Apple will soon be able to offer display repairs on the iPhone 5s directly within its retail stores, alleviating the need to send the devices to an off-site repair center. As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple Stores are currently accepting large deliveries of iPhone 5s screens for the repair program and in-store repairs are set to begin on Monday, August 4.
The in-store repairs are part of an effort to lower repair costs. Apple first began offering in-store phone repairs for the iPhone 5 back in June of 2013, and expanded to iPhone 5c repairs in January of this year.
Users with a cracked or damaged iPhone 5s display that do not have AppleCare+ now have the option to pay a $149 fee to get the screen repaired right at an Apple retail location. Prior to establishing an in-store repair center, users were forced to pay $229 for a replacement screen as Apple had to send damaged devices off-site.
With the ability to replace iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s screens, Apple can significantly cut down on repair costs and wait times. In a June 2013 employee meeting, Apple noted that its in-house repair policies could save the company as much as $1 billion per year.
Top Rated Comments
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$269 is the price for an Out-of-Warranty repair that involves replacing the entire device, like from water damage, bent frame, etc.
Yes, that would be called superstition.
It's hardly a drop of customer service. People need to realize that iphone are nothing more than computers that fit in your pocket. Expecting a entire replacement for a phone with a broken display is ridiculous. Normal people wouldn't expect this for their Mac so why do they expect it for their phone. Waiting a short amount of time for the repair to be complete should give the customer some time to think about the fact that they broke the display, Not Apple. When did we become so entitled as a customer?
An out of warranty replacement for an iPhone 5/5C/5S is $269. The $229 replacement price was prior to the change in AppleCare+ pricing/fees last year, around the time the original screen repair program began.
The only $199 option is replacing an iPhone 4S out of warranty.
As stated in the article, the stores (except maybe some trying out a pilot programs), didn't have screens to service 5S's with so $269 was the only option.
AND just to be clear, the replacement price ALWAYS involves swapping the old device for the new one, otherwise it wouldn't be a replacement. Any option where you keep the old phone is purchasing a new one (not a service function)... and unless you have a carrier upgrade available you're paying full retail ($649+), instead of the subsidized $199+ for a 16GB 5S.
I just had this conversation in a local store yesterday... The conversation was very explicit about the options. The only phones that can get sent out for repair are those covered under some sore of extension like the iPhone 5 Sleep/Wake button issue (http://www.apple.com/support/iphone5-sleepwakebutton/). Everything else is done in the store as a component repair (usually within an hour unless your store is packed or just has slow techs) if they have the part, or as a unit swap if parts aren't available.
Taking a $120 off the price to replace a display is a good thing to those of us who don't own any money trees. This lets me keep the remaining warranty on my device (if any), or gives me 90 days warranty on the repair... vs. voiding my warranty and removing my ability to have apple service the device for anything in the future. Plus I don't have to bother with setup/restore of data. :cool:
Previously, they would simply replace the phone. 20 minutes and a restore and you're done.
Now they have you waiting 2-3 hours to replace parts. When I brought my phone in with a receiver speaker problem, they had to try to do a "modular repair" first. When this failed, they replaced my phone. Total time, over 2 hours, when I could have been out of there in 20 mins had they just replaced the phone.
What's so hard about replacing phones, then fixing+refurbishing the broken ones on Apple's own time and using them for future replacements? The cost is about the same and the customer experience is loads better.
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Is some company out there creating clone knockoff iPhone screens? I'm surprised they can do that, given how proprietary the Apple hardware is.
Those prices are extortion. Apple, you pulled in billions upon billions of dollars in a single quarter. The least you can do take a very very very small hit, if a hit at all, and do this for free.