Consumers who own an iPhone 5C with damaged or cracked screens will now be able to bring their devices for repair at any Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) store in the United States.
CNN Money confirmed that the tech giant is now offering an in-store screen repair for the less expensive device starting Monday. Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is charging $149 for the iPhone 5C screen repair. The iPhone and iPad maker started offering in-store screen repairs for the iPhone 5 in June last year.
The tech giant’s in-store technicians take about an hour to to replace the cracked screens of iPhone 5C using an advanced calibration machine. Last year, one of the employees of Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) described the repair process as “bringing China to the genius room. The calibration machine makes sure that the new screen is fitted perfectly on the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5C. There are no in-store screen repairs for iPhone 4S and iPhone 5S.
AppleInsider previously reported that Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) launched the iPhone 5 in-store screen repair last year as part of its AppleCare policy changes to save almost $1 billion per year as the company. Under the new policy, the company will no longer replace a device with only one component broken such as the screen with a newly refurbished phone.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is reportedly considering its iPhone repair service as a primary priority at its store’s genius bar as CEO Tim Cook aims to increase the number of iPhones sold at its own retail stores.
Apple helps King.com’s trademark enforcement efforts
Separately, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is helping King.com Limited in enforcing its trademark efforts for its games particularly Candy Crush Saga. According to Forbes, King.com recently received an approval from the United States Patent and Trademark Mark Office (USPTO) for its trademark claim for the work “candy” pertaining to video games and clothing.
In support of King.com’s trademark enforcement, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is sending e-mails to other game developers whose game titles or apps include the word candy to provide proofs that they are not infringing the Candy Crush Saga trademark, if not they are advised to remove it from the App Store.
Benny Hsu, a game developer said the paralegal of King-com explained that using the word candy in his app “Candy Slots” could lead to consumer confusion and damage to the company’s brand because it is an infringement to its trademark. The paralegal pointed out, Hsu’s “addition of only the descriptive term slots does nothing to lessen the likelihood of confusion.”
