iPhone 12 display and Ceramic Shield cover repair costs and sales numbers

The iPhone 12 lineup was met with a mix of positive and negative feedback after it debuted last week during the "Hi, Speed" event. After some digging into the code of its operating system, data miners stumbled upon what appeared to be proof of what tech pundits have speculated all along. This was about the barebones retail box that only includes the handset and a USB Type-C to lightning cable. Now, the manufacturer reveals details about how much it would cost to repair the OLED display.

Most consumers who purchase Apple products are already aware of the premium costs that go with it. Although the iPhone 12 lineup boasts 5G connectivity as its best feature, there are some changes that will probably encourage buyers to make the upgrade. One of those -- the new Ceramic Shield panel that protects its Super Retina XDR OLED screen. Despite the missing accessories, the new models still retail for a substantial price and when it comes to repairs the price appears to have gone up as well.

The Verge reports that while the iPhone 12 Pro screen replacement will cost the same as that of the iPhone 11 Pro at $279, the iPhone 12 sees an $80 increase. Given the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Mini are slated to ship next month, analysts already predict a surge in repair costs as well. As for other types of damage, Apple will charge $549 for the iPhone 12 Pro, while the iPhone 12 sees another increase to $499 from $399 of the iPhone 11.

Although some analysts suggested that the removal of the EarPods and charger will sway prospective buyers away from the iPhone 12, it has been the opposite. In fact, when preorders began last week, there were multiple instances wherein the website went down or loaded pages much slower than before. The demand for the new smartphones apparently exceeded all expectations as people scrambled to be one of the first to own the latest iPhone.

Data shows that preorders for the iPhone 12 exceeded that of the iPhone 11 in 2019 by more than twice, noted renowned Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo. Rough estimates put the numbers around 1.7 to 2 million units sold in just 24 hours. However, he claims the iPhone 12 Mini might not see much demand due to its smaller screen.