Getting broken iphone today, how broken is it?

leglez

Platinum Member
Nov 12, 2005
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I am picking This up today. It says the screen is cracked, but you can still text and everything on it. Since you can still text does that mean it is the outside glass? Or could it be the LCD?
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
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The LCD would be bleeding of that was cracked, and it doesn't look like that's the case. However I don't think it's an easy job replacing 'just the outside glass' but you can always try.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
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Wait, he's charging $100 for the old iphone that has a crack in it? You can get a refurb of the 3G phone for $100 direct from ATT.
 

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
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Gocorops, If you get a phone with a crack in it for $100, then you don't have a contract. So then you can do what you want with it - even just using it as an iPod Touch or something. Or use it with a prepaid plan from T-Mobile or AT&T. $100 for a glass-cracked-but-everything-else-working iPhone is a good deal. If you can fix it for ~$30 and an hour of work, at the bare minimum, you have an iPod Touch (with a cell radio) for $130.

I would start with the glass and then buy the digitizer/LCD if you need to. You can get the glass on Ebay for less than $25. The LCD/digitizer runs ~$25. I would think that you just need to replace the glass. There are YouTube videos on replacing the glass. It's not that hard. My digitizer broke, so I replaced that. It took ~90 minutes but I was very slow and methodical about it. I thought the hardest part was getting that black plastic thing off the back. My advice: use a guitar pick. Also, I would highly reommend not unplugging anything - it's really hard to get the connectors back in again when you put it back together. And then the last thing that I recommend is making certain you seal the black tarry stuff around the screen when you put the phone back together - it keeps the dust out and if you remove the goop, you'll end up having to take the phone apart again to clean it later on.
 

darkrisen2003

Senior member
Sep 13, 2004
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Or you could just realize that apple isnt the only manufacturer out there and that there are better phones out there. /rant

Sorry I hate apple for many many reasons and am tired of seeing them everywhere I look be it in movies, commercials, the news, radio, any social medium period. I simply cannot go a single day without seeing or hearing about apple in some shape form or fashion and its getting really really old.

/end rant
 

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
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It's a little odd to rant about buying better phones in a thread devoted to a guy who already bought one and is trying to fix it... I'm fine about people ranting about everyone drinking the Apple kool-aid, but of all the iPhone threads on the forum, this wouldn't have been my obvious choice. Dark, rather than complain about a purchase the guy already made - it's not like he can return it - why not post up a thread about all the phones you think are superior to the iPhone and why you like them more?

You know, it's strange but I'd never even seen an Apple advertisement for the iPhone at all, until I'd owned one for about 5 months. The DVR that I built rips the commercials out, I usually listen to NPR (not many commercials, none for Apple) and the magazines that I get like Consumer Reports and The Economist either don't carry ads, or wouldn't have a lot about the iPhone. I bought mine because I could hack it - mostly I bought it primarily for the challenge of it and originally intended to hack it, mark it up and sell it for more than I paid for it on Ebay. I ended up keeping it because I like it more than anything else that I've seen (although the G1 comes close).
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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Originally posted by: darkrisen2003
Or you could just realize that apple isnt the only manufacturer out there and that there are better phones out there. /rant

Sorry I hate apple for many many reasons and am tired of seeing them everywhere I look be it in movies, commercials, the news, radio, any social medium period. I simply cannot go a single day without seeing or hearing about apple in some shape form or fashion and its getting really really old.

/end rant

I agree with you 100%

Here


Oh wait, just don't click on the threads...

pm, I hear you I have both and I go back and forth, I hope the G2 will meet my needs...

leglez, good luck with the phone repairs. :thumbsup:
 

darkrisen2003

Senior member
Sep 13, 2004
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PM I apologize and I know it is a poor choice to rant on this thread but im really just getting tired of hearing about apple every single day. I shall choose a better outlet to vent my frustration
 

leglez

Platinum Member
Nov 12, 2005
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Originally posted by: gorcorps
Wait, he's charging $100 for the old iphone that has a crack in it? You can get a refurb of the 3G phone for $100 direct from ATT.

Without a contract? Point me there please. Also I am not paying money for it, I am actually trading a couple xbox 360 games. I am almost 100% sure ATT doesn't take video game trade ins, but I may be wrong.

Originally posted by: darkrisen2003
Or you could just realize that apple isnt the only manufacturer out there and that there are better phones out there. /rant

Sorry I hate apple for many many reasons and am tired of seeing them everywhere I look be it in movies, commercials, the news, radio, any social medium period. I simply cannot go a single day without seeing or hearing about apple in some shape form or fashion and its getting really really old.

/end rant

Sorry I like apple products. I only have 1 windows PC and 3 Apple PCs, the build quality is a lot better, and I prefer the software a lot more over windows/linux. Don't be mad that you can't afford apple hardware or don't want to take the time to learn how to use it. If I wanted another phone I would of looked at other phones. I have spent many hours looking at multiple phones and this fits my needs perfect. Thanks for your concern though.
 

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
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Leglez, good luck with the repair. If you have questions, I can probably answer them. I replaced the digitizer on my iPhone after it got messed up sitting in my car when I went skiing.

Post up how it went, when you get it fixed. I know I'll be interested.
 

leglez

Platinum Member
Nov 12, 2005
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Ok thanks pm! I just picked it up, its not too bad at all. I am activating and unlocking it right now. Then I am going to check it over and see how bad it is. Hopefully it is just the outer glass. Where would you suggest getting parts from? eBay?
 

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
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From your link, Pork, I don't agree with #3, the glass and the digitizer aren't really "glued" or "fused" together. They attached using a fairly thick layer of some black sticky stuff that looks like tar. You can separate them without too much trouble. It requires patience - you have to insert something that can act as a wedge and then apply pressure while pushing the wedge in. The trick is that you want to use the tar-stuff to keep out dust so you want it all on the digitizer, and none on the glass. This adds challenge.

The guy on the mission repair website is correct about #5. It's really hard to get that black thing off without scratching the plastic.
 

Wonderful Pork

Golden Member
Jul 24, 2005
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Originally posted by: pm
From your link, Pork, I don't agree with #3, the glass and the digitizer aren't really "glued" or "fused" together. They attached using a fairly thick layer of some black sticky stuff that looks like tar. You can separate them without too much trouble. It requires patience - you have to insert something that can act as a wedge and then apply pressure while pushing the wedge in. The trick is that you want to use the tar-stuff to keep out dust so you want it all on the digitizer, and none on the glass. This adds challenge.

The guy on the mission repair website is correct about #5. It's really hard to get that black thing off without scratching the plastic.

I've never tried taking apart my 2G so I'm certainly not the expert. Generally though, if it can be built, it can be disassembled!