Apple may now be offering to replace iPhone 5 screens in-store, in what can be seen as a massive overhaul of their repair service — if reports by MacRumours, AppleInsider and GigaOM are to be believed.
Currently Apple simply replace your broken iPhone 5 with one that has already been refurbished at no cost, if you’re covered under warranty, or for $229 off-warranty. However, this hasn’t been very cost effective with Apple now looking at bringing repair costs down and instead just replacing the screens.
MacRumours and AppleInsider both report that the new service will cost $149 and a couple of extra minutes of your time, although GigaOM is reporting a much higher price of $199 for the screen replacement.
This on-site screen repair is rumoured to be only the start of Apple’s plans, with several other components being repaired in-store — including the camera, logic board and the sleep/wake button.
The service is said to be already rolling out in the US, and expected to roll out internationally in the future. Currently Apple will only replace your home button, battery and receiver in-store, but this will see more customers getting their own phones fixed, rather than receiving a replacement.
Apple Care could be set for an overhaul too, with AppleInsider reporting that Apple Care will soon shift to a new model, where the customer will be covered — rather than the current system which covers only the product. Apple’s Vice President, Tara Bunch, reported that the company hopes to save $1 billion from the overhaul.