The Apple iPad is a great innovation, an inspiration from the great late Steve Jobs and team. It completely transformed the computer world, blending the function of mobiles with PCs and creating something totally new referred to as “tablet.” After Apple was through with the iPad, many other companies rose up as rivals as they saw the market getting hot and Apple making fortunes out of it.
Samsung made the Galaxy tabs, Amazon came out with the Kindle Fire, Asus and Google made the Nexus series. There came the birth of smaller tablets etc.
The iPad is a cool gadget to own, your computing and technological experience is transformed owing one, but being a fragile gadget, you have got to take the best of precautions to keep it neat and clean for the time being in your possession, or else if you miss-handle it, it quickly become a crap in your hands and you will ever hate yourself for buying one.
Considering the fact that the iPad isn’t cheap in possessing, you have got to treat it like your new baby.
I will share with you my experience with the iPad, how the screen cracked and how it looked to me even when I finally got it repaired. Then you will learn few precautions as general maintenance.
My experience with the Apple iPad
Owning an Apple product is one of the best things that ever happened to me, besides when my fiancé agreed to have me as her man. I got and iPad 4 early this year, a dream I have always love to come to reality.
Actually, I ordered the iPad around November, got it shipped to my uncle in UK, because I want to escape another cost on shipping. I had to wait for another two months until he got somebody coming home before I finally got my dream gadget.
The iPad arrive around January, and it became my baby. I was very careful with it and never gave somebody else who might get careless with it. My gaming experience was totally transformed, I got a new approach to accessing the web, and so fascinating, I never had to carry loads of books around anymore; I had a sufficient library on my iPad. What else do I want? I sleep, and I woke up with the device by my side.
Few months later, the story changed and I got tired of my little baby. It happened that one night, I went out, place the device on the ground (a bare floor room); you know the charger isn’t long enough, I was charging it on the floor sitting it on a little plastic stand and I went out. Before I came back, there was blackout already, I entered the room to get something to light up, and before I know it, I pulled my leg across my baby and she cried out loud. When I finally got the light, I saw the screen was already cracked, and I hated how it looked.
My Ordeal in getting the iPad screen fixed
I began a local search on a good engineer that could get this fixed for me, but it was all a fowl, then I went online maybe I could get something. The first option I got was to return my iPad back to Apple to get it fixed, but when I got the price for this, I knew I was never going to do it that way. I was told it going to cost something around $500, a price very near to a new one.
I kept using it cracked until one day; somebody introduced me to a local engineer who will be able to get it fixed. I took a journey, traveled to the engineer. Actually, he got my iPad screen fixed, but caused damage. Maybe it happened while he was removing the cracked screen, on one side of my device, the color pixel got mixed. Although my iPad screen got fixed, but the device now looks like a crap because of the mixed pixel.
How to fix your broken iPad screen
1. Replacing it yourself
You will never want to try this, unless you are an absolute electronic whiz who dine and wine with Apple gadgets. The best thing is to get the part you want to replace from an online shop and give it to a technician who won’t complicate issues for you. iFixit.com offers iPad replacement spare parts; integrated digitizer, metal frame, home button, clips, new touch screen glass are packaged as a kit.
2. Online screen replacement engineers
There are some online shops that offer the screen replacement service at an affordable rate, some of which includes; iPad screen repair (www.iscreenrepair.co) and Rocky Mountain (rmmr.us). You can get a screen repair service between $129 – $150
3. Take the iPad back to Apple
For real, this is the owner of the technology, it is sure that it will return your iPad back to it normal clean state or better. iPad purchase usually works with a 30 to 90 days warranty depending on situation. When you sent your iPad back to Apple for screen repair, you will be sent a price quotation and this usually goes around $229 and the task will be completed in a matter of days. Even though it is the best, but the price is enough to scare you away to a third party license repairer.
General maintenance of your iPad: Keeping your iPad clean and running smoothly
You will always love your iPad if it remains clean and works effectively. The maintenance tips I am about to share includes; iPad protection from harm, maintaining cleanliness, keeping it bug free and running faster as well as optimizing battery life.
1. iPad harm protection
The only and sure way to prevent your iPad from getting scratch and cracking screen is to buy a case.
No one is above mistake, the iPad has a thin design which makes it a fragile device, and a simple free fall could dent your iPad body and crack part or the whole screen. The best way for preventing this to happen is by buying a case to bag your iPad.
The Apple smart cover is not really good enough for iPad protection, the only thing you can enjoy thereof is its special features. Look out for a form fitting case, especially the leader case. They will protect your iPad especially when you have an outside event. Even you iPad remains standing at a free fall if in those leader cases. You can add a screen protector if you live with kids or toddlers.
Here are few examples of good iPad cases I came across while researching.
- M-Edge Trench Runner Jacket
A US based brand, a new military-style Trench Runner Jacket on John Lewis store. It is the only iPad case made with cotton canvas with leather buckles that hold the case shut using press stud that look like brass.
- Everything tablet 360 Rotating iPad case
This iPad case is made in London, suits iPad 2, 3 and 4. It is relatively inexpensive; it comes in color varieties and well designed. The 360 rotation is no more a geek because others have made something unique like that. It has a microfiber lining that makes the iPad secure and protected. The iPad sits on a plastic rear tray and the PU leader covers the outside, it has an elastic strap to tithing the cover.
The rear cuts out the camera point and the big Apple logo. Of course, the 360 phenomenon is designed to make use your iPad on portrait or whichever angle. The cover is designed in a way you could stand your iPad in case you want to enjoy a moment of movie.
- Kensington SafeGrip for iPad
This casing is a great protection for your iPad, it is colorful and chunky, but makes your iPad to become kiddie’s gadget, compatible with iPad 2, 3 and 4. It has a handle that is convertible to a stand. The Kensington casing makes your iPad sharable with the environment, home, and classroom. The casing safe grips the gadget so tightly.
- Bukcase for iPad
This book-binding technique iPad casing is made by a Manchester home company. You open and close your iPad like a book; it has an elastic strap to hold the cover. The material is leader in nature and water resistant. The bad about this cover is that, it has no camera cut-out, so you have to remove your iPad to capture photos.
- Maroo Drogo
The Drogo case fits the iPad 2. It gets your iPad exposed. The design is made of quality leader with elaborate emboss having three different dragon motifs. The bright yellow suede interior matches the yellow stitches. The iPad could be clamped on a tough rubber hook at each corner.
I can review all of them here, search Google for other iPad cover models.
2. Clean iPad Regularly
Not only the iPad, will all electronics always look neat and radiant when you clean them regularly. Dust fly about and they easy attach to the surface and screen of our gadgets including the iPad, the device is a touch screen control and you oily hands often leave a print on the screen, this makes them look haggard, use a soft lint cloth lightly dampen with water to clean your iPad.
3. Update iOS regularly
Apple often release updates of its iOS, and alert with red notification on the setting icon shows that there is an update to install, just plug your iPad into the power source and follow the update directives via the settings icon. Updating your iOS gives you the best security optimization, bug fixes, additional features and smooth running.
4. Optimize Battery Life
Some ways you can optimize the battery life of your iPad includes; turning your 3g off when not in use, reducing display brightness, setting your iPad to fetch mail on longer intervals and more. Apple advises that you completely drain your iPad battery at least once a month.
5. Back up into the iCloud
The iCloud is an online backup service provided by Apple, always backup your stuffs into the provided cloud should in case an epidemic breakout, you can easily restore your data.
6. Learn to Reboot your iPad
I and every other iPad users had thought that, the iPad only powers off on the sleep mode, rebooting the iPad is and helpful tip for troubleshooting any error on the tablet. The simple process includes you holding down the suspend button for several seconds, after which the tablet will ask you to swipe so as to confirm the power down process. Click the suspend button once to boot again.
Rebooting should work out if you discover your iPad is running too slow, crashing applications and any other problem.
7. Saving up space on Your iPad
One of the effective ways to keep the iPad running smooth is by saving space on it. Apple has made that so easy. The iPad doesn’t have that much space you can upload your whole village, the iCloud is there to stand in for your internal memory. Regularly remove every app you seem not to be using, instead of loading your device with movies and music; you can save that to your iTunes and access them whenever you need them. Applications you bought will remain in your Apple account for life; you need not to fear as you will download them free whenever you need them again. You can also access all your music and apps bought on iTunes on your iPhone and Mac.
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These tips are really very useful…We must Clean our iPad Regularly, and update it whenever an update is available…Optimizing the battery life is must do task for any of the top level gadgets that’s for sure…..
Mr kunle Moses ,i enjoyed reading this ur article talking about ur experience and ur advice on maintainance of ipad and electronics generally. Your mistakes really added to my knowledge and corrects me. Expecting more 4rm you.
Hi Olusegun.
Hope you will treat your iPad well, so it remain new for longer time. It quickly deform when rough handled.
Thanks for your comment.
This problem isn’t one just for iPad. I’ve got a Xoom tablet (android) and had the same problem when the glass was change in it – mixed pixels.
Those tablets are so fragile. It took the damages to learn a lesson. It is better to better treat the tablet as a baby. Prevention is better than cure. Thanks for your comment.
I also had an ipad before and I remembered falling in line in front of istore when it was newly released. After three months of using it, it accidentally slipped my hand, and there it landed on the hard floor. This resulted to cracked screen which is almost the same as yours. I finally decided to buy a new one instead of spending my money for the repair which is very costly. However, I decided to buy an ipad mini and I liked the size better, not too big and not too small. I also bought a case to avoid the same fate my previous ipad had.
Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for your comment James. You have taken your precaution through your lesson. You iPad mini will remain new for long. Goodluck.
Thanks Shivani, I will start making my researches for iPhone maintenance.
Hi, You give the nice tips to fix your broken iPad screen. Thanks for sharing this article.
I visited TechAtLast smartphone shop last week and they did a wonderful job. They replaced the whole screen assembly within 20 minutes and now it works perfectly. Really friendly staff and a great price. I would recommend them to everyone who are looking for phone or computer repair services.