It’s a nasty shock for anyone who picks up their smartphone after a drop to find its screen cracked or shattered. While some choose to push on with a broken display, most end up forking out for a replacement to get their handset looking as good as new again. Minus any other scratches picked up when it hit the deck, of course.
For iPhone users who’ve paid out the $129 fee for the AppleCare+ extended warranty – or $99 for iPhone SE owners – a screen replacement will now cost a far more reasonable $29, listed as the “service fee.” That’s a saving of $70 on before for iPhone 6S and 6S Plus users, and a still useful $50 saving for those with an older model.
Having said that, other damage now costs $99 to sort out, marking an increase of $20 on before.
Also, butter-fingered users should note that these fees only apply for up to two incidents of accidental damage, so things could get pricey following a third unwelcome incident – especially if there’s any additional damage. Outside of the initial one year warranty or extended coverage offered by AppleCare+, a screen replacement costs between $129 and $149, with fees for additional damage topping out at a substantial $329. Of course, you may be able to find a better price with a third-party supplier.
The new fees weren’t mentioned at Apple’s big iPhone 7 unveil on Wednesday, with the tech giant opting to quietly introduce the adjusted prices in an update to its website that was subsequently spotted by 9to5Mac.
So to be clear, every iPhone comes with one year of hardware repair coverage and up to 90 days of free support. AppleCare+ for the iPhone extends that coverage by a full year and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage – each subject to a service fee of $29 for screen damage, or $99 for any other damage – while you’ll also receive 24/7 priority access to Apple experts via chat or phone.
