My Problem

Previously on iFixit.com; I destroyed the screen connector when attempting to put the iPhone back together - after installing a new Home button.

So, this time around, instead of trashing the iPhone 4(Verizon) I decided to order the screen repair kit.

My Fix

I took my time, was extra-double patient... picked at time when I knew I wouldn't be interrupted and I went slow... one step at a time.

This time the repair went perfectly.

However, a couple of notes related to the previous attempt at fixing the Home button.

#1) Previously, I got all three standouts in the wrong place. Plus, one of the standouts broke in half and got stuck in the mount and I didn't have a teeny tiny drill bit to drill it out - so this time around, I wasn't able to install the standout down by the speakers, and so I wasn't able to install the screw into that standout.

The moral of the story is to be very, very careful when removing the standouts and make extra-double sure you make notes about which standout came from which area on the iPhone.

There are three standout locations and two different sizes of standout.

#2) Previously, when attempting to reinstall the cellular antenna I pulled too hard and the connector came off the cable. So now there's no cellular antenna. This is no problem for me, because I'm using my iPhone 4 as an iPod and no longer use cell service for this device.

However, the moral to this story is; if a cable doesn't reach the connector... stop, look, listen. If nothing comes to mind... stop everything and call the iFixit and figure out why it doesn't reach and what you can do besides brute force pulling to make it fit correctly.

In the end of the end, the iPhone went back together and it works perfectly for what I need it to do.

The screen is clear and bright, swipes are zippy and accurate and the Home button works like the Home button should.

My Advice

With delicate electronics brute force is almost never the answer... take a few extra moments to figure out why it doesn't reach or why it doesn't fit or why it won't come apart.

In most cases... there's going to be a reason... another screw, something not installed or seated correctly... once you find the cause of the hangup... you can repair it safely without causing further damage.

Good luck.

Time, patience, discipline, persistence ... success.

My Problem

just because it was cheaper than having one of steve's zombies do it

My Fix

doesn't make your prices

My Advice

fair....

My Problem

I dropped my phone twice and needed to replace both the display assembly and rear glass panel.

My Fix

Shaky at first. This is a take your time kinda project.

My Advice

1) Go slow - I almost stripped a screw, yikes!

2) Use alot of light!

3) Sort and label where each screw goes - this made the process fast.

My Problem

When you put your iPhone 4 down on the dashboard of your boat, always remember to pick it back up and secure it somewhere before putting the hammer down. I failed to do this, and watched as my phone went flying toward the back of the boat to land flat on the deck - SMASH. iFixit to the rescue! (Sorry, no pics... the iPhone is my only camera)

My Fix

I followed the 35 seemingly intimidating steps to replace the digitizer and glass without a hitch. Turns out, it's just time consuming and not terribly difficult. Be certain you use the right tools, though. There's no way I could have done it without the iFixit guide. The "view huge" picture options in the top left saved me a few times along the way.

My Advice

Go slow. Follow the steps one by one, look at all the pictures closely. And, keep your SCREWS separated and labelled! There are a dozen or so screws that differ by only a few tenths of a millimeter! VERY easy for 43 year-old eyes to get mixed up when reassembling. I spent more time sorting screws than reassembling the phone. One other thing... the comments at the bottom of the step by step guides are well worth reading. Great community advice to be found there.

Seriously, I've been fixing gadgets and tech hardware since the 1980s. This is the first time I've used iFixit, but I'll definitely be back. Their great prices, excellent customer support and brilliant step by step guides are something I wish I'd discovered years ago. Super-fast shipping too! Customer for life.

My Problem

Broken glass on iPhone. Why fix? Why not? The first company phone that was broken we purchased the tool kit and the repair kit. The second broken phone, we had to purchase only the repair kit. Both times have been a great success. And every time our person performs the repair, he gets a little faster at it. Regardless of saving money (which is always a good thing), we just love that we're not throwing something in the dump that is salvageable. Products are good quality and shipped very quickly. Would recommend iFixIt to any one.

My Fix

Very well

My Advice

iFixIt significantly beats throwing away a phone and buying a new one.

My Problem

A customer brought in an iPhone 4 with a badly cracked (smashed is more like it) front display. After scouring about the internet -- well, not really, I knew iFixit would be the place to go -- I ordered the Display Assembly and iPhone 4 Liberation Kit.

My Fix

The whole process went very well. The kit arrived as promised and the repair went very smoothly. From start to finish, it took about 2 hours. I've done many Mac repairs, but this was my first iPhone repair, so I went extra-slowly. I must also give a hat-tip to my lighted magnifier: some of those screws are the tiniest I've ever seen!

I did have one problem though: when I was attempting to reinstall the logic board (step 21 in reverse), a small rubber bumper came loose from 'somewhere' on the board (I think). I've attached a photo of the bumper, so maybe somebody can identify where it belongs. It's seldom good when you've got parts left over!

One other note: the screws that came with the iPhone liberation kit are shorter than the pentalobe screws in the iPhone 4 (CDMA/Verizon). Not being sure whether that would matter, I chickened out and reused the pentalobe screws.

My Advice

I had a few issues with the guide, and I left the following notes in the appropriate places:

For step 6: Be aware that the pull tab is not actually attached to the battery. It is attached to the iPhone chassis, and is only used to separate the battery from the adhesive. (Don't expect it to come out with the battery!)

Also, the adhesive is VERY strong. I had to use my plastic opening tool to assist in prying the battery loose. This was probably the most nerve-wracking part of the job. Fortunately, I had watched MJ's teardown video where she specifically mentioned that.

For step 16: Be sure to check the notes section of that page, particularly the one from 'boo' who very accurately describes what I saw too. Whether the guide is incorrect or there are actually two different order of arrangement, I can't say.

For step 21: Scout about and identify the location of that rubber bumper before it comes off!

Last note: this screen was so badly smashed that it did not come away from the chassis whole. A few small pieces, about 2x5mm, were stuck to the adhesive in the vicinity of the home button. I only noticed when the new display assembly wouldn't seat properly. Getting those glass shards off that adhesive was a real pain. (Not literally -- I didn't cut myself or anything.)

My Problem

After many drops, the display on my iphone 4 finally broke. A new iphone 4 is around $600 outside of upgrade time so I figured I'd try a repair.

My Fix

It took a bit less then 2 hours to perform the repair with the provided guide. I have clumsy gorilla hands so more nimble folks may have an easier time. The guide was good functionally, but the screw sizes they mention seemed to be different then what is in my phone.

My Advice

Line up the screws and small bits by step number since the sizes mentioned may be different from your phone. Use a well lighted work space. A rubber work-mat helps a lot so parts don't slide around. I have bad eyes so a magnifier was helpful.

My Problem

Original problem was a cracked front screen on our COO's iphone

My Fix

I ended up using another vendor's youtube video to walk me through the tear down and rebuild. I had trouble finding the correct video on your website. the only thing I could find was a vague guide that was more tips than a step by step walk through like the one i found. I cant' say if this is still an issue because our COO was literally standing next to me while I buttoned up his phone and powered it on for the first time because he was in a hurry to leave. I did notice a bright blue vertical line on the right side of the screen. He told me that he didn't care about that and took off. I haven't heard anything since to hear if it is still visible or not but I would have felt better if it never showed up.

My Advice

Give yourself plenty of time and take a break or two half way through. i was so stressed half way through the tear down that i had to get up and take a break to relax a little bit. All in all i'd say it went fairly well.

My Problem

Boss sat on his VZW iPhone4, destroyed the screen

My Fix

Used iFixit VZW teardown and it went well. One of the slides was out of order, but I figured it out when the images didn't match the work. Probably the most nerve-wracking teardown I've done. Way harder than all previous iPhones.

My Advice

The battery glue required more force than I was comfortable applying, perhaps using a hair-dryer on the back of the case briefly, pre-pull? Also, The iPhone liberation kit should be a mandatory pack-in or add-on.

I didn't even think to check the screws when I bought the screen. I hadn't ever seen pentalobe on an iPhone before. All other iPhones I've worked on were #00 phillips.

Perhaps a giant disclaimer or an opt-out to make people really examine the screws. I could have saved $8~ in shipping. No big deal, just a thought.