It’s time to be more careful with your iPhone and Apple Watch screens, as even a hairline crack could set you back a fortune. According to a report by 9To5Mac, single hairline cracks wouldn’t be treated as manufacturing defects any more. Instead, Apple has directed Apple Stores and authorized service providers to repair them as if they were other accidental damage.
In other words, customers would have to pay to get hairline cracks on their iPhone or Apple Watch.
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What Is A Hairline Crack Anyway?
A hairline crack is a thin, single crack that appears on the outer glass surface of the screen. Usually, hairline cracks are tiny, to the extent that they are only visible under certain angles. Such cracks can happen from a minor bump or pressure on the screen. Further, cracks that don’t form a spiderweb pattern or don’t seem to have stemmed from a point of impact are also considered hairline cracks.
However, they can also be attributed to minor structural issues in smartphones, which is why Apple covered them under the standard warranty (defects for which the company pays or makes repairs for free). Nonetheless, the publication has reported that hairline cracks won’t be repaired for free.
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Hairline Cracks Not Covered Under Warranty For iPhones And Apple Watches
Until now, the company’s policy has included covering instances of single hairline cracks under the standard warranty until there is any other damage or physical sign of impact on the device. However, the company’s updated policy (distributed to stores and service centers this week) states that the standard warranty won’t cover single hairline cracks.
Instead, customers will have to pay the entire screen replacement cost as set by Apple, regardless of whether there are signs of physical damage. For now, this development applies to iPhones and Apple Watches; iPads and MacBooks aren’t affected (yet). While this might not sound like a problem at first, looking at the screen repair costs might change your mind.
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How Much Will It Cost To Repair Hairline Cracks In India?
Apple provides an estimate of the repair costs on its “iPhone Service And Repair” page. If you select “Cracked Screen (front only)” under Service Type and check out the repair price for iPhone 15, you’ll realize that the company hands over an estimate of Rs. 25,500 (without AppleCare+). The screen repair cost for the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro is Rs. 30,500, while that for the iPhone 15 Pro Max is Rs. 37,900.
So, if you drop your iPhone on the stairs or on cemented pavement, you’d end up paying somewhere around the estimated amount unless you have AppleCare+, which reduces the repair costs to Rs. 2,500. However, if you don’t bump your iPhone, take good care of it, and somehow end up seeing a hairline crack on the screen, it would cost you the same to get it repaired.
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How Much Does AppleCare+ Cost In India?
It is important to mention that AppleCare+ isn’t one of the most affordable accidental coverage plans. Although it extends the coverage to two years from the date of purchase (of AppleCare+) and adds unlimited indents of accidental damage protection, it adds an upfront cost to your phone. For instance, Apple offers a subscription for Rs. 14,900 for the regular iPhone 15 and Rs. 20,900 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Going forward, users should be more cautious and careful with their iPhones. Applying good-quality screen guards and using a shock-absorbing cover could prevent the screen and the back glass from cracking and costing a fortune. We’ve included the price for repairing broken screens in India as we believe that the policy change will apply to Indian customers as well. We’ll update this article if we find any contradicting information.
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