Is taking a cracked iPad (screen) to Apple Repair worth it?
You’ve done the unthinkable— dropped your iPad 10.2 on the concrete floor without even an iPad 10.2 case to protect it—- and now you’ve got a hairline crack straight across the front of your device. Or maybe you watched horrified as your iPad Pro slipped out of your bookbag at the top of the staircase in Flinn hall, and bumped along all 67 steps down, to come out at the bottom rather the worse for wear. Either way, the question is the same. Is taking a cracked iPad to Apple Repair worth it?
The Price tag for Your Cracked Screen Repair
If the crack is purely cosmetic, and you don’t have your device insured with AppleCare coverage, the answer is usually no. Replacing the screen on a iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) will set you back $649, and if you’ve got an 11 inch iPad Pro, the price will be hardly cheaper ($499). A 10.2 inch iPad can have the screen replaced for just $249, but that’s still a big chunk of change; way more than the cost of an iPad case 10.2.
If you signed up for AppleCare when you bought your iPad, you’ll be able to get your screen replaced for just $49— a very reasonable proposition. Buying the AppleCare coverage originally will have cost you $99, so if you’re likely to crack your screen you can think of it as having paid part of the repair cost ahead of time. The coverage lasts two years, and after that you’re on your own.
Alternatives to Apple Screen Repair
Have you got a cracked screen on your iPad Pro, but no AppleCare coverage and no $649 spare change to repair it? Or maybe the screen on your iPad 10.2 just cracked, and you don’t really want to shell out all of $249.
If it’s just a cracked screen and the digitizer and touch screen work fine, you can just keep on using your iPad. Visually, your device is no longer perfect, but a cracked screen doesn’t necessarily effect function.
You can also bring your device into a third party repair place. These are often much cheaper than Apple Repair when it comes to fixing screens, and some of them provide high quality work. If you do your research, you can probably even find a repair shop that uses OEM (Apple) replacement pieces.
The key here is to do your research, because while there are great third party repairmen out there, there are also shams who don’t really know what they’re doing and might ruin your device. If the repair results in an iPad that doesn’t even turn on, what are you going to do? Bringing your iPad in to a third party repair service voids any warranty you might have, so you want to be careful here.
Another option you’ve got is to do a DIY repair. You can buy yourself a screen repair kit for under $50, and you’ll get the replacement parts, all tools needed, and detailed instructions that walk you through the whole process step by step. If you’re the sort who loves to tinker with electronics and built your own computer when you were in 7th grade, this might be a great new project for you. If you’re not so handy, be aware that the process is fairly involved. There’s no way to just take off your broken screen and put on the new one: you’ll have to tear down your iPad, layer by layer, and then put it back the same way it was. If you do it wrong, your iPad may never work again.
Avoiding a Cracked Screen
When it comes down to it, there’s no great option for dealing with a cracked screen. You’ll have to weigh the different possibilities and decide what makes most sense for your personal situation.
Knowing how costly a screen repair tends to be makes one thing come out in sharp relief—- the importance of keeping that screen intact in the first place. Sure, accidents happen, and a cracked screen isn’t necessarily your fault. But there are things you can do to make it that much less likely.
Like buying a screen protector and a drop tested case, and keeping it on at all times. A naked iPad feels extra sleek and elegant, but it’s also extra vulnerable to damage. A classy protective case like the Zugucase can help keep your screen intact and your device looking pristine and brand new for long after the honeymoon is over
Protective cases come in handy for other reasons, too. They function as stands, so that you can keep your iPad at your ideal viewing angle when watching movies or lectures on your device. The Zugu Case has strong enough magnets you can even stick it up on the refrigerator— great for when you’re following the tutorial of a new recipe in the kitchen.
But when it comes down to it, avoiding that $649 bill is the biggest reason most of us will have for putting a case on our iPads. That’s why it’s important to do your research and go with a case that can guarantee full protection for your iPad. Like the Zugu Case. The gold standard in drop protection is Military Drop Test Standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6), and to pass certification for this an iPad with its case has to be dropped a total of 26 times, 48 inches each time onto steel backed by concrete. iPads protected by Zugu Cases come out of this test with no damage whatsoever, to the screen or any other part of the device body.
So don’t test your luck. Bringing an iPad to Apple for repairs is an experience you’re better off without, so get your iPad a sturdy case and keep it protected— starting today.