A cracked iPhone 18 Pro screen costs 22% of the phone

Apple’s out-of-warranty fee to replace an iPhone 18 Pro screen in India is ₹36,900. The phone starts at ₹1,64,900, so the screen alone is about 22% of the price. On the Pro Max the fee is ₹42,900 against a ₹1,79,900 starting price, about 24%. Crack the back glass as well and the bill is ₹44,900 on the Pro and ₹51,900 on the Pro Max. The battery is ₹13,900, which is ₹1,000 more than last year’s Pro and about 8% of the phone.

Then there is the category Apple calls other damage, which includes liquid damage. Apple lists it at ₹1,10,900 for the Pro and ₹1,17,900 for the Pro Max. That is about two-thirds of what the phone cost.

Samsung publishes its numbers differently, so the comparison is imperfect. What it lists in India is the cost of spare parts. For the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the display is ₹14,760 and the battery is ₹3,030, against a launch price of ₹1,39,999. That is about 10% and 2% of the phone. A second outlet lists the main screen at ₹16,010 and notes a service charge may be added on top. Even at that higher figure, a service charge would have to exceed ₹20,000 to bring Samsung’s screen up to Apple’s.

The same company sells the way out. AppleCare+ cuts a screen or back glass repair to ₹2,500 per incident, other damage to ₹8,900, and replaces the battery at no charge once it drops below 80%. On a ₹36,900 screen that saves ₹34,400. Apple’s page also names Apple India Private Limited as the party responsible for the plan, apart from theft and loss cover, which is insured by Tata AIG.

Two caveats. These are published lists, not quotes. Apple’s own page says its estimates may be subject to tax and that authorized service providers set their own fees. Check your model’s figure there before relying on any number here, since the table changes with each new phone.

India has said it wants this to be comparable. In August 2024 the Consumer Affairs Ministry said it was planning a repairability index that would score phones on criteria including spare-part availability and pricing. No published index turned up in a search for one since.

That is the known issue. A buyer comparing a ₹1,64,900 iPhone with a ₹1,39,999 Galaxy sees two sticker prices. The repair costs are on separate pages, and one brand lists a service fee while the other lists parts.