MacBook Screen Replacement: A Complete Guide

Are you having problems with your MacBook's screen? iFixOmaha has everything you need to know about screen replacement for MacBooks. 

If you’re a laptop owner, you’ve probably experienced a very specific, very intense moment of dread.

Maybe it happened when you miscalculated taking a sip of tea or hot water that went all over your computer. Maybe your kid snagged your power cord and sent your machine crashing off the kitchen table.

Laptops are both expensive and important, which makes damage dread a big deal. Modern laptop design tends to offer more delicate screens in the name of packing more power into computing components without sacrificing portability. That means screen damage is one of the most common laptop repair issues.

Damage that requires MacBook screen replacement, however, is probably the most nightmarish. These top-of-the-line laptops are popular for a reason, but their high price tags make "just buy a new one" a big ask. 

So if you need to replace your MacBook screen, you’re not alone. Read on to find out how to tackle this common problem.

Why MacBooks Are Different

MacBooks tend to be significantly more expensive than other laptops. Is it just the famous “Apple Tax?”

Despite Apple’s reputation for slapping a sky-high price tag on anything with their logo, Apple’s prices often do reflect high-quality components and durable workmanship. Even the 2020 MacBook Air --the “most affordable” MacBook on the market today according to Laptop Magazine --boasts a 2560 x 1600-pixel Retina display.

It makes sense that fixing or replacing high-quality hardware might cost a bit more than it does with a cheap laptop screen. But MacBook users are often still shocked by official Apple repair costs.

The 2020 MacBook Air retails for around $1,000, but a MacBook Air screen replacement can easily surpass $750. And an out-of-warranty consumer usually first learns about this shocking price at a familiar location: the Apple Store.

The Apple Store: A Marketing Stroke of Genius

Apple is one of the most successful electronics brands of all time, boasting about 1.4 billion active devices in the hands of consumers in 2019.

As we discussed above, Apple has a well-deserved reputation for quality. Between the iPod and the iPhone, they’ve firmly established themselves as innovators and culture-makers. But that’s not enough to explain their popularity.

What’s their secret? The answer is customer brand loyalty. People who buy Apple products tend to buy more Apple products, even if a different company is offering comparable devices at a lower price.

Dell, HP, and Microsoft would prefer you stick with their brands but don’t go out of their way to prevent you from buying competitor products. Apple, on the other hand, doesn’t have a similarly “chill” approach. They want you to sync your iPhone to your MacBook, listen to your tunes on Apple Music, and check the time on your Apple Watch.

Apple convinces their consumers to live in an all-Apple world by offering high-quality design, seamless device transitions, and a promise of hassle-free, low-anxiety customer support.

This all-encompassing Apple ecosystem extends to the Apple Store. Easy access to a Genius Bar staffed entirely by Apple experts, a groundbreaking idea when Apple first launched it, reassures consumers that they’ll get quick and easy help with their devices, encouraging them to stay in the Apple ecosystem.

Why is Screen Replacement at the Apple Store So Expensive?

Apple’s high-brand loyalty reflects their genius product design and marketing. But the Apple Store isn’t as great of a deal as it first appears.

There’s an old adage in business that goes “fast, good, or cheap: pick two.” By funneling all of its many, many customers into the Apple store, Apple forces MacBook users to go with “fast” and “good” while ignoring “cheap.”

Apple Stores have to promise a very high volume of high-quality repairs to keep consumers fully ensconced within the world of Apple. To meet this high demand, Apple rarely “repairs” anything. Instead, they switch out a broken piece of hardware with a new, functioning one.

There’s nothing wrong with that approach per se. But Apple wants to process your repair as quickly as possible while also making sure you’re not complaining about new problems a week from now. That means their policy is almost always to replace large computer parts rather than the individual components that are broken.

The Apple Store Overcharges

This “throw-money-at-it” approach can get pricey, fast.

One reporter found that Apple’s insistence on repairing an entire logic board rather than the single chip on the board actually causing problems added an extra $1,000 to their repair quote.

Another user reported that the Genius Bar spent $10,000 on a series of component replacements for a non-working MacBook screen --and at one point, a whole new laptop for the frustrated user. Finally, a quick-thinking Apple employee realized the user was dealing with a screen brightness issue. They then “fixed” the computer instantly, without any replacement parts. Thankfully those $10,000 of service were under warranty --but not all MacBook users are so lucky!

When dealing with common out-of-warranty repair issues such as broken screens or shoddy charging ports, Apple applies a tiered pricing system. The tiers are meant to lessen consumer anxiety about hidden costs, but they often wind up creating sky-high prices.

Apple makes it difficult to guess exactly where you’ll wind up in their tiered pricing before you go see them. While some screen issues may seem like a quick fix at first, any evidence of liquid contact on non-screen components will instantly bump your repair up to “tier four.” All tier four repairs cost a minimum of $755.

Choose a Local Provider Instead

So you need a MacBook Screen Replacement. Are you trapped in choosing only two of “fast”, “good”, or “cheap?”

Not necessarily. Though Apple doesn’t like to admit it, local repairers who don’t work through the Apple Store can often provide better, faster, and more affordable service.

These repairers don't have to adhere to the Apple Store's "replace everything" philosophy. However, they do care about creating customer loyalty by providing quality repairs as much as Apple.

At iFixOmaha, we want to create comprehensive, quality solutions for your electronics repair issues -- without ignoring your pricing needs. For a screen replacement, we'll do our best to fix the broken component. If an issue requires a more significant replacement, we'll work with you to provide an affordable fix.

Don't Default to the Apple Store

Apple has a well-deserved reputation for offering great products. But those products can seem out-of-reach when you start to consider the real cost of their repair policies, even for common issues like screen replacement.

If you love your MacBook, don't despair. Reach out to a local provider like iFixOmaha today for a screen replacement quote. We'll work with you to provide the best solution, without forcing you to give up your beloved MacBook habit.