A protective case and screen protector can keep your iPhone 4 safe – unless, of course, you drop your phone. If you happen to drop your phone on a hard surface at just the right angle, your screen will crack. A cracked screen may not seem like a big deal, but when it comes to the iPhone 4 a cracked screen is a very big deal.

As it turns out (and as this reviewer has just discovered first-hand), Apple cannot remove or replace a cracked iPhone 4 screen. So, all those thoughts you had about simply heading to the Apple store to replace your screen can be thrown out the window – take it from me. What can Apple do if you show up with a cracked screen? Here’s how it all goes down.

Replacing Your iPhone 4

When you bring your cracked iPhone 4 to the nearest Apple store, a “technician” will tell you what your option is. Namely, that option is to replace your entire phone. That’s right, you can’t replace the screen on your iPhone 4, you must replace your phone completely. Of course, replacing your iPhone 4 phone doesn’t come cheaply ($200+). Not only will you have to replace your phone, you’ll also have to say goodbye to all of your data, apps, and photos.

Once the Apple store technician wipes your phone clean, anything that you had stored on that phone will be gone. Apple will also take your old phone, rip it apart, and reuse or sell those old parts. You’ll get a new phone in return. If you’re wondering why the iPhone 4 screen can’t be replaced, the reason is very simple: this screen is fused onto the phone’s mother board, which means that it can’t be taken apart.

Third Party Screen Replacers

You may be saying to yourself “wait, I have a friend who got his iPhone 4 screen replaced.” Well, this is feasible if you visit a third party screen replacement specialist. However, Apple warns against doing this, since the person who replaces your screen will have to detach the screen from the mother board (in twelve different spots).

While some of these third party people may be legit, I’d double-check to make sure that the guy you’re hiring knows what he’s doing. Otherwise, you’ll wind up with a defective iPhone 4 that won’t be covered under Apple’s warranty. As you can see, third party screen repairmen are an option, but think twice before trusting your iPhone to some random person.

Backup Is Important

As mentioned, when you wipe your existing iPhone 4 clean, you will lose all of your data, contacts, photos, and apps. But, you can prevent complete chaos by heading to iTunes and synching your phone one last time. When you synch your phone, all of your information will be stored in your iTunes account, so you can simply connect the new phone to gain back all of that lost information.

If you don’t synch your phone before you hand your old phone over to Apple, you will still have a record of the apps that you have purchased (you don’t have to buy these again), but you won’t have any photos or other contact information. Now that you know why replacing your iPhone 4 screen is impossible, make sure not to drop that phone!