It happens. Sometimes you drop your phone or set something on it, and all of a sudden you’ve got a cracked screen. What’s worse, trying to use said cracked screen for day to day life. It just doesn’t work. Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with it, as there are many options available when it comes to iPhone screen repair!
Since we purchase damaged iPhones and spruce them up for resale, consider us your personally educated, unbiased experts on iPhone screen repair. Here are the different options available to you, depending on cost and, in some cases, confidence level.
The Apple Store
Best For Those That Love Apple or With Reliable Funds
If you need the comfort of knowing your phone is 100% good as new, then Apple is, without a doubt, the best choice for iPhone screen repair. When Apple patches it up, you can rest easy knowing they’re using genuine Apple parts installed by highly trained professionals. Not to mention that you’re given a guarantee after replacement, which is nice to have.
The repaired parts will be covered for a minimum of 90 days or the remainder of your AppleCare coverage, whichever is longer. The problem with Apple’s iPhone screen repair is that it often doesn’t make sense for older model iPhones.
For example, the cost for Apple to repair an out-of-warranty iPhone 7 screen is $149 (or only $29 if your device is covered by AppleCare+). You can buy a similar model on eBay (in mint condition) for around the same price – perhaps even less – and keep your cracked one as well. (For memory’s sake, maybe – or in case you feel like throwing something around besides your newly acquired phone.)
For that reason, generally speaking, we don’t recommend using Apple to replace your iPhone screen unless you have one of the newest models, like the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 Pro Max, or have some form of AppleCare+. They do offer programs for several years, so who knows, your device might be covered. You can always check here if you’re unsure.
Apple Authorized Repair Centers
Best For Those Who Don’t Have Access To an Apple Store, Or Don’t Live Near One
These days, getting into an Apple Store for Genius Bar-themed repair can be pretty much near impossible. That’s because their schedules are jam-packed with appointments, or, worse yet, inaccessible due to the COVID epidemic. Fortunately, Apple authorized repair centers offer all the advantages of getting your device fixed by Apple, but with way more options to choose from. That makes it a great choice if you can’t access an official store.
For example, Best Buy is an Apple authorized iPhone screen repair center. The prices are the same as Apple’s, plus the only real disadvantage is that the staff will likely be a bit less knowledgeable than an Apple Genius. Or you might end up leaving with a PlayStation 5 if they have them in stock. (Buy us one too, will ya?)
You can find an authorized repair center here and see what’s close by.
eBay
Best For Those With Patience and Adventurous Spirit
You can buy pretty much anything on eBay, including Jesus Toast (we just missed being the high bidder, would’ve been great around the office). But you can also get your screen repaired through the service as well.
eBay has various vendors that offer mail-in iPhone screen repair services. Here’s how it works. You pay for the repair upfront, ship them your iPhone, and they’ll repair and ship it back to you for free.
The biggest drawback is clearly that it’s super sketchy to send your iPhone to a random eBay seller, right? Even with its seller protection program, you never know just what someone is going to do to your device while it’s under repair.
Your best bet in this regard is to look for sellers with high rankings and lots of recommendations from other users. Some might be up-and-coming and offer lower rates, but with a higher score, you’ve got better peace of mind that professionals are on the case.
If you’re feeling tech-savvy for some reason, some also offer repair kits and the ability to replace your own screen. However, we suggest sticking with the professionals, lest you end up with a device that’s both non-operational and with a cracked screen. If you feel it’s a lost cause and you’re replacing it anyway, then maybe tinker with it. But, yeah, not all of us can repair phones. (I mean, we can, but we’ve been doing this for quite some time.)
Third-Party Repair Shops
Best for Compromisers
Local repair iPhone screen repair stores like ubreakifix, Experimax, and others are a middle-of-the-road option. You’re going to get a quality screen replacement and, generally speaking, you can figure on paying about $50 to $80 less than whatever Apple is charging.
The downside is you’re going to get an aftermarket screen that, while still “good,” is not the same quality as Apple’s, and could potentially void any remaining Apple warranty if it’s not installed correctly. Not to mention the fact that it could operate slightly differently depending on its quality. We’ve seen some instances where it doesn’t always read your touches – and that can be disastrous when you’re playing Angry Birds. (“I said launch! LAUNCH!”)
Also, keep in mind that if you ever sell the iPhone, it could be worth less because of the aftermarket screen. Before going this route, make sure you’re getting at least a 90-day warranty for parts and labor, which is standard for the industry. Click here to check for repair shops near you.
Repair It Yourself
Best for the Brave or Handy
Possibly the best part of doing iPhone screen repair yourself is that it basically makes you an Apple Genius. You may even want to write that down on your resume. But can you actually pull off this iPhone screen repair in question? Definitely maybe.
As we mentioned above in the eBay portion of this article, if you’re handy or have tinkered with repairs of another kind before, you can probably handle repairing the screen yourself. This will assure it gets done your way and save you some moolah in the process. iFixit has very detailed guides on how to repair the screen for every iPhone model.
Check them out and decide for yourself if you’re equipped to do the repair. Just remember, though. This process is very delicate, and messing up even the smallest thing could make all the difference in making your iPhone good as new. So don’t mess around or, heaven forbid, make a YouTube video where you ask, “What could possibly go wrong?” (The answer is everything.)
We also recommend purchasing your screen from iFixit. They’re very high quality for third-party screens, as well as reasonably priced (we have personally used their screens in the past, without any problems you’d experience from other third-party companies).
Replacing the screen yourself will likely take you about an hour or two. The cost ranges from $50 to $80 for the screen and tool kit depending on your model. If that seems expensive, keep in mind you can get screens much cheaper on eBay, but the quality is hit or miss.
Don’t Repair It At All, Just Replace It
Best for Those Who Don’t Want To Deal With Muss Or Fuss
The last option for repairing your iPhone screen is genius. Pure genius. Like “smarter than Wile E. Coyote Super Genius” genius! Plus, it’s an option we can actually help you out with: Just sell it and buy a replacement.
You’d probably be surprised to hear that cracked iPhones can be sold for a price very comparable to ones in good condition. Here’s a simple example of why this option makes so much sense:
Market value of a cracked iPhone 7 (32GB unlocked) at the time of writing: $35
Market value of the same model in good condition at the time of writing: $105 (keep in mind that’s new, used will be far less)
If you followed this method, you’d only take a small loss by selling your damaged iPhone 7 and buying another one instead of shelling out $149 to Apple, $97 to ubreakifix, or $70 to try and fix it yourself. That would save you money in the long run.
On top of that, you’ll never be without a phone because you can keep using your cracked one up until the point you purchase a replacement. Thanks to our specific “cracked” condition category, GadgetGone is one of only a handful of places that will offer you a solid, instant offer for a cracked iPhone. You’d certainly get far more than Best Buy or GameStop, who, at the very most, would probably offer to recycle your device for zero dollars.
To learn more about how to sell to GadgetGone – complete with various payment options and trouble-free shipping – head here.
Hey, it’s either that or you keep your cracked phone and insist that it’s from your daily battle with ninjas that only you can see. Your choice. (There’s only so many times you can go, “Wait, I just saw one!” and they buy it…)
We hope these options lend a hand when it comes to getting your iPhone screen (or entire device) replaced. Just be careful next time – and maybe buy a screen protector and case to avoid another case of the “clumsies.”
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