Skip to main content

Breaking news: HTC will replace your phone screen for $29 if it shatters

htc advantage free screen replacement red  gold and silver ones fanned
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We all know the feeling of dread when a $600+ smartphone falls from our grasp onto the sidewalk, or any surface harsher than a pile of feathers. Once a phone’s screen has been cracked, you know you’re out of luck. It’s going to cost a bunch of money. Unless you have the new HTC Advantage program, that is.

Starting today, anyone who buys a brand new HTC One series device (such as the HTC One, One max, and One mini) gets an expanded warranty for six months from the date of purchase. The expanded warranty covers not just the usual “manufacturer defect” that we’re used to with limited warranties, but also one full screen replacement should your device fall prey to concrete floors. While HTC doesn’t guarantee your personal data through the warranty process (no one really does) at least it offers advanced replacement for just $29 – a steal when you consider the $150 deductible most insurance companies make you pay.

Along with this one-time screen replacement, HTC One series – including the One Mini and One Max – owners get a number of other perks like 25GB of free Google Drive cloud storage, guaranteed Android updates for two years, extra tech support, and free backup services. HTC claims it has a new “belief” in customer service. We’re happy, but wish it would have converted some years back.

We give HTC credit for trying to attract customers by being nice, especially considering how much it has struggled as Samsung swallowed up the market for the last two years. This program is a first for a warranty policy on accidental breakage with smartphones. Some companies have offered repair guarantees along with certain cases or services, and Apple is rumored to occasionally replace iPhones with broken screens for customers who ask really nicely, but nobody has publicly guaranteed a free screen replacement for six months as part of the warranty. Brag away, HTC. And then add another 1.5 years to that warranty, if you can.

Editors' Recommendations

Joshua Sherman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joshua Sherman is a contributor for Digital Trends who writes about all things mobile from Apple to Zynga. Josh pulls his…
You’re ruining your iPhone 14 Pro if you turn off the always-on screen
iPhone 14 Pro showing the Moon always-on screen, held in a man's hand.

With the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max Apple gave us a wonderful gift, but I’m seeing some ungratefulness. I’m talking about the always-on screen, which brings the new iPhone alive in a way it never has been before. Yet, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, there are quite a lot of people turning the feature off!

By dismissively rejecting the iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on screen like this, you’re ruining the best thing about it.
What’s so good about it?

Read more
Apple’s Ceramic Shield may change your mind about an iPhone 14 screen protector
iPhone 13 Pro side view.

Just how much do you need a screen protector on your new iPhone 14? Screen protectors are like cases — we don’t always want to buy and use them but feel we should protect our investment from harm. But with that comes the expense, the awkwardness of fitting the things, and sometimes a change in the feel of the glass under our finger.

The iPhone 14 Pro uses a special type of protective glass Apple calls Ceramic Shield, which it says offers scratch resistance and four times the drop protection versus iPhone models without the special glass. Is there any point in fitting a screen protector to it, and if you don’t, what will your phone look like after a year? That’s what we’ve found out.
What is Ceramic Shield?
Ceramic Shield glass was introduced on the iPhone 12 series, was used on the iPhone 13 series, and is fitted to the new iPhone 14 models, too. It doesn’t matter whether you buy a regular iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro, or the iPhone 14 Pro Max — it has Apple’s Ceramic Shield glass on the front. Like the familiar Gorilla Glass fitted on many Android devices, Apple’s Ceramic Shield has also been developed by experts at Corning.

Read more
The best OnePlus 9 screen protectors
OnePlus 9 screen and box.

The OnePlus 9 has many virtues, but perhaps its biggest selling point is its 6.55-inch AMOLED display, which supports a 120Hz refresh rate and packs 2400 x 1080 pixels. It looks absolutely stunning, but despite its use of Corning Gorilla Glass, it can still break. You can stop that from happening by investing in a screen protector, especially if you want to save it from bigger drops.

To make things easier for you, we've put together a list of the best OnePlus 9 screen protectors available right now. These run from affordable protectors to expensive ones that offer a serious level of defense.

Read more