The most ideal ways to fix a cracked screen on your mobile device
The screen of your cell phone could be its most delicate segment. “Over 90% of the cracked screen repairs we do are screen replacements,” says Jack Murphy, vice president of exchanges for iCracked, which repairs cell phones.
So how would you fix your phone? You can hire an expert, usually the phone manufacturer or a third-party repairer. Or, you can buy the essential parts and gadgets, take a deep breath, and do it yourself.
The easiest fix is to go back to the producer. For example, Apple charges around $130 for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 Plus models, and $110 for the iPhone 6. Start by taking the phone to an Apple Store or Authorized Repair Shop to see how quickly it fixes itself. Otherwise, you have to mail it, which means it’s isolated from your phone for three to five business days. Can’t survive that long without your phone? With Apple’s Express Replacement Service (additional $29), the company will send you a loan in the mail.
Outside repairmen. On the other hand, you could take your phone to a stranger. Werx, which does RadioShack repairs, guarantees a 72-hour response time and offers a limited lifetime warranty. It costs $120 to $130 to repair an iPhone 5 screen, $50 to $250 for an HTC phone, and $300 to $350 for a Samsung Galaxy S4 or S5. If you’re working with a third party, make sure they’re guaranteed to work, says Ed Kuhner, vice president of customer contact for HTC Americas.
HTC, which makes Android mobile phones, offers a free cracked screen repair within half a year of purchase. Samsung’s mail-in screen replacement benefit takes seven business days and costs $150 for a Galaxy S4 or S5. However, Samsung is revealing a number of approaches where you’ll be able to get a screen replaced in an hour or less at a similar price. Two stores are open in the Dallas/Fort Worth region and a third in Los Angeles, with more areas expected soon. (For other approved repair shops, please call the Samsung Helpline at 800-726-7864.)
IRacked has hands-on experience in on-site repair of Apple mobile phones and Samsung Galaxy landlines. Your 800 or more “iTechs” spread across the US will also come to you. For the most part, they can change a screen in less than 60 minutes, Murphy says. The bulk of iCracked repairs cost $100 to $110 and parts come with a lifetime warranty.
Beware of anyone offering to replace your screen for $50 or less. Chances are high you’ll get substandard parts, Kuhner says. “It could be another piece of glass, but you don’t know what kind of glass it is.”
The DIY approach. You could save a couple bucks doing the repair yourself. IFixit, a builder of units and do-it-yourself repair wizards, offers an iPhone 5S screen repair package for $90, which is $20 to $40 less than Apple’s repair charge. Be that as it may, a screen replacement medical procedure is not for everyone; it is a sensible strategy that includes several small screws and pieces.
Also, if your phone is quite some time old, it might be difficult for you to bypass broken screen repair and buy another phone. “It may not just be the screen that’s damaged. There may be different problems that I didn’t know about,” says Laura Estepan, general manager of the Best Buy mobile specialty store in Manhattan’s Union Square.
