The ridiculous profit made from replacing cracked smartphone screens. HP did it with printers and ink. Gillette did it with razors and blades. And now, Apple and other smartphone manufacturers are doing it with replacement screens. While not nearly as lucrative, and obviously not intentional, Apple, Samsung, and others are making bank replacing cracked smartphone screens. As of late 2. 01. Americans spent 2. Square. Trade data. The cost of replacement phones is increasing too, with Square. Trade estimating the cost of replacements hit 4. Sometimes, it feels like my family is responsible for most of that sum. Watch Parts Per Billion Online Metacritic' title='Watch Parts Per Billion Online Metacritic' />The Hollywood Reporter is your source for breaking news about Hollywood and entertainment, including movies, TV, reviews and industry blogs. But based on the reactions to a Facebook post, it seems that were all feeding the smartphone profit machine, and long after we fork out the cash to buy our i. Phones or Android devices in the first place. Crack, i. Pay. Over the past few years, Ive visited the Apple Store or third party repair providers to fix what my children have broken. I admit that I cracked my screen once, so Im also part of the problem. At 1. Apple. Care, or even more if Apple deems that the underlying touchscreen or other internal systems have been damaged, I estimate that Ive spent well over 2,5. Watch If I Were You Full Movie. Phone screens. This equates to a tidy profit of approximately 2,3. Apple, based on estimates of the cost of materials. Not too shabby. Who wouldnt want 9. This is one reason third party repair companies have entered the market. As one friend told me, Its best to avoid the Apple Store for repairs. Other folks do it for a fraction of the price. The problem, however, is that those same others void my Apple warranty when they crack open the screen pun intended. So, Im somewhat bound to Apple being expensive when I first buy the phone, and then when I pay to have its screens replaced again. The cost of an i. Fix. For those wondering how I arrived at the profit margin estimate, its admittedly a bit of guesswork. Watch King Charles III Online Hollywoodreporter. Aside from straight glass screen replacements, Apple didnt tell me exactly what it had to replace except when it had to completely replace the unit, which has happened a few times. But looking at a teardown analysis, the cost of replacing the parts is trivial for Apple, especially if the company uses refurbished phones, as one commentator notes. C436' alt='Watch Parts Per Billion Online Metacritic' title='Watch Parts Per Billion Online Metacritic' />While the cost of the glass isnt broken out in this teardown analysis, informed estimates put the cost at roughly 1. You can buy replacement glass online for 1. Of course, Apple isnt morally obligated or even wise to sell replacement glass at cost, but its clear that the company makes a lot of profit on selling 1. Flagship ZDNet weblog, covering a broad range of technology news. Sure, Apple runs a bunch of tests to ensure the integrity of the system, but not 1. Other smartphone manufacturers, like Samsung, are the same. Bane Online Putlocker here. There is some room for hope. According to Square. Trade tests, Apples newer, larger phones are less susceptible to breaking though this hasnt stopped my wife and I from proving that these phones still crack without too much encouragement. This isnt Apples or Samsungs or anyone elses fault but mine. As my sister told me, My sons lame feature phone never breaks. So, Im creating an opportunity for rampant screen cracking simply by purchasing i. Phones for kids who are less than super careful. Regardless of whose fault, it sure is expensive, and I wouldnt mind getting a bit of a break on the cost of replacing a very cheap piece of glass. How much money have you wastedor spenton replacement screens for your smartphone Let us know in the discussion thread below.