Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Shattered screen from 1 foot drop

L

Lantian

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 30, 2007
6
0
Well, it was a 1 foot fall but caught the corner of glass/metal desk. So the screen spider webbed, and little pieces of glass are all over, got a few slivers and cuts on my hand. The phone works fine, granted I can't use it due to the screen, it is not touch sensitive.

I know the screen can be replaced for $5.00. I called my local apple store, they quoted me $199 for a repair. (I have the 4 GB model, got it the day before they dropped prices). I really need to use this phone, so I might go with the plexiglass trick.

I have one question, if I pull the glass off of it and leave it exposed, will it be touch sensitive again? I am looking for a quick fix, or does it have to have the glass over it. I know heir are sensors that can sense how far your fingers are from the LCD. Beyond that, I mean, even though it is spiderwebbed, I can see everything, would the touch work at all on a broken screen? I am wondering if the sensors got damaged.

Either way, I am pretty upset, the phone looks perfect except for the glass, no scratches on the back or anything, so pretty evident I didn't toss it off an overpass or something. I would think they would do a replacement for free, and I don't see how a piece of glass can cost $200.00.

Anyways, short term, I take the glass off, will it work as a touch screen until I get the plexiglass, or does the plexiglass have to be on it?
 
temp fix

try running a strip of wide clear packing tape over the screen. This should help to hold it together for now and may restore the usability until you can have it properly repaired.

Cheers
 
The tape didn't restore any functionality. The store came back and said I could go to the 8GB model for a discounted price of $300.00. Why do I think Apple should replace it, well, yes, I did drop it. The drop was what pretty much any phone would survive, even though it was a fluke that it caught the corner of the desk, that was still very little force. The phone could have had a defect in it, these things are designed to go through a lot more, people run over them with cars and they work.

The biggest issue, is that their is no insurance plan for the phones, they don't offer it. So, well, I would be happy paying $50 for a piece of glass. Not $200.. I would say that is my train of thought. It is really almost better to just get a whole new phone rather than paying $200 for a refurb.
 
Lantian said:
Well, it was a 1 foot fall but caught the corner of glass/metal desk. So the screen spider webbed, and little pieces of glass are all over, got a few slivers and cuts on my hand. The phone works fine, granted I can't use it due to the screen, it is not touch sensitive.

I know the screen can be replaced for $5.00. I called my local apple store, they quoted me $199 for a repair. (I have the 4 GB model, got it the day before they dropped prices). I really need to use this phone, so I might go with the plexiglass trick.

I have one question, if I pull the glass off of it and leave it exposed, will it be touch sensitive again? I am looking for a quick fix, or does it have to have the glass over it. I know heir are sensors that can sense how far your fingers are from the LCD. Beyond that, I mean, even though it is spiderwebbed, I can see everything, would the touch work at all on a broken screen? I am wondering if the sensors got damaged.

Either way, I am pretty upset, the phone looks perfect except for the glass, no scratches on the back or anything, so pretty evident I didn't toss it off an overpass or something. I would think they would do a replacement for free, and I don't see how a piece of glass can cost $200.00.

Anyways, short term, I take the glass off, will it work as a touch screen until I get the plexiglass, or does the plexiglass have to be on it?
Click to expand...
Search You Tube for a video that instructs how to do a DIY replacement on the glass on either the touch or the iPhone...I saw it there the other day while I searched iPhone/Touch...
I'll try and find it if you cannot...
Try This:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1z0pw2VK7M

If you are reluctant to follow the directions and DIY, contact them and I am SURE they will be less expensive than Apple to do the repair
 
That really sucks. I think I have seen sites on the internet that will sell a replacement screen for like $20, you just have to install it.

As far as Apple replacing it for free, why should they? I understand that it might be new and that it is an unfortunate thing, but how is it their fault? If you go buy a new Sony 50" plasma and drop it Sony won't replace it. It is the same thing with an iPhone. You know it is fragile, just like you would with the tv, sometimes accidents happen, but the manufacturer is not responsible for your accident. At least they only charge $200 for a replacement screen instead of making you buy a new phone.
 
Well, a Plasma TV isn't really meant to be a rugged device, bad analogy. Lets compare it to a new macbook pro. If you drop it off the desk, say bye bye. But, lets say you do something average with in, like set it on the desk just s bit hard and your display shatters, well, that changes things.

What I am more trying to get to is that this is a device that we use daily. It is slippery aluminum and glass. However, the device is also marketed as highly rugged, which in reality it isn't, at least no tall of them. So, a bit misleading and you think of this almighty phone and a simple drop can destroy it due to a design flaw. I am not so mad anymore, I am going to do the replacement on my own with some plexiglass, or I might just cut a piece of my own glass. I can recolor it if I want.

After research I found out I was not alone, quite a few phones have broken on very small drops. You have to hit it on a corner, and due to where the home button is at, the glass has a weak spot. My phone, like many others that were barely dropped is cracked at the exact same place.
 
Lantian said:
Well, a Plasma TV isn't really meant to be a rugged device, bad analogy. Lets compare it to a new macbook pro. If you drop it off the desk, say bye bye. But, lets say you do something average with in, like set it on the desk just s bit hard and your display shatters, well, that changes things.

What I am more trying to get to is that this is a device that we use daily. It is slippery aluminum and glass. However, the device is also marketed as highly rugged, which in reality it isn't, at least no tall of them. So, a bit misleading and you think of this almighty phone and a simple drop can destroy it due to a design flaw. I am not so mad anymore, I am going to do the replacement on my own with some plexiglass, or I might just cut a piece of my own glass. I can recolor it if I want.

After research I found out I was not alone, quite a few phones have broken on very small drops. You have to hit it on a corner, and due to where the home button is at, the glass has a weak spot. My phone, like many others that were barely dropped is cracked at the exact same place.
Click to expand...

As long as you're happy with the MB analogy, carry it one step further. It wasn't just set down hard, it was slammed on the edge of a concrete bench. It was an accident, but it broke your computer.

Apple's fault?

I completely understand you'd like it taken care of at low to no cost - it's a niece piece of equipment, and it cost a pretty penny. But you are the one at fault, and it's not of trivial expense to pay qualified repair technicians to take any high tech gizmo apart to fix -> not just the iPhone/iTouch.

That said, you don't really have anything to loose at this point by trying the fix yourself. Good luck, and post pics when it's done...
 
Sorry to hear about the breakage. It's not tempered glass, it's "optical quality", says Apple. So in return for less scratches, it's far more breakable than say, plastic would've been.

Usually the touch screen still works in these cases, so if yours doesn't, putting another piece of anything on top won't fix it, alas.

The $200-250 usual quoted repair cost is the same whether it's a piece of chrome or the entire unit burned up. It's simply the price of a replacement unit.

However, someone has mentioned a possible cheaper way. Supposedly if you send it in youself, and ask to be informed of the cost BEFORE it's repaired, then sometimes Apple will come back with a cheaper cost... as low as $100 for just the glass... and actually repair that unit instead of just sending a refurb like they usually do.

Worth a shot, I suppose. Otherwise just have them send it back unrepaired.
 
Lantian said:
Well, a Plasma TV isn't really meant to be a rugged device, bad analogy. Lets compare it to a new macbook pro. If you drop it off the desk, say bye bye. But, lets say you do something average with in, like set it on the desk just s bit hard and your display shatters, well, that changes things.

What I am more trying to get to is that this is a device that we use daily. It is slippery aluminum and glass. However, the device is also marketed as highly rugged, which in reality it isn't, at least no tall of them. So, a bit misleading and you think of this almighty phone and a simple drop can destroy it due to a design flaw. I am not so mad anymore, I am going to do the replacement on my own with some plexiglass, or I might just cut a piece of my own glass. I can recolor it if I want.

After research I found out I was not alone, quite a few phones have broken on very small drops. You have to hit it on a corner, and due to where the home button is at, the glass has a weak spot. My phone, like many others that were barely dropped is cracked at the exact same place.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say the iPhone is a rugged device either. It has been shown to be scratch resistant, but IMO anything I buy that is partially made of glass is not considered rugged. This is the reason why so many iPhone cases and clips have been sold. The phone looks awesome, but people are willing to cover them up for protection because they know it has a fragile screen. I have dropped my phone about 8 times now and as it is with anything glass, it depends on how it lands. It can be a soft drop but land on the wrong spot and send a crack through the phone. I guess I have just been lucky so far. Anyway, good luck with a fix.
 
you know things like this make me worry about every buying an iPhone and to me scream design flaw.
What does apple thing people are never going to drop the phone. If they think that they are idiots and have no right making a cell phone. By its very nature cell phones take somewhat of a beating. They are put in our pockets with other objects like keys. They are quite often at 4+feet from the ground being held in a hand. It very likely it will get dropped at some point in time on to hard surface. I pretty sure everyone one here has drop their cell phone at least once from 4+feet above ground on to a hard surface.

A 1 foot fall should NEVER cause any real damage to a phone.
 
After watching that video, you'll probably understand why they charge what they do because of the labor involved replacing that screen. I thought you could simply pull it off the front, but apparently you have to take the full phone apart to replace the glass. Eek.
 
Second of all, I've dropped my iPhone from once...and only once five feet in the air onto concrete and it didn't do a damn thing to it! I've also had somebody sit on it and no damage to the glass or phone. Granted I did have a rubber incase on it, but the phone was perfect both times and had no physical or cosmetic damage to it. From first hand experience, the poster must have really hit that screen hard to break it in a specific section of the screen.
 
DaftUnion said:
Second of all, I've dropped my iPhone from once...and only once five feet in the air onto concrete and it didn't do a damn thing to it! I've also had somebody sit on it and no damage to the glass or phone. Granted I did have a rubber incase on it, but the phone was perfect both times and had no physical or cosmetic damage to it. From first hand experience, the poster must have really hit that screen hard to break it in a specific section of the screen.
Click to expand...


oh I can guess where he hit and it is a design flaw that makes the screen weaker in that area a lot weaker. Like he pointed out he landed near the home key and chances are it hit a corner. So the design flaw of having a weaken section already of the screen and a little extra stress from the corner means broken screen. It is a design flaw.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
you know things like this make me worry about every buying an iPhone and to me scream design flaw.
What does apple thing people are never going to drop the phone. If they think that they are idiots and have no right making a cell phone. By its very nature cell phones take somewhat of a beating. They are put in our pockets with other objects like keys. They are quite often at 4+feet from the ground being held in a hand. It very likely it will get dropped at some point in time on to hard surface. I pretty sure everyone one here has drop their cell phone at least once from 4+feet above ground on to a hard surface.

A 1 foot fall should NEVER cause any real damage to a phone.
Click to expand...

I know plenty of people who have dropped their iPhone and had no problem, myself included. I have dropped my phone multiple times on all different surfaces, tile, carpet, wood, etc and from heights up to 5 or 6 feet. This is not a design flaw, in fact the glass screen is a design improvement. If a screen the size of iPhone was all plastic it would undoubtably be covered in scratches within a month. Glass resists scratches while also providing a cleaner look and improved viewing under bright conditions. Obviously the iPhone is able to take drops, but like anything made of glass it is breakable. This does not make it a bad phone though, I have dropped a motorola razr once from about 5 feet and it broke. This does not mean it is a design flaw, it is just that when you drop any cell phone there is a chance it is going to break, it comes down to whether or not luck is on your side that day. Cell phones are basically mini computers these days and just like any other electronic device when you drop it, it might break. Don't go calling it a design flaw because if that is the case, every cell phone and other electronic device on the market has a design flaw.
 
DaftUnion said:
After watching that video, you'll probably understand why they charge what they do because of the labor involved replacing that screen. I thought you could simply pull it off the front, but apparently you have to take the full phone apart to replace the glass. Eek.
Click to expand...

Although it is not a 5 minute fix, it certainly looks doable if you take your time and follow the directions. Having the Video really helps...
I am not in anyway a trained technician but I have followed similar DIY directions to change the hard drive and battery in a couple of my iPods, and put a Dual Layer Opitical Disc Drive in my 4 year old PowerBook Firewire 800...I just took my time and carefully followed the directions...
I just cannot imagine it costing a trained tech $200+ to do this repair...
If I were him and I didn't want to do it myself, I would definitely contact the guys who did the video and get a quote from them...I would bet they are MUCH less expensive than Apple...
 
chr1s60 said:
I know plenty of people who have dropped their iPhone and had no problem, myself included. I have dropped my phone multiple times on all different surfaces, tile, carpet, wood, etc and from heights up to 5 or 6 feet. This is not a design flaw, in fact the glass screen is a design improvement. If a screen the size of iPhone was all plastic it would undoubtably be covered in scratches within a month. Glass resists scratches while also providing a cleaner look and improved viewing under bright conditions. Obviously the iPhone is able to take drops, but like anything made of glass it is breakable. This does not make it a bad phone though, I have dropped a motorola razr once from about 5 feet and it broke. This does not mean it is a design flaw, it is just that when you drop any cell phone there is a chance it is going to break, it comes down to whether or not luck is on your side that day. Cell phones are basically mini computers these days and just like any other electronic device when you drop it, it might break. Don't go calling it a design flaw because if that is the case, every cell phone and other electronic device on the market has a design flaw.
Click to expand...

I am calling it a design flaw because no cell phone should take any damage from a 1 ft fall. 4+ft fall yeah if it breaks there it understandable but 1ft is another story.
 
Most cell phones will break when dropped if they land the wrong way, its a fact of life. I think that because the iPhone costs so much, a lot of people expect it to be somehow different. But really, don't buy a $400 cell phone if your going to cry if/when you drop it. I am assuming that I will eventually drop and break mine, and hopefully when that time comes, iphone 2.0 will be out and I will purchase one of those. IMO it all comes down to people buying things that they really cant afford, and then thinking because it was such a splurge on their part that their purchase should be magically flaw free and last forever. Everything has flaws, and everything breaks eventually.
 
I'm not saying the OP is telling a lie about the distance of his phones drop, but my guess is that Apple has had a lot of iPhone customers coming in with a broken phone that only took a "1 foot fall." Perhaps if there weren't people that lied about the distance of their fall in an attempt to get a new phone for free, Apple would do something about phones that happen to break from a weak fall. Just a wild guess.
 
makes me think twice

I was seriously considering an iphone, but I can see myself in this guy's shoes at some point. My LG EnV took quite a fall today but I knew it would be fine. I don't want to pay $400 for the privilege of worrying about a device that's more fragile than it ought to be.
 
pictures please?

Just a recommendation to those who are worried about this happening or using this as an excuse not to get an iPhone...
I got insurance on my iPhone from state farm for 30 dollars a year no deductible. Covers dropping it, spilling on it, theft... etc etc.. It does not cover normal hardware failure... which Apples covers for a year anyways.
I asked my agent about what if I get a normal hardware failure after a year when Apple wont cover it anymore... she said run it over and bring it in.

Not only that but they said they will write me a check for 600 when/if anything happens to it even though they know I got the 100 rebate.

I have a family friend who is an insurance agent and he said state farm looses money on their personal insurance such as above... but its point is to attract more customers to their company.

Also, even better it covers lots of money. I have my $3500 MBP and $2000 iMac on the same plan.... still is $30 a year no deductible.

and your rate does not increase if you report any damages.
 
can you not claim for the replacement cost on your house insurance?
to use the plamsa screen example, or even the iMac on a desk example, if they fall off the table and break, you're standard house insurance will cover the cost of repair if possible and replace if not. that's what house insurance is for
or is there a clause that excludes mobile phones being as they aren't necessarily objects within the house?
 
illitrate23 said:
can you not claim for the replacement cost on your house insurance?
to use the plamsa screen example, or even the iMac on a desk example, if they fall off the table and break, you're standard house insurance will cover the cost of repair if possible and replace if not. that's what house insurance is for
or is there a clause that excludes mobile phones being as they aren't necessarily objects within the house?
Click to expand...

not sure about that... and I live at my parents place so dont know how that works.
But for 30 bucks a year to cover over 6 grand is pretty good. You can get more too I just had nothing else i Felt like covering.

Good idea though I would look into that as well.
 
Sorry to hear about your accident.

If you used a credit card to purchase it, they may cover it. You might want to check it out.

Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back