iPhone 12's new OLED screen means repairs will cost more than iPhone 11

Apple has detailed the costs associated with repairing its new iPhones and it isn't great reading for clumsy iPhone 12 owners. As The Verge spotted, repairing an iPhone 12 display will cost $279. That's a hefty increase over the cost if repairing an iPhone 11.

The reason is fairly obvious – iPhone 12 uses an OLED panel, whereas iPhone 11 uses an LCD one. Better panel = more cost. But that's bad news for those who tend to drop their iPhones.

Source: iMore

As ever, AppleCare+ might be the way to go for anyone who tends to drop their stuff, with the same repair costing just $29.

For the base iPhone 12, that's a substantial price increase compared to the $199 you'd pay to repair the iPhone 11's screen, likely because it now has an OLED rather than an LCD display. However for the 12 Pro this $279 price is the same as what Apple's charged for screen repairs since 2017's iPhone X. The price of screen repairs covered by AppleCare Plus insurance plans is unchanged at $29.

Thankfully Apple doesn't appear to be charging more for screen replacements based on the inclusion of the Ceramic Guard coating they have. That's a welcome relief indeed!