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The latest iPhone firmware update 1.1.3 has got me really, really upset… almost fuming, actually.
What’s not to love about iPhone’s new GPS feature, the mass text messaging capabilities and the now customizable home screen? Do I agree with Blackberry fanboy Russell Shaw, who is “mostly unimpressed” by the upgrade?
Absolutely not! What irks me about the latest iPhone update is that I can’t enjoy it, because last night my iPhone’s touchscreen was disabled after I accidentally dropped my iPhone, cracking the glass.
As you can see in the image on the left, the glass cracked in about five places after I dropped it on my wood floor.
But the cracks are not on the top glass layer of the iPhone. I can actually slide my finger down the screen and it’s completely smooth.
What appears to have cracked is the touchscreen beneath the glass. So my iPhone works perfectly fine, except that I can’t interact with it.
As long as my SIM card is inside, I’ll continue to get phone calls that I can’t answer, my preprogrammed alarms will continue to go off without my being able to hit Snooze, and the phone will not turn off until the battery drains.
The obvious downside of a touchscreen phone is that, generally, if one feature breaks they all do. The lack of hardware buttons means you can’t answer calls, turn off alarms, send text messages or do ANYTHING without a working touchscreen.
How likely is it that iPhone’s glass will crack if you drop it?
When I read the results of PC World’s iPhone stress tests, I admittedly got a little cocky and decided to go without a case for my iPhone.
I’ve dropped my iPhone a number of times, without a problem. However, this was the first time I dropped it directly on its glass surface… and it broke.
After doing some research, it seems the problem is not uncommon. iPhone Atlas notes that “an awkward fall, too much pressure and other unnatural impact can cause cracks in the optical glass.”
Will the cracked glass be covered under the iPhone warranty?
Apple states on the iPhone Warranty (PDF) that “Service may not be available if your iPhone has been damaged due to accident or abuse.â€
Nevertheless, iPhone Atlas said they “received reports from some readers who had success having their iPhones with cracked screens replaced free of charge by geniuses at the Apple Store … but don’t count on it.”
I’m going to try my luck this weekend at the Apple Store, but I’m not feeling too hopeful. If Apple declines to replace my phone for free, I’ll either have to pay them $249 to repair my iPhone, or have it repaired by someone else, which will void the warranty.
What really bugs me about the $249 repair fee is that it’s only applicable to 8GB iPhones. The 4GB ones cost $199 to repair, even though the hardware that I need replaced is identical on both versions!
So I gave Apple more of my money on January 29 to get an 8GB iPhone, and now they want to exploit that and charge me more for repair? I think that’s unfair. Even more unfair than not being able to test out iPhone update 1.1.3 
Broken iPhone glass repair: Other options
SlashPhone posted a tutorial for replacing your iPhone’s broken glass with a $5 sheet of plastic. It’s not quite like the real thing, but it’s also $245 cheaper. Note that if you choose to do this, your warranty will be voided.
This is not an option for me because, as I mentioned above, it’s the touchscreen below the glass that is broken, not the glass surface itself.
I’ll be sure and report back after visiting the Apple Store this weekend to let you all know whether Apple was willing to replace my broken iPhone for free.
Until then, I’ll be relying on my trusty old Motorola phone from Wal-Mart. Not quite as useful as the iPhone, but it does make phone calls!
Update: I got my replacement iPhone from Apple. Click to read about my experience.
Have you ever cracked your iPhone’s glass?
If so, did you get a new phone for free or did you have to shell out big bucks for repair? Please share your experience in the comments.
39 Comments So Far...
I got my iphone for my birthday in September and I recently accidently dropped my phone and the screen is cracked in about three different places. The cracks look like three spider webs! I cannot use the phone because it says the sim card is not being read. I can touch the screen though and do all the things except anything that has to do with the sim card. AT & T said they cannot replace the phone that I only had for under six months, there is no warranty for that particular phone and if I want it repaired it will cost me $250 to do so. That is rediculous! It is bullshit and I think that apple or cingular should have atleast insurance for such an expensive phone. If anyone has any luck with getting an iphone repaired please send me an email…mstoi76@aol
I feel your pain, Latoia. I just paid $250 to have mine repaired. I agree with you that they need to offer insurance to cover physical damage.
[...] iPhone Review has this rather scary narrative about an iPhone drop that led to a cracked screen - [...]
I’m sure it doesn’t surprise many iPhone customers when I report that my once beautiful iPhone now has a colossal crack right down the middle. Keep in mind, my iPhone had a “protective” cover on it at the time of impact. The inability of my phone to withstand a 20-25cm drop is a good indicator that there is a structural problem with the tempering of the glass. That is a pretty big deal considering iPhones are uninsurable through AT&T.
I have spend the past few hours on the phone with Apple and I have talked to two different Apple representatives only to come to one conclusion: I’m SOL. Both apple representatives informed me that my $70 AppleCare Plan did not cover this type of accidental damage and that there is a $250 charge for an LCD screen replacement(which, for the record, is one-half of the price of the iPhone and the same price as most other at&t phones). Come on! The face of the iPhone is 95% (seemingly breakable) glass. There is no way this was this was an unanticipated problem by our “pals” at apple. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a happy Apple customer for years, and I think the iPhone is an innovative piece of technology. I don’t, however, think its a bad suggestion to wait until there is an efficient insurance policy before investing in the iPhone.
I was in class at college today when I saw it. Right along the side, about a 1 in inch crack that still felt smooth. I was shocked, hurt, and felt betrayed:( The sad part is, I think I accidentally lay on it, with a temperpedic mattress pad so it’s not like there was direct force or sharp pressure. After reading around the internet, looks like I’m screwed, because I certainly don’t have $250. To make all things worse, my 1 month after purchase full coverage fee from ATT just ended 3 days ago.
Same exact experience here. I read all the reports and watched video on how the iPhone’s glass was unbreakable. I dropped mine and when it hit the coffee table on the edge where the chrome meets the glass, a spider flare of a break happened across my phone. fortunately, it still works perfectly so I have yet to get it replaced for $250. Although, i don’t show it off anymore because of the nasty crack, I just can’t make myself give Apple another $250 for this phone when they KNOW it’s going to happen and it’s the only phone that AT&T will not insure.
I still love my iPhone, but I’m really not happy with Apple and not wanting to buy anything more until I get over this. I don’t even go to iTunes anymore. I refuse to give them money for movie rentals and I am avoiding buying anything Apple right now.
I agree, complete bull. My phone was in my coat pocket and when I pulled it out after driving to work my crack(s) appeared. Something put enough pressure on the glass to cause it to spider, covering the top 1/3 of the face. The center of the crack was right where the earpiece is. Glass pieces have fallen out, but yet my phone is still completely functional, if you can believe that. Went to the Apple store and had no luck. There was no abuse, drop etc. I have no idea how it happened. Anyway, I’m extremely disappointed with Apple and the fact they are charging $250 to basically replace the glass. I won’t be giving them another dime. The iphone is a wonderful gadget, but not worthy of the price when it has such a defective piece of glass.
ok guys heres the deal.
(how to fix your iphone for free)
call 1800 my apple..
go through all the options till you get to the iphone department.
tell them the speaker on your iphone makes a crackling noise and you cant hear anythign out of it and need a replacement since its a manufacture defect and mention nothing about a cracked screen!!!.(alot of people dont know this but there was a recall on the first generation speakers for lack of quality) so they will be anxtious to replace it for you no questions or tests asked.
operator will ttry to convince you to take it to an apple store. Avoid this option at all costs!! request for a mail in exchange. apple hates this option because it is costly but be assertive and request hat everythign be done by mail. operator will set up an exchange system where they send out a loner phone for you by mail next day. service is exxcelent and you will recieve a box with a loaner phone in it and a spot to put your shattered phone inside to send back.
apple has a policy within its iphone department that is basically this.. it cost more money to fix a particular phone within labor and parts and time that it is more effective to send out a new one then it is to repair it.This means they dont even examine the phone that u sent in. they scan the series of barcodes out side on the box and thats it. you get a new phone in te mail as soon as they recieve the old one no questions asked. and heres soem good news for all of you 4gb iphone users. Apple stopped making the 4 gig version so if you ask for an exchange because of your faulty speaker they will have no choice but to send you an 8 gig!
Note: when you call they will send you a lonaer phone that will cost 29 bucks a day… if you really are a penny pincher request to talk to a supervisor to waive the fee since its a manufacturer defect and u shudnt pay for a loaner. the rep cant waive it but the supervisor can.
furthermore, make sure u send the loaner phone back.. they will ask for a credit card to which they charge a dollar on to make sure it works. if the loaner is not recieved they charge 300 bucks plus a 50 dollar restockign fee.
so the loaner will cost u 350….
finally this willl only work if your an At&t customer…… dont even try this if your nto an at&t customer.apple doesnt care much for non at&t customers and will shaft you.
Hey I was jsut reading your blog. It is not as expensive and painful to get a screen replaced as some people may think. Take a look at our LCD Replacement Service.
http://www.irepair.us/iPhone-L.....2-357.html
Thanks, Kyle, but $180 is still on the high side, and repairing your screen with a third-party vendor like yours will void the iPhone warranty.
ramy please email me at xof32 [at] aol [dot] com so I can ask u about my iPhone replacement! Thanks
Ramy,
Did you try this? Did it really work?
Ramy,
Did this work? It sounds right but what if Apple does open the box to the old shattered glass…can you claim that it must have broke during shipment? Or will you have to go to jail for stealing?
hey guys,
First off this works. I had a shattered screen. I did exactly as I described above since I did not have anything to loose. They replaced my 4 gig with an 8 gig which I thought was great. They also gave me a free loaner phone to use in between. Whole process took 4 days.
On my second iPhone speaker was not so loud. Got a replacement once more for free for a new phone in the box. I have pics of the whole process if your curious and want to see what to expect. Further more headphones are covered under warranty. Apples ear phones are great but break or get ruined easily. They replace them via dhl next day. Just send the old ones back with the prepaid label.
Apple is a fantastic company and wants to keep its customers happy. They also understand that phones cracking sometime is part of daily use and does not mean the phone was subjected to abuse. Just follow the steps I gave above.
Hope this helped.
Ramy
i wish i read your message ramy before i called apple. now i dont no what to do because i dont have $249 either
Hi Guys,
Here’s an update on my experience with the broken scene issue. I followed Ramy’s advice about saying there was an issue with the speakers and did a mail in repair to Apple… but they opened the box and saw the damage and determined it obviously wasn’t covered under warrantee. I don’t doubt that this didn’t work with Ramy, but maybe because mine was an 8GB and not a 4GB (which they no longer make), it was screened by their repair team.
Anyway, I resigned myself to bite the bullet and pay the $250, and take it down to my local Apple store. I made an appointment with the genius bar, and I was completely honest about what happened. THEN, my genius told me that normally it would cost $250 to repair, but he said since I had bought it in July, and “paid the whole $600″ he would just give me a new one, no questions asked. I was ecstatic! And I walked out of their with a new IPhone, no charge.
I think bottom line, what we’ve learned here is that it’s almost a complete luck of the draw who’s going to pay and who’s not. It’s definitely worth it to exhaust every option, but there’s no guarantees. I only got one because I was lucky enough to talk to a really nice guy, who was high enough to have the authority to do stuff like that. Good luck to you all. I hope for the best. Apple is a really awesome company, so I bet more often than not, they’ll be accommodating to you.
Thanks for the tips, nerdgrrl!
Hi Ramy,
Was the first 8GB they sent you a new or refurbished phone?
do they check the phone when it gets shipped back to them and does your warranty get voided?
It may have worked for Ramy, but it certainly did not for me. I followed his advice by calling Apple, complaining about the sound, etc…and they happily Saturday overnighted a loaner phone to me. I received an email today from the Apple technician telling me that they opened the box and determined that it was damaged and that they are sending me my broken phone back to me.
When I get my broken phone back, I am taking it to an Apple store and begging for a new one. We’ll see how that goes…Wish me luck!
UPDATE from my previous comment:
Good luck to you all!
Wow! Talk about great customer service! I brought my broken phone into the Apple store and first spoke with a very friendly Genius. I showed him my phone and he tried to speak to a manager, but with no luck. I asked him how often they get customers bringing in shattered phones and he said “I see it ALL the time.” And then I asked how often the customer just shells out the $250 to replace it, and he said “ALL the time.” Wow! Sorry, but I just can’t get myself to hand over $250 after I’ve already paid $400 for it not even a year ago! I would have just lived with my ghetto, shattered phone because it’s still fully functional! So I asked to speak to a Manager since my Genius had no authority to do anything else other than hand me a new phone if I first handed him $250. Keep in mind all I did was ask the Manager “What options do I have to fix my phone without having to pay the replacement fee?” and I NEVER once asked if they could replace it for free. But, lo and behold, that’s exactly what he did. I don’t know if it was the sad, puppy dog eyes I kept giving them or I was just in the right place at the right time. Whatever it was, I was grateful for it!
The lesson I have learned in life is: IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK. Don’t make a fool of yourself and don’t overstep your boundaries, but if you ask in a polite and friendly manner, you’d be surprised what you can get away with!
That’s great news, Ashereee. You’re right, it never hurts to ask.
I also spoke to a manager. However, I wasn’t so lucky.
I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I’ll continue to buy Apple. Your buisness it actually important to them.
Hey, Does apple provide warranty if its Unlocked and not activated with AT&T? I got multiple cracks on the screen though it works smoothly. Paying 250$ for 16gig is too much. I can get a new 3G with that.
Please guide.
Ronny, unfortunately if the phone is unlocked the warranty is void. It can’t hurt to ask, but you’re probably out of luck.
A couple of days ago I dropped my phone outside and now it has a crack on the first layer of glass. My phone still works great, thank goodness, but that crack is very ugly. Anyone know how or where to get it fixed, without of course having to shell out $250 that I absolutly do not have? Any assitance would be greatly appreciated.
To Crystal:
Please visit this website: http://www.hitchsource.com/blo.....my-iphone/ and read my full instructions on how to repair the broken glass yourself for under $100 (near the bottom). Or, you can go to http://www.pdasmart.com and spend $190 to have it repaired for you.
This will take you directly to my post: http://www.hitchsource.com/blo.....omment-126
Dropped my phone this weekend while pulling it out of my pocket. The screen is cracked near the top but doesn’t effect function in any way. I’m thinking about driving to a genius bar but the closest is in Cincinnati OH which is about 45 min drive for me. Has anyone had any luck here? I don’t want to drive all the way there to get rejected : (
I bought my iPhone outside of the country and I cracked the screen. I NEED to get the screen fixed as i want to sell he phone. I wans’t that impressed with it and I wish I wouldn’t have spent so much money on it.
Are there any 3rd party companies that will fix it for cheaper than apple as they want 250 for a replacement.
Thanks so much
a great place that will repair water damaged or any other type of damage to the iPhone
they work with AT&T and Apple with non warranty repairs
you can mail it in or if you are in the San Francisco Bay area they are up 101 north of the Golden Gate
http://www.northbayelectronics.com is the website i was in the bay area and just called and they fixed my phone the same day
If you paid with your AMEX card, they have a 90 day period you can get your money back if your phone is lost or damaged. Thank GOD!
Hello everyone, I came across this site and just wanted to let everyone know that we repair iPhones and even the new iPhone 3G Screens. Check out our website if you need a repair done. I know it sucks, because I broke my screen too! And I love this phone!
By the way its http://www.drcellphone.com
well i feel sorry for all you guys the iphone glass just cost $29.99 us dollars and come with the tools and manual how install
Henry: Yes, you can get iPhone glass for cheap, but guess what? If you have a 1st gen iPhone, the glass is affixed to the LCD screen and digitizer unit, making it nearly impossible to repair without ruining the lcd screen because you have to take apart the iPhone so that you can remove the metal bezel around the phone and then, if you are super lucky, you can get the glass off with a razor blade, but then you are compromising the lcd screen.
And good luck even getting the case open without damaging it. Those plastic tools that come with the repair kits sold online get shredded to pieces…the case is entirely glued shut.
If you want to save your first gen iPhone, I recommend sending it to an experienced repair center such as pdaparts.com They will repair your phone for under $200.
The iPhone 3G is much easier to repair yourself, so the good news is, that all of you iPhone 3G owners may have better luck with a repair if you drop your phone and the glass breaks.
Good luck.