Why Apple Is Offering iPhone SE Replacements Instead Of Repairing Handsets With Broken Screen

There seems to be a problem at Apple stores since employees are providing iPhone SE owners with replacement units instead of repairing their handsets with broken screens.

On Tuesday, MacRumors learned from a retail source that Apple employees were informed that display repair components are constrained until further notice. Because of this, employees were instructed to give customers replacement units should the latter visit Apple stores to have their phones with cracked or broken screens repaired.

Another retail source revealed more details regarding the constraint. According to the second source, there was an error in the display components sent to Apple stores recently. The serial numbers for the panels weren’t added to the Cupertino giant’s system correctly, so the outlets failed to validate the components. This then led the stores to return the affected components to Apple, and this has significantly diminished the repair parts available in retail stores.

READ: iPhone 8 rocking smaller bezels than Galaxy S8

Previously, the shortage in screen repair components caused some to speculate that this could be indicative of a possible iPhone SE refresh. However, there have been no reports about a new SE model coming out soon. In fact, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said that Samsung’s biggest rival will not launch a new iPhone SE during the first half of this year.

In addition, it doesn’t make sense if Apple were to introduce an iPhone SE successor anytime soon. Tim Cook’s company just bumped up the storage options of the original SE. Now consumers can choose between a $399 4-inch iPhone with 32GB memory and a $499 model with 128GB. Apple will likely focus on selling these models first before moving forward in developing a next-generation iPhone SE.

Meanwhile, Apple is currently hard at work in creating its upcoming iOS-running smartphones: iPhone 8, 7s and 7s Plus. Based on a new leak, the company could be developing a bezel-less iPhone 8 with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, an all-aluminum back case, a vertical dual-camera module and a USB-C port.