Every smartphone user has known the pain of a cracked screen, especially when you have to send the damn thing back for repairs. So Apple announcing it can fix a cracked screen at pretty much any retail location for $150 was cause for joy. And apparently Apple wants to ensure any damage is easily fixed.
Apparently, the problem with the screen wasn’t replacing the glass so much as properly calibrating the display after a new piece was put into place. Apple has an bizarre looking machine to take care of that problem, and that’s just the start:
…Apple Stores have been instructed that the iPhone is the “top priority” for the Genius Bar…. In addition to the program changes, many stores have Geniuses that are dedicated to iPhone repairs for sections of their shifts. In short, Apple is pouring resources in to in-store iPhone repairs.
Why the sudden dedication to fixing your iPhone? The first and most basic is money. Until now, any sort of “repair” was essentially just Apple replacing the phone. When you consider an unlocked iPhone 5 sells for $650 to start, that’s a lot of money essentially disappearing from Apple’s coffers.
Secondly, it’s a question of customer convenience. Being able to swap your phone for another one puts Android handset manufacturers at a fairly distinct advantage, but if Apple can offer repairs from that same day, that don’t require you to do a data restore, and mean you still have your phone at the end of the day, that means consumers are more likely to stick with Apple, which it needs if it wants to overtake Android.
Finally, the rumors of dirt-cheap iPhones in a variety of colors being announced next week means that there will probably be even more teenagers with these things, and likely trashing them. So Apple may be hoping to get ahead of the curve, or at least have fewer angry parents on the horn.