Your precious iPad Air can be your best battle buddy for a multitude of things, from consuming multimedia content to working with professional apps. However, all this comes to nothing (or almost) if you suffer some kind of problem on your screen. Below we discuss potential iPad Air screen problems, as well as their solution and repair price.
Possible screen glitches on iPad Air
There are several problems that can appear on the iPad Air panel, regardless of the generation, it is. The causes are diverse: software failures, bumps and drops, factory defects, moisture damage… These are some of the most common that could appear:
- The screen is blurry.
- The color looks greenish or yellowish.
- A part of the screen is spotted.
- The touch panel does not work.
- The screen does not recognize the Apple Pencil.
- It looks very dark even at full brightness.
- The screen does not turn on.
- Annoying blinks or white spots.
Apple doesn’t just change the screen
Regardless of the fault and the cause, Apple does not repair the screen of the iPad Air like any other iPad. It is true that on an iPhone or Mac if the screen is changed on many occasions, but the policy of the Californian company in these cases is to offer a replacement iPad. Usually, these are not new but reconditioned and although they may seem by name that they are of inferior quality, the truth is that they have new components (screen, chassis and battery) and have been tested to verify that they work. In any case, Apple offers a guarantee for them that covers any type of problem that may appear.
You could have a better iPad Air than yours
Taking into account the aforementioned, it may be the case that your iPad Air is of an old generation and of which there are no longer refurbished devices to offer after a repair request. In those cases, the company usually offers an iPad Air of a current-generation or later than the one you delivered, so that in the end you win with the change. This, far from being an anomaly, is somewhat understandable if we take into account that the years go by and both the tablets themselves and some of their components cease to be manufactured.
Repair prices at Apple
Keep in mind that even though they give you a replacement iPad, it doesn’t always have the same cost, since they won’t be able to charge you the same for a battery failure as a screen. The prices established for these types of repairs may vary. It could be free if it is a factory defect and it will cost you 49 euros if you have AppleCare + contracted and regardless of the iPad Air model you have. Of course, if the damage is accidental or the device does not have a warranty, these are the costs:
- iPad Air (1st generation): 281.10 euros.
- iPad Air 2: 331.10 euros.
- iPad Air (3rd generation): 421.10 euros.
- iPad Air (4th generation): 451.10 euros.
It should be noted that there may be an additional charge of 12.10 euros for shipping costs as long as the iPad Air has to be collected from your home. Apple has a collection service for these cases that means that you do not have to travel to a store, but it has this cost that you must assume, although they will always inform you of it when you request it.
How to get it to Apple or a SAT
Regardless of whether you are going to go to an Apple Store or an SAT (Authorized Technical Service) you have the following options:
- Move yourself to one of these establishments.
- Make an appointment by phone. 900 150 503 is free in Spain.
- Request an appointment through the Apple support website.
- Make an appointment through the “Support” app available on the App Store.
How long will it take?
Knowing that Apple will deliver a refurbished iPad, it is possible that on the same day you will walk out of the store with your fully functional iPad Air. Of course, first they must have made a complete diagnosis of the device in order to find the origin of the failure and decide whether it is covered by the warranty or not. If they did not have immediate availability of spare parts, it is likely that you would have to wait a few days or, failing that, go to another Apple Store or SAT of the same franchise in which they guarantee that they have availability.
Yes and no. Like almost everything in life, it depends on several factors. As a general rule, it is advisable to take it to a service authorized by the apple company, as they will have qualified professionals and specialized tools to detect the problem. They also have original parts for repair. The fact of going to a third-party service already implies the loss of warranty of the iPad Air, if it had one. Although it may be attractive for having lower prices in many cases, the parts may not be original and may even be incompatible. Therefore, since they are not authorized centers, we recommend in these cases to go to one of the great electronics brands that exist, since at least you guarantee that they will offer you better conditions.