Apple devices are expensive, and repairing them is also expensive. But if your iPhone or iPad breaks, we doubt you’d want to return to the pre-2007 Dark Ages, when you had to print out directions from Mapquest or carry printed boarding passes for your plane. So if you need to repair a damaged iPhone or replace your iPhone battery, follow these tips for cheap iPhone repairs, and iPhone repair alternatives.
Replace your iPhone battery by 2019
If you’re thinking of replacing the battery in an older model iPhone not covered by warranty or insurance, be sure you do it before the end of this year. The $29 replacement charge program ends on December 31, 2018.
After that date, the new price is $49 for iPhone models 6, 7, and 8 and $69 for an iPhone X or newer.
Free iPhone battery replacement
What’s even better than $29? If you have AppleCare+ or fall within the original iPhone or iPad warranty period, you’ll receive a free iPhone battery replacement (or free iPad battery replacement for your iPad), as well as Apple’s express replacement service.
Check your iPhone battery health
If you go to your iPhone Settings, you can check Battery Health to see your phone’s percentage of maximum capacity. This Battery Health setting measures the ability of the battery to charge relative to when it was new, so a battery with an 82% maximum capacity will have fewer hours of usage between charges. Battery Health is available in iOS 11.3 and later updates.
If the health of your battery is severely degraded, just search for “iPhone repair near me” to have it replaced before the price increase at the beginning of next year.
Invest in AppleCare+ for cheap iPhone repairs
The newest iPhones like the iPhone XS can be very expensive to repair if you don’t have AppleCare+. Buying a new phone includes a 90-day warranty and the standard level of Apple Care, but accidental damage is only covered by the AppleCare+ premium insurance plan.
AppleCare+ costs $300 to cover a new iPhone XS or XS Max, but it’s smart coverage for a $1,000 iPhone. Compare the cost of iPhone screen repair with AppleCare+ and without. If you have AppleCare+ and you break your screen, you’ll pay $29 for a repair. Without the optional insurance, you’ll pay $279 for iPhone screen repair an iPhone XS, or $329 for iPhone screen repair on the iPhone XS Max.
Another example: if you break the back of your phone bad enough to need iPhone back repair through AppleCare+, Apple Service coverage classifies this as “other damage,” so iPhone back repair will cost you $99. Without the optional AppleCare+ insurance coverage, the cost of iPhone back repair is $549 if you have an iPhone XS, and $599 if you have the iPhone XS Max.
The good news is that AppleCare+ for the new iPhone XS models also includes theft and loss coverage — things that the program didn’t previously cover.
Buy an older model
Starting at $1,099, the iPhone XS Max is the most expensive phone Apple has ever sold. And these iPhone XS repair costs are also the highest ever for Apple: iPhone XS Max repair for what Apple calls “other” damage will cost you $599. To put that into perspective, that’s the same cost as buying an iPhone 8, and $150 more than purchasing a new iPhone 7.
That said, if you don’t need the new iPhone XS right now, its always worth it to wait for it to come down in price. You can now snag an iPhone 7 for $450, iPhone 8 for $599, or iPhone X for $899. Price drops frequently occur on all models as soon as a new one is introduced, and some retailers even drop prices a bit earlier.
Manage your expenses
Now you know that cheap iPhone repairs are not easy, but there are ways to manage your expenses. Protect your device with a good case, get insurance, and wait a few months to upgrade to the newest device. There are many reputable iPhone repair locations that will fix your phone while you wait. If you have any service planned for your iPhone, schedule it before the end of this year.
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Key topics: AppleCare+, cheap iPhone repairs, repair broken iPhone, repair damaged iPhone, replace your iPhone battery, iPhone battery health, iPhone battery repair, free iPhone battery replacement, free iPad battery replacement, cheap iPhone repairs
