Fixing a cracked smartphone display

Cracked smartphone displays are sadly all too common. The shattered screen makes it difficult to see the display, never mind actually using it as a touchscreen. It’s pretty easy to fix in most cases, and doesn’t have to break the bank. The main question you need to ask is whether you feel capable of doing it on your own using a kit, or if you’d rather pay more and let a professional handle it.

I wrote a post about my experience trying both ways to fix a few broken smartphones:

If you’ve ever dropped your smartphone you know that time almost seems to come to a halt as you helplessly watch it crash to the ground, seemingly in slow motion. Then you close your eyes, take a deep breath, and inspect it—hoping and praying that the display isn’t cracked or shattered. Thankfully, if it is damaged and you need to repair your smartphone, you have some options available.

I had a few damaged iPhones lying around. I wasn’t sure whether or not there were cost-effective solutions available to repair them, or if it would be better to just write them off and get something new. I decided to explore the options available for fixing a smartphone—both do-it-yourself kits and professional services. The good news is that it’s possible to repair a smartphone for a reasonable cost.

I started out by using a do-it-yourself kit to repair a damaged iPhone 4s screen. I got the DIY repair kit fromiCracked. The iPhone 4s kit is $90 (currently on “sale” for $45), and it goes up from there to $180 for an iPhone 6 display kit. iCracked also offers DIY kits for Samsung devices and iPad displays, as well as faulty or damaged batteries and water-damaged devices.

The iCracked DIY kit for the iPhone 4s was nice. It comes with the necessary tools: Phillips screwdriver, flathead screwdriver, pentalobe screwdriver, nylon spudger, suction cup, guitar pick, SIM card tray tool, and microfiber cleaning cloth. It also has detailed, step-by-step instructions and links to YouTube videos that walk through the entire process.

Read the full story on Forbes: How To Fix Your Broken Smartphone.