Apple is now fixing cracked iPhone 5c screens in-store at its fleet of Apple Stores, according to CNN. The service started on Monday, and is being offered for US$149.
Apple has been fixing iPhone 5 screens in-store since June, but iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s devices are still being sent off-site for repairs. There is no word on when or if Apple will add either device for in-store cracked screen repairs.
Apple introduced the iPhone 5c to replace the iPhone 5 as the company's mid-range offering. While it has the same specs as the device it's replacing, it's cheaper to manufacture.
Part of why it's cheaper to manufacture is the price of components, but an even bigger reason is the design itself, a design with far greater tolerances than the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s. It's reasonable to assume that those greater tolerances in manufacturing also make for easier repairs.
That said, it's curious that Apple will fix that same iPhone 5—complete with its lower tolerances—in-store, but hasn't yet offered repairs for the far more popular iPhone 5s. Perhaps it's because of that very popularity. Adding the iPhone 5c first allows the company to more slowly ramp up in-store repairs.
In any event, this should be a great benefit for iPhone 5c owners.