Short answer: There is no single honest price for "an iPhone screen" — the cost depends on your exact model, whether its screen is LCD or OLED, whether the damage is glass-only or has reached the display and sensors underneath, and the quality of the replacement part. Any quote given without knowing your model should be treated with suspicion. The reliable route: a free assessment, then a confirmed price for your phone before any work starts.
Factor 1 — Your model (the biggest one)
Screen cost rises steeply with the phone's generation and tier. A standard model from a few years ago uses a very different — and far less expensive — panel than a current Pro model with a high-refresh OLED display. This is why the first question any good repair shop asks is "which iPhone is it?" If a website quotes one flat price for every iPhone, that price is either padded to cover the expensive models or bait for the cheap ones.
Factor 2 — LCD vs OLED
Older and standard iPhones use LCD screens; Pro and newer models use OLED. OLED panels cost more to manufacture and to replace, but they also deliver the deep blacks and brightness your phone was designed around. Some shops offer a cheaper LCD conversion for an OLED phone — it works, but colours, brightness and battery use all change, and on some models features behave differently. It should always be your informed choice, never a quiet substitution.
Factor 3 — What is actually broken
"Cracked screen" can mean three different jobs:
- Glass only, display and touch perfect — the lightest damage, though on most modern iPhones the glass and display are a bonded unit and are replaced together.
- Display damage too — lines, black spots, ghost touches or dead areas mean the full display assembly.
- Damage beyond the screen — a bent frame, a Face ID sensor fault, or liquid that entered through the cracks. Each adds its own part and labour, and each is exactly what an assessment is for.
Factor 4 — Part quality and the fine print
Replacement screens exist at several quality levels, from original-specification panels to budget copies with weaker glass, duller colour and thirstier battery use. Two quotes for "the same repair" can differ mainly here. Ask what is being fitted, whether the price is the full price (part, labour, VAT), and what happens if the new screen develops a fault. Honest answers cost a shop nothing — evasive ones should cost it your business.
Factor 5 — Your phone's other problems
A phone that comes in with a cracked screen and an exhausted battery is two repairs, not one. Sometimes combining work makes sense while the phone is open; sometimes it changes the repair-versus-replace maths entirely. Our repair-or-replace checklist helps you weigh that properly.
How to get a real price in Dublin
At Royal Tech, 13 Main Street, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, the process is deliberately boring: tell us the model (or let us check it), we assess the phone free of charge, and we confirm the full price and your options before anything is opened. You can start from our iPhone repair page — pick the fault and WhatsApp us — or simply walk in, seven days a week.
Why two shops quote two very different prices
Put the same cracked iPhone in front of five shops and you may get five prices. The spread usually comes from four places. First, the part: original-specification OLED, a quality aftermarket OLED, and a budget LCD conversion are three different components at three different costs wearing the same description. Second, what is included: some quotes are part-only until labour and VAT appear at the till. Third, what the repair includes around the screen — transferring the original earpiece and sensor assembly carefully takes time and protects Face ID; skipping steps is quicker and cheaper, and you pay for the shortcut later. Fourth, comeback: a shop pricing in the possibility of standing over its work forever charges slightly differently from one that will not remember you next week.
None of this makes the most expensive quote automatically right — but it makes the cheapest quote a question, not an answer. Ask what is being fitted and what the full, final price is, and compare like with like.
Protecting the new screen (so you only buy it once)
- A tempered glass protector takes the impact your screen otherwise would, and it is replaceable for a fraction of the cost.
- A case with a raised edge — the lip around the screen matters more than the brand name.
- Mind the repair-after-the-repair: if your frame is bent from the original drop, have it assessed — a new screen seated in a bent frame lives a shorter, sadder life.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just replace the glass and keep my display?
On most modern iPhones the glass and display are manufactured as one bonded unit, so they are replaced together. Glass-only refurbishment exists for some models but is specialist work and not always the saving it appears.
Will a new screen affect Face ID or Touch ID?
Fitted correctly with the original sensors transferred, Face ID should work as before on a screen replacement. If a quote seems to ignore the sensors entirely, ask why.
My screen is cracked but works fine. Is it urgent?
Not an emergency — but cracks spread, sharp edges worsen, and moisture finds its way in. The same repair tends to stay the same price if done sooner; the phone around it is what suffers from waiting.
Do you quote over WhatsApp?
Yes — send your model and a photo of the damage and we will tell you what we can. The confirmed price comes after we have seen the phone, because hidden damage is the one thing a photo cannot rule out.
Will Apple know my screen was replaced by an independent shop?
Modern iPhones log part replacements in Settings, and non-original parts may show a service message. The screen still works — but it is one more reason to choose a quality part and a shop that explains this before, not after.
Is it cheaper to claim on insurance?
Sometimes — compare the policy excess and any premium effect with the repair quote. For many screen claims the excess alone approaches the repair cost, and you lose the phone for days. Run both numbers before deciding.