Third-party iPhone screen repairs no longer void Apple iPhone warranty

The right to repair means you as consumers can choose whoever you freakin’ want to repair your device and the warranty is still intact.  It also means you can open up your stuff without the warranty being voided.  

For the longest time, Apple in its unruly attempts to take down everyone else cried foul if an iPhone user brought his or her device into an Apple store with a third-party part installed.  This means if an iPhone repair shop like New York Computer Help expertly replaced a cracked iPhone screen with a perfect screen, Apple will refuse to work on it within the warranty.

Nowadays, Apple has changed its tune.  Now, Apple is willing to accept third-party installed screens on iPhones if customers want to have their iPhones fixed.  And the fix by Apple will still be within the warranty of AppleCare.

Now, what’s the catch you ask?  If Apple sees that the third-party screen causes damage to other parts of the iPhone, well, then, your iPhone is no longer in warranty and you’ll have to pay out-of-warranty costs to fix the issue.  I worried that this here is an open excuse by Apple to blame something on the third party company when Apple screws up.

Here’s a common Apple store scenario:

Customer: I have a cracked screen on my iPhone.

Genius Bar: Sure, do you have a reservation?

Customer: Yes, I’m right on time.

Genius Bar: Good, please wait at this table on this uncomfortable wooden chair and we’ll call you shortly.

(1 hour later)

Genius Bar: Okay, we’re ready for you.  Please go to the next available rep.

Customer: Okay, so my iPhone has a cracked screen. I just bought it a month ago, never got it wet, I just have a broken screen after it fell.

Genius Bar: Okay, we will perform our calibration tests and determine how to proceed.

Customer: It’s just a broken screen.  I have AppleCare warranty.  Please just fix it.

Genius Bar: Okay, please return in 2 hours.  Now, watch me open a white minimalist door and ominously disappear.

(3 hours later)

Customer: I’m here to pick up my iPhone.

Genius Bar: Please come to the corner stool away from the other customers so they don’t hear us.

Customer: Huh?

Genius Bar: We ran calibration tests and determined that your logic board also had an issue.  So, you’ll need to pay $329 for a replacement iPhone.

Customer: Are you freakin’ nuts?!  There was nothing wrong with my iPhone.  It was just a screen that was cracked.  You fu%@ed it up!

Genius Bar: There is no need to raise your voice or curse.  If you’d like, I can call over a store manager.

Customer:  Yes, someone who can help me!

Genius Bar Manager: I’ll repeat what the stone-cold, uncaring Genius Bar rep said and redundantly restate that your iPhone did not pass the calibration tests.  Thus, you are required to pay for a new iPhone.

Customer:  No, give me back my iPhone that you guys screwed up.  I’ll go elsewhere.

Genius Bar Manager:  Sorry, your dead iPhone is in LaLa land off to be recycled so we can use it for another scorned customer.  You are now presented with a shiny refurbished, I mean new iPhone.

Customer:  And where are my files?

Genius Bar Manager: You have iCloud backups, right?

Customer: No!

Genius Bar Manager:  Hmmm, that’s a bummer.

Guess what?  This was an exact interaction minus the comical remarks that I had when representing a friend for her iPhone.  At the time, her iPhone was only one month old so our iPhone repair shop did not yet have available screens.  I was outraged to say the least with this experience.

I bring up this dialog above to show that Apple now has third party companies to blame its inadequacies and screws-ups on.  No longer does Apple have to blame issues on its bogus calibration test.  It has the whole land of third party companies to blame now.  That’s my concern.  Apple is a product-pushing company and really doesn’t specialize in iPhone repairs.  It has been known to screw up many iPhone screen replacements, looking to use excuses that customers cannot contest.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad consumers have the right to choose whomever they want for repairs and I firmly believe that my company, New York Computer Help, is the best choice for iPhone repairs.  We’ve been doing it since the first iPhones came out.  We replace all small parts.  We do it on the spot.  We care!

So, the take-away point here is Apple should be the last resort for iPhone repairs, but, if you feel more comfortable knowing your warranty is not void by going elsewhere, then your correct move is to first perform your next iPhone repair at New York Computer Help or another third party if you so choose.