Broke my display, and buying a replacement screen costs almost as much as the phone

[zaza]

itself.

Replacing the display of the Galaxy S5 (crapsynos version) costs as much as buying a new Snapdragon Galaxy S5.

Do they do this so they force you to buy a new phone instead of fixing your current one?

 

[mnewsham]

An S5 costs ~$200-350

A replacement screen is ~$150.

 

[Commodus]

itself.

Replacing the display of the Galaxy S5 (crapsynos version) costs as much as buying a new Snapdragon Galaxy S5.

Do they do this so they force you to buy a new phone instead of fixing your current one?

As much as it's tempting to shout "yes, of course," I don't believe so.

The big cost isn't so much the actual part as the labor involved with installing it. It may not take forever to install a new screen, but 10 minutes here and 20 minutes there adds up. This doesn't include shipping, either. Don't get me wrong: companies frequently want to eke some profit out of the repair. However, I don't think they're intentionally steering you toward a new phone. It's just that the math means that a full-on replacement can sound wiser.

 

[zaza]

As much as it's tempting to shout "yes, of course," I don't believe so.

The big cost isn't so much the actual part as the labor involved with installing it. It may not take forever to install a new screen, but 10 minutes here and 20 minutes there adds up. This doesn't include shipping, either. Don't get me wrong: companies frequently want to eke some profit out of the repair. However, I don't think they're intentionally steering you toward a new phone. It's just that the math means that a full-on replacement can sound wiser.

Actually I wanted to install it myself.

 

[zaza]

An S5 costs ~$200-350

A replacement screen is ~$150.

Well the local merchant said he could sell me a new S5 for $250 or sell me a new display for $190. So very close.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

aren't you the "iPhone rulez!" troll? Why do you have an android phone??!

PS; yes a screen is $150
http://www.fixez.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=galaxy+s5+screen

 

[mnewsham]

Well the local merchant said he could sell me a new S5 for $250 or sell me a new display for $190. So very close.

Shop around online, he is overcharging ~$40 on the screen, especially if he isn't even going to install it for you.

 

[Raduque]

Do you need to replace the AMOLED, or just the glass? Is the S5 digitizer and glass fused to the AMLED?

If the display is fine and the glass is cracked, and the display is not fused, you can fix it for about $10 and 30 slow gentle minutes with a heat gun. I've done the repair (twice) on a Note 2. And maybe a Note 3 - I can't remember.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Do you need to replace the AMOLED, or just the glass? Is the S5 digitizer and glass fused to the AMLED?

If the display is fine and the glass is cracked, and the display is not fused, you can fix it for about $10 and 30 slow gentle minutes with a heat gun. I've done the repair (twice) on a Note 2. And maybe a Note 3 - I can't remember.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Samsung+Galaxy+S5+Display+Assembly+Replacement/26914

Not a repair I'd like to do. Samsung is the worst for this stuff - not nearly as simple as an iPhone is (where it's two screws from the bottom of the phone and the screen pops out.) The S6 and newest Nexus phones are even worse these days. It seems Android OEMs, not Apple, are leading the charge to making you replace the whole phone when the screen cracks.