Submitted by Frank Macey on
One of the best deals in iPhone 5 repair just hit Apple retail locations. The Genius Bar will now perform in-store iPhone 5 display repairs for just $149 for those who didn't bother to purchase AppleCare. According to MacRumors, Apple stands to save around $1 billion per year by performing the repairs locally at retail locations.
Customers will also benefit, now that a busted or malfunctioning iPhone 5 screen can be repaired in-house, saving both time and money. Apple is shifting its services to provide more repair options at a lower cost. This has pressed independent repair outfits to drop pricing in a bid to remain competitive against the iPhone manufacturer.
For example, Quick iFix was forced to lower its display repair pricing from $175 down to $140 to remain competitive with Apple. The site iFixit, whose iPhone 4 repair kit is pictured above, currently sells the iPhone 5 display assembly with digitizer for $200. Note that fixing your own device or going to a third-party repair outfit can save a few bucks, however this will void your Apple warranty.
Now that the Genius Bar can help iPhone users repair their devices without the cost of complete replacement, third-party repair providers may find it harder to attract customers. Apple intends to expand the in-store repair program in July to include additional items besides the iPhone 5 display, such as logic boards, the iPhone's camera, and broken sleep/wake buttons.