Many iPhone users know the feeling - the second the handset
slips away from the hand, the heart skips a beat, the hands try clumsily to
catch it, and almost in slow motion, the eyes watch in horror as the iPhone
bounces several times on the floor. Face up is lucky, face down, not so much,
and when picking the phone up of off the ground reveals a crack in the face,
everyone starts to offer their condolences.
At this time, users have to consider several possibilities.
The foremost is that only the exterior glass has been cracked, which is the
case if the screen still displays the normal iPhone interface. Which means that
the butter-fingered iPhone user in question is lucky, the liquid crystal
display, or LCD, is still intact, and replacement exterior glass pieces are
less expensive to replace than is the LCD. However, if the screen has gone
blank, the LCD of the dropped iPhone has been ruptured, meaning a more
expensive repair is in order, that of an iPhone LCD replacement.
By definition, when an iPhone LCD replacement is in order,
the exterior glass screen must also be replaced, as to be able to break the
LCD, the exterior glass must first be broken. However, while this means that
the iPhone in question has been substantially damaged, it does not mean that the
handset should be discarded. While a relatively expensive fix, iPhone LCD
replacements are a fairly common procedure, and exterior glass replacement is
extremely common. Both of these procedures, even in combination, are
substantially less expensive than replacing an iPhone in its entirety.
iPhone LCD replacements are a relatively complicated
procedure, and one that most users will probably wish to have handled by a
professional iPhone repair person. However, users who possess a high level of
technical competency will likely manage to perform the replacement themselves,
meaning that these users will need only purchase the replacement LCD and a new
exterior glass piece. Even users who decide to truly have a professional take
care of the replacement might want to check around for prices of replacement
LCDs, if for no other reason than to know what the repairman should be charging
for the parts. The labor costs of having the new LCD and exterior glass
installed are usually nominal; making the outsourcing of this job to trained
professionals generally the best option for all users except those with
expertise in taking apart and reassembling computers, electronics, and/or
specifically iPhones.
While cracking the face of an iPhone is never a fun
experience, a broken LCD and glass screen are not enough reason to replace an
otherwise functioning iPhone. iPhone LCD replacements are increasingly becoming
a commonly performed repair, meaning that they're gradually decreasing in price
and inconvenience, and there are many and more replacement iPhone parts in the
marketplace every day. So rather than trashing an iPhone after a bad drop,
users should remember that almost every part on an iPhone can be replaced,
meaning that typically, an injured iPhone can be brought back to life at a
fraction of a cost of a new one.