AJ Forsythe couldn’t stop dropping his iPhone and cracking the screen. He also couldn’t afford to be Apple’s best repair customer.
Clumsy but industrious, Forsythe bought parts on Alibaba and found he could fix his own phone cheaply and quickly. Soon, he was running a repair service out of his dorm room at California Polytechnic State University, replacing cracked touchscreens for $75.
Five years later, Forsythe runs a network of 1,700 technicians in the United States with another 400 in 11 countries under the name iCracked.
Nearly a quarter of all iPhone users in 2013 had a broken screen, according to a poll taken by a British mobile phone insurance company. A third of those said they would not bother getting their phone repaired. U.S. consumers have spent almost $5.9 million on repairs and insurance deductibles since the iPhone first went on sale in 2007.
iCracked tries to eliminate the hassle and wait by bringing a new screen to you and repairing it on the spot. iCracked also fixes damaged charge ports, faulty batteries and water damage.The average repair takes about 40 minutes.
“Much like Uber, our iTechs operate on a radius that they set, and they cover quite a bit of territory,” said Jordan Barnes, iCracked’s director of public relations and brand strategy. “We understand that as a consumer your smartphone is your most intimate digital relationship and … we get you back connected in the most secure and trusted way, as soon as possible.”
There are parts of the United States, like Fargo, N.D., where there are no iCracked techs available. People who can’t find service nearby can send their device to iCracked for a two-day turnaround or purchase DIY repairs kits for the various devices.
“Our iTech network has scaled incredibly fast over the last six months,” Barnes said. “We’ve doubled our fleet of iTechs in that time.”
The average iCracked service person does 30 to 50 repairs each week for an average of $80, Barnes said. Price varies depending on the device and the parts needed (iCracked fixes iPhones, iPads, iPods and Samsung Galaxy devices).
Photo: iCracked
Technicians are subjected to background checks and a thorough vetting, Barnes said. They keep the money they make on the repairs, while iCracked generates revenue on its DIY kits and other products.
One tech blogger last year wrote of having a positive experience with iCracked, though the technician that came to fix her phone charged a little more than $200 for parts and labor.
With Apple having a tight hold on its components, iCracked uses parts from other suppliers that the company backs with a lifetime guarantee.
iCracked also offers an insurance plan for $7 per month where subscribers pay just a $25 deductible on a repair.
“We’ve iterated our product with every single innovation that smartphones manufacturers have come out with over the past four years, and we intend to keep doing so,” Barnes said.
https://youtu.be/55tzNJorN48
David Pierini is a former newspaper writer and long-time photographer. Considered a luddite by most of his friends, they did not believe him when he broke the news that he would be writing for a technology website. He is fascinated by human nature and would love to cultivate stories about the people driving the tech bus. Reach out to him at [email protected].
14 responses to “Cracked iPhone screen? iCracked repair tech will come to you”
This place freaking sucks, I had one of those idiots come and “fix” my daughters screen. Twice she came back and it was never fixed right, it took a total of about 5 hours. The Indian guy at the mall zipped right through it in a half hour, beware.
There was absolutely no reason to mention race in that comment whatsoever
Oh well, I didn’t belittle anyone.
It was a positive statement. Are you a racist?
Wonder how much Cult Of Mac got from these guys to do their marketing in that article, I don’t mind marketing but not in an article and for the record these iCracked guys suck, tried them before and the experience was pretty bad even when they tried to buy my iPad they gave me a lowball price and their repair a craigslist guys shitty quality for a premium price.
For the record, this went for a steep fee of $0!
I wonder if these “technicians” are following proper Electric Static Discharge procedures when they are using their OEM parts. Sounds fishy to me
I can tell you from experience. No.
Or if you’re in Melbourne or Tasmania, Australia, iDropped It do the same thing. We have a vast work area in our vans!
Although we’re not terrible like these guys are purported to be
Apple now fixes iPhone 6 screens for $109, and iPhone 6+/5/5C/5S for $129… Essentially the same price these guys charge, but with the added advantage that you don’t void your warranty(non-authorized modifications/repairs voids it), Apple trained staff perform the repairs(These guys essentially learn from YouTube videos), and use true Apple parts. Though these guys might use OEM, they aren’t Apple sanctioned, and a required component validation will detect that, and labels your device as unrepairable. Your only option is to pay the full retail value for a replacement.
I had a friend suggest I become an iCracked tech because I’m so good with repairing Apple products already. I’m sure that $700+ initial cost covers “vetting” techs. Or it just lines AJ’s pockets. Either way, I’ll continue my own business without paying to work for a company with a shoddy track record.
Actually, the investment includes: tools, training, marketing materials (including courses, design and printing), business cards, iCracked swag, iTech attire, and a dedicated regional manager to help grow your business. If you remember from your convos with us, we don’t take a single dollar from the repair our techs do. :)
Never talked to anyone because I don’t need to spend $700+ to do what I already do.