Apple Store could soon be fixing your broken iPhone 5S, 5C while you wait

Done the unthinkable and cracked your new iPhone 5S or 5C’s display? Now, and because of Apple, you won’t need to leave your precious phone in the hands of a dodgy, backstreet phone technician. Very soon, Apple will stores will begin to offer an in-house repair service for 5C and 5S owners who’ve dropped, nicked, scratched or outright messed up their phones, said sources (9to5mac). One example: a broken iPhone 5S screen will only cost R1500 (US$149) to swap out.

It’s great that Apple is finally offering an in-store servicing option, as even users on the official Apple forums are at a loss what to do when their phone’s screen is destroyed. Samsung has a stellar service: a no questions asked, one time only swap-out for a water-damaged Galaxy S4 Active. This is a free service mind you — Apple’s in-store repair will cost a few coins, just not the type of money we’re used to spending for a cracked iPhone screen. Anything beats trying to repair the damn thing ourselves.

Sources have said that Apple will soon be shipping in special repair equipment to select stores and mostly every part of the iPhone 5C and 5S can be exchanged for a working unit. Except for the  fingerprint sensor, as each TouchID is tied to the A7 CPU it comes with, so it wouldn’t make much sense to add in a new but incompatible sensor. While this is an excellent security method (going so far as to pair each TouchID with the phones CPU), we’ll have to buy a brand new 5S if TouchID ever stops working.

Replacing parts because of defects is free, if you’re still covered under your AppleCare warranty. Even outside of warranty, the cost for repair isn’t that prohibitive. We’re looking at US$29 for swapping out the 5C’s Home button and US$79 for a battery replacement. Repairs will take from 30-60 minutes and in the meantime, Apple Store employees will run you an iBath as they iMassage your browbeaten head (we wish). According to the site’s sources, Apple Stores have already begun to train staff in the mystical ways of iPhone repair. Stores are also starting to ship in the required special equipment. We’ve reached out to Apple for some answers.

Image: MSVG via Flickr.