My recent front glass replacement

[cohoman]

I very rarely drop my smartphones (maybe 3 times in 10 yrs) but yesterday I dropped my S7 on the tiled floor and discovered the screen cracked on the front lower right corner. I had a TPU thin case on the phone, but the bottom end wasn't completely covered by the case and I think the phone hit the corner just right to crack the screen corner. In this case, I don't think a screen protector would have helped.

So, I called around town to see if anyone could replace the screen, and discovered prices ranging from $199 to $329 to do the repair. It turns out for this repair most shops will replace not just the screen but also the outer frame and a few components that are attached to the back side of the screen and display. This is because the LCD digitizer is fused to the front glass.

Luckily, I found a local repair shop that was able to fix my phone for $169 and they did so while I waited in only 15 minutes. They offer a lifetime warranty on the parts and labor. They have special equipment that allows them to reseal the phone with adhesive and pressure like the Samsung factory. I guess I was lucky to find this place and it was nice they could fix my phone so quickly. As a bonus, the repair included a new battery (since it was part of the replaced assembly).

So, just a data point for others to know if you're wondering how much it costs to replace the front glass of a S7. Something to consider when pondering whether to get insurance or what type of case to get. One thing for sure, I'm upgrading my case to something that will better protect all edges of my S7!

 

[H2oflyer]

Get the Griffin Survivor Journey rated at 6 ft drop onto concrete.....that's what I use....I've dropped my S7 onto ceramic tile a couple of times from about 3 - 4 ft with no problem! I also use the Griffin Survivor Clear rated at 4 ft drop and have had a 2 ft drop on concrete with no problem. These are properly engineered impact cases.

 

[TwitchyPuppy]

A tempered glass protector likely would've made a difference.

 

[pjniez]

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. Thank you for this info. Sounds like you found a good place to do the repair. The construction of our S7s with glass on both sides is very much a concern of mine.

 

[cohoman]

A tempered glass protector likely would've made a difference.

I asked this question to the tech at the repair shop and she said because the S7 has a slight rounded edge on the front screen most glass protectors won't cover the extreme edges of the screen (since most protectors are flat). It seems my S7 impacted right on the corner of the phone where it was exposed by the slim case I was using at that time. So, I don't think a tempered glass protector would have helped in this case. I'm now using a more protective case which covers all edges and also has a higher lip on the front face to help protect the front screen from future impacts.

 

[cohoman]

Get the Griffin Survivor Journey rated at 6 ft drop onto concrete.....that's what I use....I've dropped my S7 onto ceramic tile a couple of times from about 3 - 4 ft with no problem! I also use the Griffin Survivor Clear rated at 4 ft drop and have had a 2 ft drop on concrete with no problem. These are properly engineered impact cases.

Thanks for the advice, but I want to keep the bulk down on my smartphones and I try to use slim cases (mainly for better gripping). Yes, this makes my phone more susceptible to damage if dropped, but historically I've rarely dropped my phone onto concrete or hard surface. The previous time I dropped this phone was when it fell from my lap onto the asphalt street when I got out of my car and landed flat on the front face. I was sure the screen would be cracked but there was no damage. That would have been reason enough for getting a tempered glass screen protector, but I never got one.

 

[cohoman]

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. Thank you for this info. Sounds like you found a good place to do the repair. The construction of our S7s with glass on both sides is very much a concern of mine.

Apparently replacing the back glass panel is pretty easy, as it's held on place by an adhesive. The shop just heats up the edges and prys the back glass cover off. Replacing the front glass screen by itself is very difficult, so that's why the shop replaces not just the front glass but also the LCD digitizer, outer metal frame, and whatever components that are not connected to the motherboard. I did get a brand new battery out of the repair, so the $169 price seemed reasonable.

 

[AxlMyk]

Get the Griffin Survivor Journey rated at 6 ft drop onto concrete.....that's what I use....I've dropped my S7 onto ceramic tile a couple of times from about 3 - 4 ft with no problem! I also use the Griffin Survivor Clear rated at 4 ft drop and have had a 2 ft drop on concrete with no problem. These are properly engineered impact cases.

Why do you drop the phone so often?

 

[auditman]

Ballistic is a good case. Slim enough and have 6ft protection.