Foldable iPhone screen replacement could cost more than $1,100
Replacing the inner display on Apple’s first foldable iPhone could become one of the most expensive repairs for any of the company’s mobile devices.
Ricky Panesar, founder of UK repair service iCorrect, estimates that a screen replacement could cost around £850, or $1,155, Forbes reports. For comparison, replacing the inner display on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 costs £594 in the UK, or roughly $800.
- Panesar expects the high repair bill to come down to several factors. Apple is reportedly using panels from Samsung Display, while the phone itself is expected to feature a custom 3D-printed hinge.
- Independent repair shops will also have little experience with the new design at launch. Panesar believes AppleCare+ could be particularly valuable for foldable iPhone owners, although repairs under Apple’s extended coverage may still cost more than they do for conventional iPhones.
- He estimates that each AppleCare+ repair could cost around £100, or $135, compared with fees as low as £29 for some types of damage today. Apple could also reconsider offering unlimited repairs given the high cost of foldable displays.
The foldable iPhone is also rumored to have Touch ID built into the side power button, which could make repairs more complicated. Panesar says replacing the module would be more difficult than repairing Face ID on a conventional iPhone, with relatively few technicians likely to have experience with the hardware during its first year on the market.
The base model with 256GB of storage is expected to cost around $1,999, which would make the Ultra the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever released.