A guide to iPad and tablet repair
Tablets get dropped, stepped on, and carried around by kids, so cracked glass is the repair we see most. What it costs depends a lot on how your tablet’s screen is built.
Why some iPad screens cost more than others
On the standard iPad up to the 9th generation, the glass and the display are separate parts. If only the glass is cracked and the picture looks fine, just the glass gets replaced, which keeps the price down.
The iPad 10th generation and later, plus recent iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad Pro models, use a laminated screen: the glass and display are fused into one part. A crack means replacing the whole screen, which costs more.
How to find your iPad model
Open Settings, then General, then About. Model Name shows exactly which iPad you have. If the iPad won’t turn on, the model number, starting with A, is printed in small type on the back. Include it when you send a quote request.
Batteries
An iPad battery sits under the screen and is glued in place, so a battery replacement means carefully removing the screen first. It takes longer than a phone battery, but a tablet that holds a charge again is often worth it, especially if the rest of it works well.
Charging problems
Lightning and USB-C ports on tablets collect lint just like phones do. If your iPad only charges at an angle, it may just need a cleaning.
Check the charger, too. Tablets need more power than phones, and a small phone charger can make an iPad charge very slowly or show Not Charging even when the port is fine.
Galaxy Tab and other tablets
Samsung Galaxy Tab screens are built like the laminated iPads, with the glass and display as one part. Batteries and charging ports work much the same way too. For other tablet brands, send a quote request with the brand and model.
Keeping a repaired tablet in one piece
- For kids, a thick rubber or foam case with raised edges does more than any screen protector.
- A tempered glass protector takes scratches and small drops, and it costs far less to replace than the screen under it.
- Don’t leave tablets in a hot car. Heat wears out batteries faster than anything else.