You ever replace the glass on your modern smartphone?

[lozina]

I guess I dropped my Motorola Droid razr maxx hd one too many times, it is completely cracked now but is otherwise completely functional

I was looking up some videos on replacing just the glass and it looks pretty tough to separate the glass from the lcd, but it does appear do-able

have you ever attempted such a repair on your own?

did you succeed? any better technique on separating the glass from the lcd besides what they show on the video with a hair dryer and plastic pry tool?

debating trying this as opposed to forking out like $200 on the full screen assembly replacement or sending it in to a shop

 

[inf1nity]

nope, but i'll recommend not doing it yourslef

 

[Codewiz]

Yep, I did it on a Galaxy S3 that people said was pretty much impossible.

It can be done IF you have patience and you have a heat gun. A hair dryer will not work.

Remove your battery and use a heat gun to soften the glue and SLOWLY peel it back. It took me about 1.5 hours to replace the glass.

 

[lozina]

Yep, I did it on a Galaxy S3 that people said was pretty much impossible.

It can be done IF you have patience and you have a heat gun. A hair dryer will not work.

Remove your battery and use a heat gun to soften the glue and SLOWLY peel it back. It took me about 1.5 hours to replace the glass.

Did you use the wire method to peel it off or prying with plastic knifes/guitar picks?

1.5 hours of time is definitely worth it IMO.

to adhere the new glass did you use double side tape on the edges or did you use soemthing like LOCA glue?

edit: and the video i seen on youtube with my model shows the guy not taking the battery out (think taking the battery out is a big hassle with this model)

 

[Raduque]

I did it on my Note II.

Pulled battery (batteries REALLY do not like overheating) and I used my fingernail to remove the pieces of glass after warming the device up with a real heat gun (450f temp).

Be sure you clean the LED REALLY REALLY well. Use new glue/adhesive strips if the old glue is ruined or dirty.

On the Note II, at least, the digitizer is part of the LED, so other than looking terrible, the phone was 100% usable without the glass.

Edit2: I couldn't get the larger pieces of glass to come up in one piece, so it broke and I was stick picking a ton of tiny pieces off. It took me about 3 hours of slowly picking at the pieces with my fingernail while applying heat.

 

[Chocu1a]

I did it with my Note 2. Heat gun and plastic picks. Bought a kit off Amazon that had the tools. Took a couple of hours.
For adhesive I used 3M double sided tape.

 

[alkemyst]

They have places in the mall and mobile guys that come to your door for not much more than the price of the kits, plus you know it works when they leave. I had to do two iPhone fronts and 3 iPhone rear glass.

 

[Raduque]

They have places in the mall and mobile guys that come to your door for not much more than the price of the kits, plus you know it works when they leave. I had to do two iPhone fronts and 3 iPhone rear glass.

They'll do it for ~$10? Because that's how much the Note II glass and tools cost.

 

[Imp]

And this is why I'll never have a smartphone -- still using dumb phone that's been dropped a dozen times.

 

[alkemyst]

And this is why I'll never have a smartphone -- still using dumb phone that's been dropped a dozen times.

lifeproof cases have solved the breaking problems with the kids.

 

[alkemyst]

They'll do it for ~$10? Because that's how much the Note II glass and tools cost.

It's was like $75 for the repair to be done in home for my iPhone 4s.

Many of the iPhone kits do not work properly and you don't know that until you reassemble.

For less than the cost of my service per month on that line it's well worth it.

 

[CPA]

yep, fixed my daughter's. Then she dropped it an broke the glass again about a month later. Not going to fix it again.

 

[phucheneh]

I have a cheap smartphone with a plastic screen. Glass screens are fucking dumb. Especially when they cover the entire front of the phone, making any edge hit shatter them.

 

[Codewiz]

Did you use the wire method to peel it off or prying with plastic knifes/guitar picks?

1.5 hours of time is definitely worth it IMO.

to adhere the new glass did you use double side tape on the edges or did you use soemthing like LOCA glue?

edit: and the video i seen on youtube with my model shows the guy not taking the battery out (think taking the battery out is a big hassle with this model)

It all depends on the phone. On the S3, the adhesive was still on the LCD screen so when I got the broken glass off, I just heated the lcd and put the new glass on. The existing adhesive adhered to the new glass.

The primary reason I advise taking the battery out is if you use a heat gun (which is a must IMO), you will be putting a lot of heat on the phone. Extremely high heat and li-ion batteries do not mix.

EDIT: When I bought the replacement glass, it came with a plastic pry bar that helped lift the broken glass.

 

[l0cke]

I tried to replace the glass on an HTC EVO 3D but I ended up breaking the screen by accident :whiste:

However a full screen and glass assembly was only $35 so it wasn't that big of a deal.

 

[Raduque]

I tried to replace the glass on an HTC EVO 3D but I ended up breaking the screen by accident :whiste:

However a full screen and glass assembly was only $35 so it wasn't that big of a deal.

I broke the hell out of my myTouch 4G Slide trying to replace the glass. I didn't have a heat gun and I cracked the LCD. I also ruined the flex cable somehow, and needed an entirely new display unit, but I can't find one for sale anywhere.

 

[coldmeat]

I dropped my s2 about 10 feet up off a ladder at work onto concrete. The glass and the rest of the phone is spotless, but the screen underneath broke in half. You have to replace them both, so it's a $200 repair.

 

[mmntech]

It can be done but the problem is that most LCD panels are fused to the glass with glue. It's easier to replace the entire assembly.

If your phone is under contract, you can probably get your telco to replace it. Probably at the subsidized fee if not for free. However, you can also find replacement display assemblies for under $200. Here's one off eBay for $130. Seems reputable.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/OEM-Motorola...Digitizer-Screen-Frame-Assembly-/170980015577

 

[lozina]

It can be done but the problem is that most LCD panels are fused to the glass with glue. It's easier to replace the entire assembly.

If your phone is under contract, you can probably get your telco to replace it. Probably at the subsidized fee if not for free. However, you can also find replacement display assemblies for under $200. Here's one off eBay for $130. Seems reputable.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/OEM-Motorola...Digitizer-Screen-Frame-Assembly-/170980015577

ah but thats for the older model

mine is XT926 :\

replacing the whole screen assembly would be a breeze though...

 

[mmntech]

ah but thats for the older model

mine is XT926 :\

replacing the whole screen assembly would be a breeze though...

Well shoot. But yes, replacing the screen is pretty quick job. It's just they use so much glue in everything now to keep you out.

Fixing iPhones is a lot easier because there's so many parts available, they're inexpensive.

 

[blankslate]

Did you use the wire method to peel it off or prying with plastic knifes/guitar picks?

They actually sell plastic tools in "cell phone repair kits" however what you suggested could probably work just as well.

 

[Ichinisan]

lifeproof cases have solved the breaking problems with the kids.

Usually, just a TPU material case is enough protection. Too many people get these cases that offer no screen protection (they only protect from scratches on the back, so what's the point?)...or they go to the other extreme and get an extreme case.

I love the Belkin Grip Candy Sheer (Glow/Blacktop) for my iPhone 5.

For iPod touch 5G, Incipio Frequency.

For my iPad mini, Incipio NGP ("NGP" is basically, Incipio's version of "TPU")

For my sister's iPhone 4, a Belkin Essentials black/white (iPhone 4/4S version of my iPhone 5 case).

Each of these has a minimal lip around the screen. TPU is thin and flexible, but doesn't stick in your pocket (soft gel cases actually make you drop your device while trying to get it out of your pocket). TPU absorbs some of the impact from a fall. I've dropped my phone and iPad mini lots of times and they are still in great shape. I don't use the included screen protectors. The protective lip is all I want.

My brother and I have replaced other people's screens many times on various mobile devices.

 

[Staples]

Paid $150 for an Ipad 5 screen. Never done it myself.

Correction. Ipad 4

 

[Kaido]

Yes. Did my wife's iPhone 4S. It was the single most difficult tech project I've undertaken. It took me 3 hours with a magnifying glass using the $40 screen kit off eBay, and I ripped the ribbon cable when re-assembling. Would not want to do it again.

 

[Ichinisan]

Paid $150 for an Ipad 5 screen. Never done it myself.

This device does not exist.