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iPad screen repair: is it the glass or the display?

Some iPads have a separate glass layer that can be replaced on its own, while others have a laminated display that must be replaced as one part. Here is why that changes the price.

1 min readBy the Wepairs team

A tablet with a cracked screen

A cracked iPad screen can mean two quite different repairs. Knowing which one applies to your iPad helps explain why screen prices vary so much between models.

Two layers or one

Some entry-level iPads have historically used a separate glass touch layer, called the digitiser, sitting above the display. If only the glass is cracked and the picture underneath is fine, just the glass can be replaced. iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad Pro models use laminated displays, where the glass and display are bonded together and replaced as one assembly.

How to tell what is damaged

  • Cracked glass but a clear, normal picture: often a glass-only repair on non-laminated models
  • Black patches, lines, bleeding colour or no picture: the display is damaged
  • Touch not responding in areas: usually the digitiser, which on laminated models means the full assembly

Do not leave cracks too long

Cracked glass can shed small splinters, let dust in and spread across the screen. On non-laminated models, pressure on cracked glass can also damage the display beneath, turning a smaller repair into a bigger one.

Getting a quote

Choose your exact iPad model to see the published price, or bring it in for a free diagnostic. We confirm which part is needed before starting.

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