just my opinion.

I'm not disparaging against any third-party repair shops, it's just my preference that I don't recommend Them regardless. The phone was out of warranty and we're not recall, I prefer Apple to make the repairs, being I know they stand behind their own work if something goes awry.

 

[praterkeith]

Wait, K-Mart parking lot? I didn't know those existed!

 

[conteaparis]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I'd get the screen replaced, then get the SE refresh (rumoured to be out in the spring of next year). That one should tide you over for another 5-ish years.

Oh that’s definitely something to consider! First I’ve heard of this actually. I think that’s the best course of action now. $129 is a bit steep to replace the screen imo...but I think Relentless Power makes a good point about going third party. Hmmm, but then I might want to get the refreshed SE if its coming as soon as spring. Many choices...

Wait, K-Mart parking lot? I didn't know those existed!

I don’t know how either tbh...

 

[fischersd]

Thanks for all the advice guys!



Oh that’s definitely something to consider! First I’ve heard of this actually. I think that’s the best course of action now. $129 is a bit steep to replace the screen imo...but I think Relentless Power makes a good point about going third party. Hmmm, but then I might want to get the refreshed SE if its coming as soon as spring. Many choices...

If you're not mechanically inclined yourself, then you need someone else to do the repair - if you have a technical friend that does this on a regular basis, you could get the screen replacement from somewhere reputable like ifixit. (https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+5s+Front+Panel+Replacement/22096) Their part is $40

Chances are if you ask around, there's a local repair shop people would recommend.

As great as the 5s is, I wouldn't be ponying up $129 to replace the screen.

 

[magbarn]

Never had much luck with 3rd party screens on iPhones. You can tell instantly that it's an aftermarket screen, either by seeing the 'dot matrix' of the touch sensors, worse reflections, less sensitivity to touch, thinner glass, fingerprint magnet vs. the original screen.

The $129 for a new screen on such an old phone is a bit too much though and if you can easily find deals for the SE for around $150 for the 32gb version (your network can make difference unfortunately if you can find it at this price), unless you need more memory, it's the most affordable option for now.

 

[ftaok]

I’ve had good luck with stuff from ifixit. I replaced a screen on an iPhone 5 that lost its touch abilities. Replacement screen looked just like the original. I even had apple do work on it (power button recall, I think) and they didn’t say anything about the aftermarket screen.

 

[hennmann]

I'd get the screen replaced, then get the SE refresh (rumoured to be out in the spring of next year). That one should tide you over for another 5-ish years.

I totally agree and my preference is getting very low cost replacement parts on ePain and YouTube has MANY good videos showing how to replace what is needed. I just replaced my battery, charging port and ring speaker on my 4s for under $30 and tools are often supplied but your better off to get the Jakemy tools right off the bat. Just my two cents. My 4s and 5c are both unlocked and payed for with no contract. Nuf said.