You take a look down at your Apple watch, your pride and joy, and to your horror, you see that the screen is cracked. What do you do?
Apple watches are designed to be part of their health initiative, and the latest watches have an electrical heart sensor and an ECG app. Jason from BreakFixNow, who does professional apple watch repair in Singapore, says, your heart could be at serious risk if you discover that the screen is damaged.
Was the damage accidental or a manufacturing defect?
According to Apple Watch Service and Repair, if the damage to the screen is accidental, you can get a replacement Apple Watch. You will, however, have to pay an “out-of-warranty” fee. You can see the cost of the fee on the website.
You might be eligible for a free screen replacement!
Apple has acknowledged that there is the possibility of a particular type of screen damage that could occur on Series 2 and Series 3 Aluminum Apple Watches. If this should happen to your Apple Watch, then you can get a replacement watch for free.
Apple has given a clear description of the type of screen damage that qualifies for this free replacement. They describe it as follows:
“A crack may form along the rounded edge of the screen. It may begin on one side and then may move around the screen.”
If you suspect that this is the cause of your screen damage and you have a watch from this particular series, then you should contact Apple Support or take your watch back to the nearest Apple Store.
What if I am responsible for the damage?
If the screen damage is caused by a drop or any other type of accidental damage, you can try to fix it yourself.
You can find handy guides on the internet, but be warned that there are difficulties involved in DIY repairs of an Apple Watch.
iFixit warns that, when you open the Apple Watch, you need to be aware that the NFC antenna is easily damaged. If this happens, you will need to repair that before reassembling the watch.
Here are the steps for repairing the screen of an Apple Watch.
What tools will I need for this job?
iFixit sells all the tools that you will need to successfully remove the screen from your Apple Watch.
There is also a step-by-step description with photos on 9to5Mac.com.
Be warned! This is a very difficult task.
- Turn off the power.
- Heat the front of the watch with a hairdryer or a heat gun. The screen needs to be heated until it is very hot. This will make the adhesive more pliable and allow you to release the screen.
- The screen is tightly fitted to the body of the watch, so you will need a sharp knife to pry it off.
Observe the usual safety precautions when using a sharp knife such as: Protect your fingers, protect your eyes and apply gentle pressure to avoid causing the knife to slide and possibly causing a cut to your body.
- Once you have managed to lift the screen away from the case, you should carefully push the knife around the screen, lifting it away as you go.
- Use a plastic opening pick to slide under the screen and loosen the adhesive that is attaching the screen to the case.
- You should work your way around the screen in an anti-clockwise direction. Take care not to push the opening pick too deeply in under the screen, to prevent further damage to the working of the watch.
- It is very important that you do not damage the cables that are attached to the underside of the screen. Do not pull the screen away from the case completely, just lift it ever so slightly to release the adhesive.
- When you have lifted the screen slightly, you may be able to see the Force Touch sensor. Take note of whether the layers have separated. If this has occurred, then you are going to need a replacement.
- As you carefully lift the screen, move it slightly to the left, without damaging the display data and cables.
- Have a book handy that you can rest the watch on while letting the screen hang down on the side.
- You are now going to need to slowly separate the battery from the system board, but do not remove it completely. Take care not to damage the battery in any way.
- Once you have lifted the battery and it is possible to see the battery cable connector, gently separate it from the battery cable.
- Next, you need to lift the screen over to the right so that you can see the cables below. You will notice that the cables are held by a metal bracket that is attached to the speaker. The bracket needs to be lifted towards the display very gently, taking care not to tear the cables.
- The bracket has two slotted tabs that attach it to the cover. These need to be pushed in simultaneously to release the cover. This is fiddly work and needs patience and a steady hand.
- You will need tweezers to release the last slotted tab and then you will be able to remove the cover. Lift it carefully and disconnect the cables. You will then be able to remove the screen.
Conclusion:
As you have probably worked out, this type of repair is not for the fainthearted!
You might want to find out about the expert support and hardware coverage that is available from Apple that will cover your watch for accidental damage.
