Shattered Screen Series 4 - Options?

[thedoc46]

Bummer of a morning. While putting on my apple watch series 4 this morning, it fell from wrist height onto my bathroom floor. Went to pick it up and the entire screen is shattered beyond use.

Super bummed about it. Is there any realistic repair options out there ? or do i just need to dip my hand in my pocket for $450.

 

[Calebtt]

Find a new one for a good deal or dip in your pocket I went through the same thing with a series 3 kicking myself in the butt for not getting AppleCare

 

[thedoc46]

I just went down to Costco and bought myself a new Series 4 all in for just over $400. I didn't bother with Apple Care. At $69 maybe i should of. But i only ever buy insurance on things that i can't recover from such as home or auto. the rest just take it on the chin, which fortunately rarely happens. 10yrs using Apple devices and this is the first time i had to dip into my pockets for accidental damage.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Bummer of a morning. While putting on my apple watch series 4 this morning, it fell from wrist height onto my bathroom floor. Went to pick it up and the entire screen is shattered beyond use.

Super bummed about it. Is there any realistic repair options out there ? or do i just need to dip my hand in my pocket for $450.

You should make it a RULE to NEVER remove or take you watch off when over a hard surface. Bathroom tile floors are DEATH to your AW! Take it off over carpet or the bed and leave in the bedroom. As careful as I am I still will drop my watch about once in two months, but it falls to the bed.

 

[thedoc46]

I just realized Amazon has the 44mm Series 4 for $375 ($405 delivered) literally on next day if you're prime. Costco only had the dark aluminum, so i'll be taking that back and i've just ordered myself the silver aluminum as it's nicer IMHO.

Can't say i'm excited to receive my new watch though. lol Just $400 lighter. Best not thinking about it and just moving on. Like a parking ticket or speeding ticket. Pay it asap so you can forget it ever happened.

I will say, after owning the sapphire original launch day apple watch, the sports with their supposed 'Gorilla' glass are very very fragile. They're light and it only fell 2-3 feet max and it was done !

 

[rgyiv]

Based on feedback I've seen here, you'll be glad you bought new over trying to deal with an off-market repair.

 

[BrettDS]

I will say, after owning the sapphire original launch day apple watch, the sports with their supposed 'Gorilla' glass are very very fragile. They're light and it only fell 2-3 feet max and it was done !

For what it’s worth, the sapphire crystals are more scratch resistant, but also more brittle. You are more likely to shatter a watch with a sapphire crystal and more likely to scratch a watch with a glass crystal.

 

[44267547]

For me, I don’t care for the aluminum sport model, I wouldn’t settle for it, just because I think it feels cheap and looks cheap. I’m not picking on anyone that likes the sport model, it’s just my own opinion on how I appreciate the weight of the stainless, and of course the sapphire display, but the aesthetics/high gloss shine of the stainless really sells itself, if someone can justify the price point.

 

[Newtons Apple]

For what it’s worth, the sapphire crystals are more scratch resistant, but also more brittle. You are more likely to shatter a watch with a sapphire crystal and more likely to scratch a watch with a glass crystal.

Agreed, this is how physics works!

 

[thedoc46]

For me, I don’t care for the aluminum sport model, I wouldn’t settle for it, just because I think it feels cheap and looks cheap. I’m not picking on anyone that likes the sport model, it’s just my own opinion on how I appreciate the weight of the stainless, and of course the sapphire display, but the aesthetics/high gloss shine of the stainless really sells itself, if someone can justify the price point.

Yes i had a Sapphire Crystal AW. The problem is they cost is so much more, and after a couple of yrs, they're worthless. New updates make the old watches redundant so fast. It's not the same as a regular timepiece that can last years or a lifetime.. This is tech that goes out of date in a couple of yrs. So with all that in mind, this time i just thought i'll get the sport and look at it as a disposable watch after 2-3 yrs. Also they charge you more to replace the battery in the Sapphire crystal watches which is a little unfair given its all the same internals. Just that they know you've paid more originally so why not charge you more to replace the battery.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

For what it’s worth, the sapphire crystals are more scratch resistant, but also more brittle. You are more likely to shatter a watch with a sapphire crystal and more likely to scratch a watch with a glass crystal.

It is very unlikely that you'll shatter a sapphire crystal. It's very likely that you'll scratch a glass crystal.

Overall, shattering either a sapphire or glass watch crystal is unlikely. Scratches are a far more common occurrence, which is why people pay more for sapphire crystals. For the most part, it is a matter of appearance, rather than resistance to breakage.

Of course, scratches are points of weakness that reduce a display's resistance to breakage. One can say a sapphire-covered display will better maintain its resistance to breakage over time, while a glass-covered display's break resistance is more likely to degrade over time.

All this "brittle" stuff is besides the point. Everything reaches a breaking point. What matters is when that breaking point is reached (how much force is required). A brittle substance may break with very little force, or may require a whole lot of force. Sapphire happens to require a lot of force. Peanut brittle (candy) requires very little force.

I had the sapphire Watch (first gen) and now have the glass Series 4. No scratches on the first gen after years of use (well, the stainless steel scratched). No visible scratches on the new one either, but it's only been a few months. Over all the decades I've worn watches, I've never broken a crystal. However, I've managed to scratch them all (some quite badly), with the exception of that sapphire Watch (the jury is still out as far as the new Watch). Again, the primary value of sapphire to me wasn't the risk of breakage, but the scratch-free appearance.

 

[thedoc46]

I often dropped my SS Sapphire Series 0 AW. Kept it on for everything. Never got a scratch. I did drop it once and the actual glass popped off. I called Apple and they replaced it under warranty under the swelling battery warranty. It just became so clunky. I'd literally wait a min for an workout to begin. It was beyond frustrating. Cos me $1000 with the SS strap. The one time i dropped my Series 4, boom she was done ! I knew it was more fragile so was more careful. Took it off while working in the garage, whereas my SS stayed on. Anyway from here onwards with my new sport, i'll just be very mindful of where i take it off and where i put it on.

 

[44267547]

Yes i had a Sapphire Crystal AW. The problem is they cost is so much more, and after a couple of yrs, they're worthless. New updates make the old watches redundant so fast. It's not the same as a regular timepiece that can last years or a lifetime.. This is tech that goes out of date in a couple of yrs. So with all that in mind, this time i just thought i'll get the sport and look at it as a disposable watch after 2-3 yrs. Also they charge you more to replace the battery in the Sapphire crystal watches which is a little unfair given its all the same internals. Just that they know you've paid more originally so why not charge you more to replace the battery.

I get what you’re saying, I just don’t care for the aluminum model in general. I did own the aluminum model originally when the watch launched in April 2015, and I was not happy how easily the display scratched, and it felt to light on the wrist. So when I upgraded to the stainless, immediately I was satisfied with how it fell on my wrist and of course the Sapphire display. In addition, I don’t care about the resale value, I usually keep my Apple products until they are no longer supported or the hardware fails, which usually is very rare.

 

[Bushwood]

It is very unlikely that you'll shatter a sapphire crystal. It's very likely that you'll scratch a glass crystal.

Overall, shattering either a sapphire or glass watch crystal is unlikely. Scratches are a far more common occurrence, which is why people pay more for sapphire crystals. For the most part, it is a matter of appearance, rather than resistance to breakage.

Of course, scratches are points of weakness that reduce a display's resistance to breakage. One can say a sapphire-covered display will better maintain its resistance to breakage over time, while a glass-covered display's break resistance is more likely to degrade over time.

All this "brittle" stuff is besides the point. Everything reaches a breaking point. What matters is when that breaking point is reached (how much force is required). A brittle substance may break with very little force, or may require a whole lot of force. Sapphire happens to require a lot of force. Peanut brittle (candy) requires very little force.

I had the sapphire Watch (first gen) and now have the glass Series 4. No scratches on the first gen after years of use (well, the stainless steel scratched). No visible scratches on the new one either, but it's only been a few months. Over all the decades I've worn watches, I've never broken a crystal. However, I've managed to scratch them all (some quite badly), with the exception of that sapphire Watch (the jury is still out as far as the new Watch). Again, the primary value of sapphire to me wasn't the risk of breakage, but the scratch-free appearance.

I wish my Series 4 believed you. It has shattered 100% of the time it's fallen. Yeah - one fall from the counter and the screen shattered.

 

[BillGates1969]

I've had a AW SS S0, S2 & S3. Went sport for the S4 thinking that I could upgrade every year and there was no difference anyway.

Soooo miss my SS. Can't wait until September if a S5 comes out...definitely getting a SS.

 

[preston66002425]

that is why people use otterbox