Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

How to replace-repair your iPhone or iPod Touch screen

Posted: 16 Mar 2009 03:49 AM PDT

If you're reading this post, you probably have a iPhone or iPod Touch with a cracked or broken screen, right? Don't worry, I know how you feel! I dropped my PDA once and cracked the screen completely.

Even though the iPhone and iPod Touch screens are very strong, they can still break with one hard fall flat against the glass. After that, the device is pretty much unusable. Here are some tips on how to get your touchscreen replaced/fixed.

Image Source - Wired

By default, your iPhone is covered by Apple for one year, but this only includes manufacturer defects, not accidental damage. If you send it to Apple to have it repaired, this is what you will have to pay:

iPhone 3G, Out-of-Warranty Service

8GB - $199
16GB - $299

Original iPhone - Out-of-Warranty Service

4GB & 8GB - $199
16GB - $249

To me, if you're going to spend that much money to get the screen repaired, you may as well buy a new one! So here are your other options.

Take it to the Genius Bar

Your one and only shot at getting it repaired for free and not having to do anything yourself is to go to your local Apple store and take it to the Genius Bar where the techs are.

Apparently, a lot of people have gotten their iPhones fixed by simply going up to their local Apple store and making a very emotional case! Looks like Apple really wants their customers to be happy and many of the techs don't ask how you broke your phone, but will just fix it.

Note that your chances on this happening are fairly slim, though!

Do It Yourself

You can also try to replace the screen yourself by getting the parts, tools, etc from third party vendors. There are several companies that provide iPhone repair services and the charges range from $150 to $250. I will list a couple of the ones I ran across:

1. iPod Fix It – These guys will do a LCD screen replacement for around $125, which is not a bad price. They have a 30 day warranty on all parts and repairs. This is a good deal because you send it to them and let them do the actual hard work.

2. PDAParts – With this company, you can order all the necessary parts and then replace the screen yourself. You can either buy the entire replacement kit, which costs $240 for the iPhone 3G or just buy the replacement LCD or replacement Touch Panel for $50 and $40, respectively.

3. Dr Cell Phone – These guys will replace a cracked screen for $100. If the screen is cracked and the inner LCD is broken also, then it will cost $200. They also have a whole bunch of other services for the iPhone 3G, including repairing the Home button, replacing the microphone, replacing the battery, etc.

If you are really tech savvy and know how to fix things yourself, you can go to YouTube and watch videos of people who have repaired their phones themselves! However, I would only recommend this solution if you REALLY know what you are doing.

iPhone Screen Disassembly and Replacement

iPhone 3G Screen Disassembly and Replacement

Both of these videos are actually from the second company mentioned above, PDAParts.

DIY iPhone Screen Replacement

These are really all of the ways you can go about getting your screen fixed. Unfortunately, there is no easy or cheap way, unless you get super lucky at your local Apple store.

If you live in a big city, it might be worth trying to go to 3 or 4 different Apple stores and crying your eyes out when you get there! Enjoy!