Apple has made an important change to the warranties for the iPhone and the Apple Watch. And as you might expect, this change doesn’t add protection to device owners. Per
9to5Mac, several sources tell them that the standard warranty for the iPhone and Apple Watch no longer covers “single hairline cracks” which will now be seen as “accidental damage” that users will be required to pay for in order to get repaired.
The change in policy started this month as “single hairline cracks” were originally covered under the standard warranty assuming that no other damage was visible or there wasn’t an obvious point of impact seen that led to the hairline crack. The change made by Apple requires that at Apple Stores and authorized Apple repair shops, anytime a customer brings in an iPhone or Apple Watch claiming that there is a hairline crack, the repair service must be filed as an accidental repair claim.
Right now, this change in policy only applies to single hairline cracks spotted on iPhone and Apple Watch displays and doesn’t change Apple’s policy on single hairline cracks for the iPad and the Mac. Repairs for such damage found on the latter two devices will still be covered by a valid warranty. Apple has yet to explain its reasoning behind this move.
Select from your repair options from the iPhone screen repair support page
So how much will you pay for a screen repair?
Click on this support page, select the iPhone version you own, type in the model number, and you can obtain an estimate that will give you an idea of how much you will be charged to repair the screen on your iPhone. If the problem you have is with a hairline crack on an Apple Watch, you can get an estimate of how much you will pay for the repair and schedule a repair or a mail pickup by
tapping on this link.
There are two ways to have your iPhone screen repaired. One way is to schedule an appointment with an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Apple Store. Your other option is to arrange to have your iPhone mailed directly to Apple. Tapping on the “Get Service” button on the support page will
take you to the next step necessary to schedule a repair at a nearby Apple Store or arrange shipment to an Apple Repair Center.
The same two options are available to repair your Apple Watch screen. From the support page,
tap on the “Get Service” button to choose between having your Apple Watch’s display fixed at an Apple Store or mailed to a repair center.