lcd screen repair apple factory

Use our “Get an Estimate” tool to review potential costs if you get service directly from Apple. The prices shown here are only for screen repair. If your iPhone needs other service, you’ll pay additional costs.

If you go to another service provider, they can set their own fees, so ask them for an estimate. For service covered by AppleCare+, your fee per incident will be the same regardless of which service provider you choose.

Your country or region offers AppleCare+ for this product. Screen repair (front) is eligible for coverage with a fee by using an incident of accidental damage from handling that comes with your AppleCare+ plan.

The Apple Limited Warranty covers your iPhone and the Apple-branded accessories that come in the box with your product against manufacturing issues for one year from the date you bought them. Apple-branded accessories purchased separately are covered by the Apple Limited Warranty for Accessories. This includes adapters, spare cables, wireless chargers, or cases.

Depending on the issue, you might also have coverage with AppleCare+. Terms and Conditions apply, including fees. Feature availability and options may vary by country or region.

We guarantee our service, including replacement parts, for 90 days or the remaining term of your Apple warranty or AppleCare plan, whichever is longer. This is in addition to your rights provided by consumer law.

Replacement equipment that Apple provides as part of the repair or replacement service may contain new or previously used genuine Apple parts that have been tested and pass Apple functional requirements.

Use our “Get an Estimate” tool to review potential costs if you get service directly from Apple. If you go to another service provider, they can set their own fees, so ask them for an estimate. For service covered by AppleCare+, your fee per incident will be the same regardless of which service provider you choose. We"ll inspect your product when we receive it. If additional damage is found, you could pay an additional fee.

The Apple Limited Warranty covers your Apple Display and the Apple-branded accessories that come in the box with your product against manufacturing issues for one year from the date you bought them. Apple-branded accessories purchased separately are covered by the Apple Limited Warranty for Accessories. This includes adapters and spare cables.

Depending on the issue, you might also have coverage with AppleCare+. Terms and Conditions apply, including fees. Feature availability and options may vary by country or region.

If your situation isn’t covered, you’ll pay a fee. If the issue with your Apple Display is ineligible for service, you might pay the full replacement value.

We guarantee our service, including replacement parts, for 90 days or the remaining term of your Apple warranty or AppleCare plan, whichever is longer. This is in addition to your rights provided by consumer law.

Replacement equipment that Apple provides as part of the repair or replacement service may contain new or previously used genuine Apple parts that have been tested and pass Apple functional requirements.

Your product is eligible for a battery replacement at no additional cost if you have AppleCare+ and your product"s battery holds less than 80 percent of its original capacity.

Use our “Get an Estimate” tool to review potential costs if you get service directly from Apple. If you go to another service provider, they can set their own fees, so ask them for an estimate. For service covered by AppleCare+, your fee per incident will be the same regardless of which service provider you choose. We"ll inspect your product when we receive it. If additional damage is found, you could pay an additional fee.

Your country or region offers AppleCare+ for this product. AppleCare+ includes battery service coverage, which means your battery can be replaced at no charge if we test your product and its battery retains less than 80% of its original capacity.

AppleCare+ also provides coverage for accidental damage from handling, and each incident is subject to a service fee. Your AppleCare+ also offers Express Replacement Service.

The Apple Limited Warranty covers your iPhone and the Apple-branded accessories that come in the box with your product against manufacturing issues for one year from the date you bought them. Apple-branded accessories purchased separately are covered by the Apple Limited Warranty for Accessories. This includes adapters, spare cables, wireless chargers, or cases.

Depending on the issue, you might also have coverage with AppleCare+. Terms and Conditions apply, including fees. Feature availability and options may vary by country or region.

We guarantee our service, including replacement parts, for 90 days or the remaining term of your Apple warranty or AppleCare plan, whichever is longer. This is in addition to your rights provided by consumer law.

Replacement equipment that Apple provides as part of the repair or replacement service may contain new or previously used genuine Apple parts that have been tested and pass Apple functional requirements.

Breaking an iPhone screen is never a fun experience. While nearly every electronics repair store will help you fix your iPhone, the job isn’t free, and you could walk out with a much lighter wallet. So, here are all your repair options, plus the prices you can expect to pay for an iPhone screen replacement.

I’ll get one thing out of the way right now; Apple has a stranglehold on iPhone repairs. You don’t need to visit an Apple store to replace an iPhone screen, but the company goes out of its way to make other options less appealing. So, buckle up for a bit of disappointment.

For whatever reason, Apple is very good at marketing its repair service. Everyone knows that they can walk into an Apple Store, drop off their broken device, and (usually) pick it back up within 24 hours.

You can even mail an iPhone to Apple for repair! Of course, snail mail is rarely necessary, because Apple offers its repair service through select “Authorized Apple Service Providers” like Best Buy. These “authorized” providers follow the same repair process as Apple, so you can receive quality service even when you don’t live near an Apple Store.

But Apple overcharges for repairs. If you don’t have an AppleCare+ subscription, you can expect to pay several hundred dollars for a screen replacement.

With an AppleCare+ subscription, these repairs cost just $29. I strongly suggest paying for AppleCare+ (which is between $3.99 and $13.49 a month) if you’re super clumsy or if you’re buying an iPhone for a child.

Bear in mind that these prices apply to all Authorized Apple Service Providers. If you wander into a Best Buy looking for a screen replacement, you’ll pay the same price that Apple charges at its stores. The benefit, of course, is that Best Buy and other authorized locations follow the same repair process as Apple’s “Genius Bar.”

One last note—some carriers, including Verizon, are happy to take broken phones for trade-in. Swapping your busted iPhone for a new device may be more cost-effective than paying for repairs at an Apple Store, especially if you own a newer model of iPhone.

If you’re just looking for a screen replacement, you can save money by avoiding “authorized” service centers. Third-party repair stores charge very little for screen replacements, as their prices aren’t dictated by Apple.

Every small business is different, so I can’t tell you what your neighborhood repair shop charges for an iPhone screen replacement. That said, their prices are lower than Apple’s, often by $100 or more. And because small repair shops like to build relationships with their community, they’re often willing to cut deals with first-time or repeat customers.

Unfortunately, only Authorized Apple Service Providers can order official iPhone parts. Some independent shops salvage official parts from other iPhones, but still, there’s a decent chance you’ll end up with an unofficial replacement screen. (Which isn’t a big deal for older iPhones, but unofficial screens for newer iPhones are much less durable than the “real thing.”)

Apple also likes to restrict some repairs at a software level. Performing certain repairs without Apple’s calibration tools (which independent stores can’t access) will actually disable features like Face ID. But this is only a problem with brand spankin’ new iPhone models—historically, Apple lifts screen repair restrictions a few months after each iPhone’s release. (You can now replace the iPhone 13’s display without consequence, for example.)

You can’t save money without putting in the work. Replacing your iPhone screen at home is usually cheaper than visiting an Apple store or an independent repair shop. And yeah, there are a ton of resources to help you get the job done.

The best resource, in my opinion, is iFixit. The gang at iFixit regularly publishes repair guides and sells replacement parts for popular products. You can even buy one of iFixit’s screen replacement bundles, which includes all the parts and tools you need to fix your iPhone’s broken screen.

But Apple doesn’t sell official parts to iFixit. So, you’re stuck using third-party materials. It’s a frustrating situation, as the only “official” at-home repair option is Apple’s Self Service Repair program, which stinks.

Unless you’re looking for a novelty, I suggest that you avoid Apple’s Self Service Repair program. It’s a great idea on the surface (official parts, repair guides, and calibration tools), but it only costs a few dollars less than a visit to the Apple Store. (Apple also sends out these massive Pelican cases for Self Service Repair orders, which is completely over the top and not very useful to customers.)

So, if you want to replace your iPhone’s screen at home, iFixit is still your best option. Just keep in mind that iFixit kits for newer iPhones are still a bit expensive, and in some cases, they may be more expensive than a visit to an independent repair shop.

Hi, I lent my grandson my iphone 12 and I got it back with a broken screen and a broken back glass. I have another iphone 12 for parts. I was going to swap out the screen and the back glass. My question is do I have to remove all these parts as described above or c an I just plug the new screen in ? Second question my iphone has a Qlink wireless SIM card in it and it works perfect. The same SIM card will not work in my other iphone that being said would it be easier to somehow take my other iphone and use the parts from my broken one so the SIM card would work in it? I don"t know what it would entail to do such a thing but if you would possibly know what I would have to do to make this happen please let me know... Otherwise I will take the screen and back glass and continue to install them on my own phone. also which procedure would be easier to do?? Kudos to you on this article I followed it to the letter and everything worked perfect I removed the screen without any problems. GREAT ARTICLE! Thanks Jeffrey

If your iPhone XS screen is cracked, not responding to touch, or not showing a picture when your phone is powered on, use this guide to restore your iPhone to working order with a new screen, a.k.a. display assembly.

The combined earpiece speaker + sensor assembly affixed to the back of the display is paired to your individual iPhone from the factory, so you must transfer it from your old display to your new one during any display replacement. It contains the flood illuminator, which is part of the biometric Face ID security feature. If it is damaged or replaced, Face ID will cease to function, so take extra care not to damage any of these components during this procedure. If damaged, only Apple can restore Face ID function.

Ever since the iPhone 13 was announced, I know many of you have wondered if you can repair it. It’s been out now for a few months, and yes, folks have already broken them.

We’ll be focusing on the repairability of the iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max rather than the percentage change in camera quality, thickness, or battery size.

On September 14th, 2021, Apple announced four new iPhones. The 13 was a minor refresh of the previous year’s 12 series. The best part of this year’s series, instead of starting storage size of 64GB, all models’ base storage size is 128GB.

Going from 64GB to 128GB would have been a $100 upgrade in previous years. This year, it’s the same price, but you’re doubling up your storage. So that was nice of Apple to give everyone a $100 discount on the phone this year. iPhone 13 Mini: Staring $699

This article will discuss the iPhone 13 Pro Max (since we’ve already repaired a few), and we’ll write a few more in the coming weeks discussing the iPhone 13 Pro / iPhone 13 Mini.

Since we’re discussing the repairability of the 13 Pro max versus the minute of differences in notch sizes, resolutions, etc., we’ll leave that to the million other articles and talk about what we know best (repairs!).

There are a lot of repairs out there for iPhones, but we’re only going to talk about the 95% that we see. We could spend hours and pages discussing the other 5%.

Have a broken iPhone screen? Here are three iPhone screen repair options and how much each costs, plus a breakdown of whether you should fix it or sell it.

NOTE: If your iPhone is still under warranty, check with Apple to see if you can get your screen fixed for free. Here’s Apple’s warranty coverage checker.

You can replace your own iPhone screen with a little tech savvy and a bit of patience. The repair requires disassembly, however, so you shouldn’t attempt this fix if you’re not comfortable doing that.

Your best bet is to buy a complete screen assembly, which is a much easier repair than replacing just the front glass or digitizer. Expect to pay between $45 and $280 for a new iPhone screen, depending on your model, where you buy parts and whether you buy a standard LCD or premium OLED screen. Toolkits start at $5 if you don’t already have the necessary tools.

WARNING: This can be a difficult repair, especially if you aren’t experienced. Understand the risk of additional damage that could void any warranties and insurance policies.Rather buy a new iPhone? Save with these iPhone deals

Don’t want to fix your own iPhone screen? You can opt for professional repair instead. Local repair shops can often replace your screen in a few hours, either in-store or at your location. Online mail-in repair services take longer, but they’re good options if you don’t have a local repair store.

Expect to pay between $119 and $520 for professional iPhone screen replacement, depending on your model and repair shop. Note that Apple’s own repair service tops out at $329 for out-of-warranty screen repair. Apple also uses OEM (original equipment manufacturer parts), while many repair shops use less expensive aftermarket parts.

Mail-in repair services like iFixYouri and My Broken Phone typically charge between $100 and $200, but they don’t always list pricing for every repair on their websites. Sometimes, it’s because they haven’t updated their service offering lately, especially if newer devices aren’t listed. Other times, they can make the repair, but it’s too uncommon to stock parts.

In some cases, the repair is difficult and likely to damage the device, so it’s not profitable for the company to offer it. Or, the required parts are so expensive it’s not worth fixing. Either way, if the repair you need isn’t listed on a repair shop’s website, it’s a good idea to contact them anyway to see if they offer it.

It’s a good idea to ask about warranties on parts and labor before you choose a repair company. You should also inquire about your service tech’s experience, credentials and quality of parts.Interested in a refurbished iPhone 12? See where to get it for less

Do you have iPhone insurance? If so, you can file a claim directly with your insurance company, who might offer a choice between mail-in, in-store or on-location repair services. Some companies will overnight a refurbished replacement iPhone rather than repair and return yours.

Expect to pay a deductible ranging between $29 and $149, depending on your model and insurance company. Here are some example iPhone screen repair deductibles.InsureriPhone Screen Replacement Deductible

Should you fix your iPhone screen or sell it broken? You can base your decision on how much your iPhone is worth broken versus repaired, especially if you plan to upgrade soon.

For example, at the time of this writing, an iPhone X 64GB on the Verizon network was worth $255 in good condition. Here’s a breakdown of its net value after different repair options.

Next, compare the net value after repair to what your iPhone is worth in broken condition. At the time of this writing, a broken iPhone X 64GB on the Verizon network was worth $110.

As the table shows, our example iPhone will have significantly more value if you repair it yourself or file an insurance claim through AppleCare+ or Verizon.

However, SquareTrade insurance leaves a net value of $4 less than the phone is worth broken, while out-of-warranty Apple repair leaves a net value of $134 less, which means you’d lose money by going with those repair options.

The independent repair shop option leaves a net value of just $26 more than selling it broken, which might make you question whether repair is worth the hassle.

Of course, your decision depends not only on the value, but also how long you plan to keep your iPhone. If you intend to hold on to it for a few years, it’s cheaper to repair it than to buy a new iPhone.

If you plan to upgrade soon and trade in your old phone, however, it’s worth comparing your options to see whether you’ll get more value after repair or selling it as-is.

1.Make sure the Apple smartphone is completely charged. Ensure the Apple lightning charging cable is not bent, frayed or broken to rule out a bad cable and to make sure that your iPhone 13 is charging. If the Apple iPhone 13 is completely dead, it will take a few seconds or even minutes of charging before displaying these icons:

2. If the iPhone 13 still doesn’t come on after charging it, you may need a screen or display assembly. If the iPhone 13 powers on but you see lines running up and down the display you will need a screen replacement.

3. If the iPhone 13 powers on but doesn’t have any damage and doesn’t respond to touch, you most likely still need a screen replacement. The digitizer is a component of the screen that controls the touch functionality of your screen, it can be easily damaged even if your screen isn’t cracked and will most likely need a display assembly replacement to fix.

Dropping the device on rocky surfaces, tile, hardwood floor or just dropping it in general is the biggest culprit of damaged iPhone screens. The Apple iPhone 13 display is one of the thinnest models to date and the display is even thinner than ever. The actual OLED panel underneath the iPhone 13 screen is about the size of an egg shell.

The Apple iPhone 13 screen requires specialized equipment to even complete the repair. Failure to use Apple’s heated display removal tool and the corresponding Apple iPhone 13 hot pocket can easily result in additional damage. The iPhone 13 screen replacement isn’t hard to do, but it’s very easy to mess up. A botched screen replacement often results in Face ID damage or FPC damage on the board which costs even more to fix.

If you have the necessary tools and equipment to complete the repair yourself… go for it! Just remember if damage occurs to any of the components that you have to remove or come into contact with during the screen replacement process, you will have to fix those or certain features such as face ID may not function as intended. Recently Apple launched aself-repair programwhere customers can rent the tools themselves, but after factoring in the $1,200 hold they put on your credit card and the rental fees they charge for the tools and equipment, most customers might as well just use an XiRepair service location to repair their Apple iPhone.

Replacing the screen is ABSOLUTELY worth it! The replacement cost of the iPhone 13 is at minimum $800 for just the base model, however after factoring in a 10% tax rate, plus activation fees. The realreplacement costof the iPhone 13 is between $900 and $930!

Our affordable iPhone screen replacement services replace your faulty screen with a brand new screen. This process turns a seemingly non-functional apple iPhone into a practically new Apple iPhone.

Replacing the screen on an iPhone 13 is an easy decision! It’s way more affordable than replacing it, plus repairing your device is much better for the environment.

iFixit has been offering OLED screens for those who would like to tackle repairs on their own. Those go for around $100 less than what Apple charges for an official screen replacement but now, it’s started offering LCD replacement for iPhone X, XS, and XS Max. It’s an interesting downgrade from OLED but some on a budget with DIY interest might find it’s a great option.

Apple’s screen repair costs jumped considerably with the arrival of the iPhone X. At this point, it costs between $279 and $329 to get an OLED on the X, XS, and 11 Pro.

we’re now offering an LCD screen option for the iPhone X, XS, and XS Max. These LCDs (and their Fix Kits) are less than half the price of the OLED models we sell. They’re a little darker (about 50 nits worth), the resolution is a little lower, and the colors and contrast ratio won’t be quite the same.

But you might remember that, until a couple years ago, most phones had LCD displays, including phones you probably loved. Apple notably stuck with LCD displays while Samsung was experimenting with early OLED, and Apple still uses LCDs in its iPhone 8 and XR models.

Indeed, it’s like turning your X or XS into a XR, display-wise anyway. iFixit’s new LCD options run $75 for the X, $85 for the XS, and then jump up to $165 for the XS Max.

iFixit highlights “these LCD replacements are hand-tested in the USA to our rigorous quality standards, and we back them up with a lifetime warranty.”

You dropped your iPhone for the third time this week. Now you have to decide if you’re going to get your broken screen replaced at a local Apple repair service provider or if you’re going to start scrolling online to find the best options for a new or refurbished iPhone.

Let’s say you decide to have the screen on your old phone fixed up by a tech-savvy friend of yours so you can sell or exchange the old, beat-up iPhone 6 for a good deal on a new iPhone 13. Now you’re wondering, “Can Apple tell if I replaced my screen?”

Screen replacements come in a variety of different kinds, like LCD or OLED. Other types of smartphone screens include TFT and IPS. You may have heard of AMOLED or even Super AMOLED displays. Most of these touch screens are made by third-party manufacturers. All of these screens can function on an iPhone — and they’re cheaper than an original. So what’s the problem?

Apple says that all its screens are designed and tested for ‘Apple quality and performance standards.’ This is done before iPhones and iPads hit the shelves for the first time to ensure all Apple products have their proprietary technology like multi-touch, true tone, night shift, and haptic touch functioning properly.

While you may not understand all the jargon, this basically means that iPhone screens are immaculate in functionality — and we’re not even talking about the Pro versions here. There are many reasons why having an original iPhone screen is important, both as a buyer and as a seller. An original screen can go a long way in terms of performance, specifications, aesthetics, and exchange offers if you’re eventually looking to upgrade.

Getting your iPhone screen replaced by an authorized Apple service provider can be an expensive affair — but cheaper, aftermarket screens that aren’t from Apple often come with several issues.

To answer the question above: yes. Apple can tell if you’ve replaced your screen. As a matter of fact, you can check for yourself. In this guide, we’ll look at how you can check for genuine Apple iPhone screens, issues with non-genuine screens, and the difference between the two.

Genuine iPhones will use OEM parts. This means they’re the original equipment manufacturer for all their hardware. Every original Apple product goes through a rigorous quality check process to ensure every part, from the display to the speakers, is compliant with their standards.

Most non-OEM parts come from third-party manufacturers who use cheaper materials to make their screens. The costs are lower upfront, but, you get what you pay for. It"s likely that you"ll have to keep replacing your screen at iPhone repair shops because third-party screens perform poorly and lack longevity.

This is why it’s important to get OEM parts, even if it’s a little more expensive. Your iPhone will perform at an optimum level, as Apple meant it to, and you’ll safeguard your warranty. Original parts also help with resale value if you eventually look to sell your iPhone or exchange it for a newer model.

Another quick way to check whether your iPhone screen is genuine is by shining a flashlight on it. You just want to shine the light directly on the iPhone’s screen.

Focus on the reflection of the light on the display. Fake screens tend to have grid lines on them, which will show up under a flashlight. These could be running across the screen horizontally, vertically, or both. The most common causes for this include software incompatibilities, hardware failure, or screen damage.

The last few iPhones to be released all have a maximum brightness level of around 1200 units. This means that iPhone screens get very bright and usually have best-in-class color accuracy.

You can use this to check if your iPhone’s screen is genuine. Simply bump the brightness slider up to maximum brightness, and open a solid black picture. You can head over to this website for a completely black screen.

Once you’re on this screen, zoom in and look at the display. If you have a genuine Retina OLED screen, it will look pitch black — as if you haven’t turned on your iPhone.

However, if the screen replacement process was non-genuine, you might have an LCD screen that isn’t from Apple. You can tell if you have a non-genuine screen if you notice color mismatch, specks, or marks of white or grey. Anything other than solid, fullscreen pitch black is not an original iPhone display.

A device certification report will give you your device status, carrier details, and phone repair history, among many other things. The entire process only takes a few minutes.

Having a non-genuine screen on your phone can cause several issues. Not only this, but the chances of selling or exchanging your phone for maximum value will substantially decrease.

One of the most common issues with a non-genuine touch screen is multi-touch. Non-genuine screens will not be as prompt or accurate as genuine iPhone screens. Some of the signs of a non-genuine screen are:Missed screen touches or touches not registering in the intended area.

Another common issue with non-genuine iPhone screens is that there could be LCD display panels that aren’t from Apple. Original iPhone screens usually have Retina or Super Retina displays made from an OLED panel that is incredibly bright and color accurate.

If you notice the following issues with your screen’s display, you might have a non-genuine iPhone screen:iPhone"s true tone feature does not work properly (this is when your screen uses different sensors to adapt the screen"s color to the light sources around it).

Apart from the more common issues related to multi-touch and display brightness, you may experience the following issues with your iPhone if you have a faulty screen:Your iPhone does not turn on.

With some non-genuine iPhone screens, digitizers tend to malfunction, creating dead areas in the screen (usually the bottom) where your touch commands have no effect. A digitizer is a layer of glass that converts analog movements like your touch commands and gestures to digital signals that your iPhone can understand and interpret. The digitizer rests over the device"s LCD or OLED display.

While original iPhone screens may be slightly more expensive, they’re the screens that were initially manufactured specifically for Apple iPhones. You can slap a third-party screen on an iPhone, and it will work, but the performance will be nowhere near as seamless. Non-genuine LCD panels will have lower brightness levels and weaker contrast. The colors won’t pop and the screen will feel coarse to the touch.

As mentioned in the previous section, non-genuine screens have tons of issues when it comes to multi-touch, true tone, night shift, and other features that Apple meant to be enjoyed exclusively on an iPhone.

A non-genuine screen’s touch will be inaccurate, the iPhone won’t respond as well, the screen won’t be as smooth to the touch, the brightness will flicker on its own, the battery might deplete quicker, and you may experience a lag in day-to-day usage. With a genuine Apple-approved iPhone screen, you are far less likely to experience these issues.

A genuine iPhone screen is just as important on the day you buy it as it is when you decide to sell it. If you’re looking to sell your phone or hand it in to exchange for a new iPhone, the value of an iPhone with a genuine screen will always be far higher than an iPhone with a non-genuine screen.

Non-genuine screens will show up in your device’s parts and services history, and you’ll end up selling your iPhone for way less than it could have. There’s a good chance that you will pay for a screen a third time after your first non-genuine replacement fails to work properly. It’s best to get a genuine iPhone screen replaced with another genuine iPhone screen.

It’s likely you’ll have a more durable screen, better performances, and fewer problems in the long run until you decide to sell your phone for the best price available.

It’s clear that while a genuine iPhone screen may be more expensive than third-party replacement counterparts, the pros far outweigh the cons. Not only will you enjoy using your phone more, but you also won’t have to break the bank when you want to upgrade.

If the device you are seeking to repair is a repair service that uBreakiFix provides as an authorized service provider for an original equipment manufacturer, the local competitor must also be an authorized service provider and use original equipment manufacturer parts to repair the device

We reserve the right to verify the price of the identical, in-stock repair components at the retailer location (i.e., size, model, brand, color, spec).

Apple surprised us last year when it announced a new self-service repair program to allow iPhone owners to replace their own broken screens, aging batteries, and other key components.

That program finally launched last month, although, at this point, it’s limited to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 families. Nevertheless, if you’re thinking that this may finally let you fix your own screen, you might want to take a closer look at the various other service options available. Apple’s new Self Service Repair program isn’t for the faint of either heart or wallet.

The cost is more reasonable for older iPhone models, especially those without OLED screens. For instance, while an iPhone 11 Pro screen replacement will set you back the same $279 as the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro, you can get the LCD-equipped iPhone 11 screen replaced for only $199. Set the Wayback Machine to an iPhone 5S or an iPhone 6, and it drops to $129.

Note that this assumes your screen is the only thing that’s damaged on your iPhone. You’ll pay more if there’s anything else wrong. Apple calls these “out-of-warranty prices,” but except in very rare cases, a damaged screen is never covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, so if you’re walking into an Apple Store, expect to pay. Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) usually follow Apple’s repair pricing, but they aren’t bound by it, so they’re free to charge different rates.

At these prices, you might think Apple’s self-service repair program is a breath of fresh air. After all, shouldn’t it be cheaper to repair your iPhone screen on your own? You’d think so, but in a perhaps misguided desire to ensure that you have everything you need to do the job properly, Apple is making the process nearly as expensive and considerably more cumbersome than visiting your local Apple Store or AASP.

For one thing, genuine Apple parts don’t come cheap. An iPhone 12 Pro display bundle, which gives you a replacement screen and all of the pieces that go with it, costs $270 upfront. That’s only $10 less than having Apple repair it for you, although you will get a $33.60 credit after returning your old display to Apple. This still brings the out-of-pocket cost to $236.35.

A total savings of $42.65 isn’t too bad if you’re already a keen do-it-yourselfer. Still, even then, you’ll probably want to avail yourself of Apple’s repair toolkit, which the company is happy to rent to you for an extra $49 per week — plus a deposit held on your credit card for the replacement cost of the tools.

This kit comes in two separate cases, collectively weighing 79 pounds and measuring 20 inches wide by 47 inches high when stacked. They’re also specific to each iPhone model, so you won’t be able to use the same kit to repair additional phones for friends or family members unless they all happen to be using the same iPhone.

It’s almost as if Apple doesn’t really want you to repair your own iPhone, but what could possibly be its motivation for that? It’s not like it hasn’t spent years lobbying against people’s right to repair their own devices. Apple’s stated rationale for this has always been that it doesn’t want its customers to hurt themselves by trying to fix their own iPhones without the proper tools and “Genuine Apple Parts.” Apple’s new Self Service Repair Program provides both, but in doing so, it also looks like the company wants to tacitly make a case for why its repair services are so expensive.

Screen replacement costs from most AASPs are in the same ballpark as what Apple charges. Large national AASPs like Best Buy charge identical prices, while smaller local and regional AASPs may sometimes charge $10 to $20 less depending on the model and other factors.

However, AASPs generally have stringent requirements they must follow to be approved by Apple. This not only includes regular training and certifications for repair technicians ,but even things like laying out their business in a way that’s “consistent with the Apple brand.” All this drives up their costs.

In 2019, Apple introduced a new program for Independent Repair Providers (IRPs), offering a way for smaller repair shops to get their hands on genuine Apple parts without jumping through the hoops required to become a full AASP. While the Independent Repair Provider Program has been described as somewhat onerous — Apple still reserves the right to conduct surprise inspections, for instance — the lower barrier to entry allows many small businesses or even independent technicians to offer out-of-warranty Apple repairs, bringing the costs of these repairs down.

Unfortunately, these IRPs pay the same prices for genuine Apple parts and the necessary tools that AASPs do, and it’s not much less than what Apple charges in its Self-Service Repair Store. A survey of about a dozen IRPs across the U.S. revealed iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 screen repair pricing in the $230 to $300 range. Yes, some IRPs are charging more than Apple, most often those located in areas far from an Apple Store or AASP.

Some of the IRPs I’ve spoken with since Apple introduced the program have told me that it’s not worth it from a profitability point of view. Many have only remained in the program hoping to use iPhone repairs as a “loss leader” to bring in new customers.

You can shave quite a bit off your repair costs if you’re willing to seek out an unauthorized repair shop that’s not part of one of Apple’s repair programs, but you’ll also be doing so at your own risk. Apple isn’t lying when it says that genuine Apple parts work better for screen and battery replacements, but it is being slightly disingenuous. While there are dangers to using substandard parts, not all unauthorized parts fit into this category.

For one thing, many repair shops will salvage screens and batteries from iPhones that are otherwise unserviceable. Despite being used, these are still genuine Apple parts, and there’s no reason they can’t be repurposed to repair another iPhone as long as the shop is honest about it. There are networks of repair shops that work together to take advantage of trading in these types of replacement parts.

Apple’s repair costs have also created a significant gray market for genuine iPhone screens and batteries. In these cases, the parts are legitimate, but the sources of the parts aren’t. These methods, along with using parts legitimately manufactured by third parties, allow unauthorized repair shops to offer screen replacement prices significantly below those found in the AASP and IRP market. In my research, I encountered iPhone 12 screen replacements offered for as little as $120, although the median price from more reputable repair shops hovered closer to the $200 mark.

Unfortunately, to try and prevent this dealing in gray market and used parts, Apple has made it progressively more difficult each year to use “non-genuine” parts. Replacing a battery, screen, or camera system on recent iPhone models requires the service technician to pair the new component. If that’s not done, the iPhone will regularly alert you that it’s “unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple part” and may even cause features like Face ID to fail entirely.

These high repair costs make a good case for buying AppleCare+ for your new iPhone. That will cover you for two incidents of accidental damage every 12 months for a deductible of only $29 per incident for a screen replacement or $99 for other types of damage.

Two years of AppleCare+ costs $199 for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro models (and their “Max” counterparts), or $149 for the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13. Compared to the screen replacement costs, which start at $279 for an iPhone 12 Pro or $229 for an iPhone 12 mini, it’s easy to see how AppleCare+ is a bargain if you break your screen even once.

Of course, like most insurance plans, unless you’re accident-prone, you’re mostly paying for peace of mind here. Apple is hoping that you don’t break your screen while you’re betting that you will break it at least once during the life of your iPhone. However, AppleCare+ isn’t the only option. Most carriers offer protection plans for an additional monthly fee on your regular bill, most of which will let you take your iPhone to an Apple Store for the same level of service you’d get with AppleCare+.

There are also independent insurance programs like Allstate’s Squaretrade that may offer better options for your individual needs. For instance, some charge a fixed deductible regardless of the type of repair; these usually work out higher for screen replacements, but can save you money for other types of damage. They may also offer a higher number of incidents or different types of coverage. So, it’s worth shopping around to see what’s available. Repairs under these programs are still conducted by an Apple Store or Authorized Apple Service Provider; either the company has an AASP it deals with, or it reimburses you directly for the cost of the out-of-warranty repairs.

What’s the takeaway here? If you break the screen on your iPhone, you’ll probably wish you had AppleCare+ or a similar extended warranty. What you may not want to do is try to repair it yourself unless you’re very handy with some rented spanners.