gladmom

My S had his iPhone for a week when he dropped it and the glass cracked in dozens of places all over in what looks like a web made by a spider on LSD. He even had it in a sock to protect it, but it still broke.

We soon learned the awful facts about iPhone breakage.

• First, the warranty does not cover breakage.

• Second, you cannot purchase insurance for an iPhone.

• Third, if you want to send your phone to Apple for replacement glass, it will cost $200-250, with an extra $30 if you want a loaner while it is getting repaired. This is more than the cost of the iPhone with the original purchase with 2 year contract.

• Fourth, any repair other than at Apple will void your warranty. Plus, with this option, you have to send your phone away to some place that you find on the internet. Not sure if I am comfortable with this.

• Fifth, if you want to purchase another phone from AT&T, it will cost you $400.

I am not happy. We have been loyal Apple customer/computer users since the beginning. Presumably my S is not the first person who cracked the glass on his phone.

The AT&T guy who sold me the phone did not recommend a case, which I would have cheerfully purchased. Grrrrr.

Buyers beware. Get that case!

sunnyflorida

I am so sorry. My D used to break flip phones to the point I outlawed them. But they are not as expensive.

Did you happen to take out any of the inexpensive insurance policies for college kids that cover their "stuff." It covers computers, cell phones and electronics, and if you paid the little extra for the accidental coverage it will be covered. Some folks buy the policies and forget they have covereage. Just hoping maybe you have it.

The screen protectors help as well, in case you get another. Guess if there is a replacement it is coming out of his pocket.

gladmom

My S had only 2 previous cell phones in his life, starting in junior high. He never broke or lost either of them, and is very responsible with his belongings.

There is one more option for repair. You can purchase a kit for repairing it yourself, of course voiding the warranty in the process. My H is willing to try it because he works in a physics lab and is good with that kind of thing.

We decided to bite the bullet and purchase the new one. H is going to try to repair the old one, and if it works, then there will be a spare.

Our S is very frugal - has spent only about $100 on himself for pleasure since the start of this first year of college, and he didn't fly home for Thanksgiving or Spring breaks. So we paid the price and figure this is a learning experience for all of us. We got a case with the new iPhone that covers the entire thing up like a wallet, and the part over the glass flips up when you need to access it.

No, we didn't get the extra insurance for college kids, and the deductible on our homeowner's insurance precludes getting anything from them.

dmd77

I've dropped mine many times without breaking it. Ditto my husband.

My son broke the glass on his when he had a (minor) accident on his bicycle and landed on his iPhone. He put a piece of library tape over the glass and used it for another year before deciding to buy another one.

gladmom

You are so lucky, dmd. This was the one and only time he dropped it.

The library tape over the cracks is a great idea!

Bromfield

D2 dropped new I-phone and had the same cracked spiderweb glass. She went to replace it and learned the bad news. The phone still worked, so she's been using it cracked glass and all.

PhysicsMom

Maybe I'm super lucky. I got my iPhone when it first came out, and I am rather clumsy. I dropped it dozens of time in a few days before getting it in a case, and I've spilled water on it since then. I should knock on wood saying this, but my original phone still works perfectly. I wonder if there could be a difference in how well the originals and the new phones hold up.

oldfort

My D1 drops it all the time because it slides out of her pocket. A while back she thought she had lost it. I called up AmEx, they have a policy where they will replace anything you purchase on their card for 90 days. The purchase date was 89 days ago, so they were going to credit us. But within two hours she found the phone, and we never had to put in the claim. I did put in a claim a few years back when my husband drove off with my garment bag on top of our car.

prefect

It's true that you can't get insure iphones against loss/theft. I have mine insured with square trade against damage. I haven't had a claim fortunately, so I can't say how smoothly it would go. I recommend that everyone buy a case when they get their iphone. It's hard to put out the extra money for a case, but definitely worth it.

hops_scout

This is one of the main reasons I have no interest in an Iphone. One of our grad assistants at my school broke her screen and to go out to buy a new one that same day.

ShesOnHerWay

A coworker broke his. He is still using the same, broke phone.

superstarpie

i've broken my iphone once (probably the thousandth time i dropped it) but i got it replaced easily because i purchased it from bestbuy not apple, which does give a warantee... it still worked after it was broken though (in the same spiderwebbyway), so if you're thinking about buying one and you're clumsy, i'd go with bestbuy, though i did have to wait a week for the new phone, it was relatively easy.

ucsd_ucla_dad

Okay - you've given me a kick in the pants to go get one of those plastic cases for my iPhone. It's no guarantee but it looks like it would help against breakage. I've only been avoiding it because I put it in my pocket and the slim iPhone fits well.

One problem with many Apple products is servicability - such as the expensive battery replacement. I also had a concern about the exposed and vulnerable glass covering the front of this phone. I got one anyway and hope I don't end up regretting it.

mafool

This made me laugh. I am glad your husband is fine.

oldfort

I've want to drop my husband a few times too.