Don’t get broken up over cracked screen

Coldbrook tech advises to let a pro fix electronic device properly

Danielle dropped her iPhone and now her screen is cracked.

She’s thinking of getting an upgrade soon, but, in the meantime, needs to replace the screen. She wondered if she should pay double to get it replaced by an authorized Apple dealer or try somewhere else, or maybe even try to do something with it herself.

Danielle is not the first, nor the last, person to suffer from a broken phone screen and wonder what to do or where to turn.

Logan Parker of Parkers Satellite and Tech Shop in Coldbrook knows the answers. The business looks after electronics repairs for both homes and small businesses, including for computers, laptops, tablets, cellphones.

Parker works directly with mobile device repair. He says there are a few things phone owners can do to protect their phones from getting a cracked screen in the first place.

PHONE PROTECTION

Cell phones and tablets are amazing little computers but are, unfortunately, relatively fragile, says Parker. Most manufacturers value a premium look and feel more than a rugged device, so they tend to use glass rather than rubber and plastic.

“Even a simple silicone case can absorb some of the energy from a drop,” says Parker, noting hybrid cases with a

soft rubber and hard plastic are the best.

Tempered glass screen protectors not only add a protective layer against scratches, but also strengthen the glass of the screen, he says.

The cost of a replacement case or screen protector is far less than a damaged device, he notes.

WHEN TO FIX

When a screen is cracked, Parker says how soon it should be fixed depends on the severity of the crack and the type of display.

In most typical cellphone and tablet screens, the display consists of multiple layers — the topmost being a glass layer that the rest of the components are glued to with a transparent adhesive. The second layer is a capacitive digitizer that senses the user's finger to operate the device. The third is a display that generates the picture, he explains.

If the crack is only in the glass layer, the display will work fine, says Parker. If the digitizer layer is also cracked, the touch screen will not operate properly (or at all). If the display layer is cracked, the user may see a distorted image or none at all.

Overall, there is no harm, other then the risk of getting a sliver of glass in your finger, of using a phone with a cracked screen, he says. If the crack is minor, just adding

a screen protector may be enough to prevent further spreading of the break.

DIY REPAIRS

Parker says repair kits for most phones can be purchased from various places online and websites like IFixIt. They have well-written guides to repair many common models.

Most models, however, have tiny sensitive flex cables that are easily damaged if people are not super careful and they have many tiny screws of various lengths. Many iPhone models can be damaged if the wrong screws are used in the wrong places, cautions Parker.

Almost all manufacturers

will void the warranty with physical damage done to the phone.

“The manufacturer no longer needs to provide a warranty if you repair it or have anyone other than the manufacturer repair it,” says Parker.

Some manufacturers, like Apple and Samsung, offer an extra warranty program that

can be purchased from them to cover some or all of the repair cost of a screen replacement and keep the original warranty in place, he notes.

“The cost to repair on a majority of phones is between $95 to $200, but some newer Samsung, LG, Huawei and iPhone models can easily exceed $400 for screen replacements. Keep them safe!”