Watch CBS News

Don't Drop It: Screen Repairs For $1,000 iPhone X Cost Almost $300

Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The latest high-tech iPhone X costs $1,000, but you may want to save some extra money for repairs.

Many customers who have dropped their phone say it can get really expensive really fast.

The latest Apple gadget comes at a cost. Buy the iPhone X, and you're out $1,000. Drop it, and be prepared for more sticker shock for repairs.

"If you take it to the Apple Store, it's going to cost you a little under $300, which is very expensive for an iPhone repair," Rob Schmidt at Computiverse said.

Just to replace the glass screen -- $279.

So why is it so expensive?

"I would say it has to do with the glass panel on the back of the phone as well as the front," Schmidt said. "Those are expensive pieces, as well as the new technology they use on the digital screen. They use OLED, which is a nicer display but also costs more and is super sensitive to cracks."

Repairing other versions of the iPhone doesn't cost nearly as much.

There is an alternative to paying $279 for screen repair. You can get an Apple extended warranty for $199 and then you can repair the screen for $29. But you can only do that two times.

Still a lot of money, and Schmidt says Apple is making it harder for independent repair guys like him to beat the price, especially with the new facial recognition technology.

"Whenever you crack your screen, it also cracks that camera which is fused into the screen, so it breaks the facial recognition security feature, and the only way you can get that reset or restored is by going to an Apple-authorized place and having it hooked up to their machine," Schmidt said.

Bottom line – rather than spend hundreds of dollars on repairs, invest in a very protective case.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.