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Repair information and guides for the Apple iPhone 5s that was announced on September 10, 2013. Model: A1533, A1453, A1457, A1528, A1530, A1518

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What effect will torn wifi/BT antenna ribbon have?

I'm transplanting the wifi/BT antenna to another rear case. A couple things happened during the removal.

1. I tore the ribbon. As you look at the antenna in it's normal orientation, the tear starts halfway down on the right side at the fold/crease. It goes about 1/2 way to the left towards the rectangular hole.

2. What is the silvery, spongey material on the ribbon? iFixit has the area outlined in their parts list, iPhone 5s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Antenna.

3. Half of the gold gasket broke completely off.

Will the tear or the broken gasket have any affect on the part functioning properly?

If I opt to just replace it, is that silvery, spongey stuff necessary for the part to function properly?

Update

Block Image

The red line is where I tore it.

The yellow square is the material I'm referring to. I picked at it and pulled some of it off.

The blue circle is the gasket that got torn in half.

I'm figuring it all has something to do with something so I ended up getting a replacement part. Still curious to know what effect, if any, these things may have.

Thanks!

iPhone 5s/SE (1st Gen) Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Antenna Image

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iPhone 5s/SE (1st Gen) Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Antenna

$9.99

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Most Helpful Answer

Yes. It may affect your wifi/BT performance, depending on the model of your phone it may also cause cellular performance impact.

The gold adhesive are conductive so the antenna can be properly grounded or connected to the case to function as a bigger antenna.

Some pics may help.

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The material is called conductive sponge padding. As Tom mentioned, it does serve a purpose and should be replaced/transplanted. I've found the item on the web but not specifically for the wifi/BT antenna. Now the question is, is this material specific to the wifi/BT antenna or can I just get some and cut to size/shape? I'm thinking the latter.

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